Rats

[Swarm]

This is Jess, she is 10 weeks old and been with us for two weeks, a little bit young yet but Milo in my avatar would have a blast.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mine have a fox proof run

No such thing - lost two of ours last month - chewed his way through the wire and managed to get into the cheap badly made bit of made in China chicken coop Swmbo bought off fleabay

Human urine is great at deterring foxes from areas where chickens live. Liberally apply around the boundary.

Yup, SWMBO won't join in but I try to save one a day for that purpose - with eight posts it's usually one a night (have to wait until after dark as to not upset the neighbours)

I haven't the inclination any more to sit in the dark in the dining room with silenced rifle at the ready, but to be honest until I get new eyes it's a struggle to pick them out at 60 yards in the dim light even with scopes and an illuminated reticle.

 

[pargyle]

This is Jess, she is 10 weeks old and been with us for two weeks, a little bit young yet but Milo in my avatar would have a blast.

She's lovely ... I had two standard Yorkshire Terriers at home in Yorkshire as a kid - used to take them ratting on the local tip - I used to get a shilling a tail from the Council for rats tails and few weekends went by when I could not make ten bob to increment my pocket money. They were rat killers and worked as a team ...one flushed one killed.... then they would swap round .. (Yeh - I know I'm old - ten bob would get me a gallon and a half of petrol for my motorbike and leave a shilling over for a packet of 5 Park Drive Plain cigarettes !).

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is Jess, she is 10 weeks old and been with us for two weeks, a little bit young yet but Milo in my avatar would have a blast.

Gorgeous. Is she a Patterdale (can't see any little white star on her chest)?

No such thing -

Weld mesh?

 

[pargyle]

No such thing - lost two of ours last month - chewed his way through the wire and managed to get into the cheap badly made bit of made in China chicken coop Swmbo bought off fleabay

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Welded-Wi...t=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item3f415e6a80

Fox proof mesh for the run .... all four sides, and the roof - As for the chinese coop - the stupid sliding door that came as standard I added a closing bar that extended to outside the run and a catch to make sure it could not be opened. Reinforced the door at the back with timber overlaps and two 'proper' bolts. Fox tried nibbling at a corner a couple of years ago but didn't get anywhere.

 

[Swarm]

Yup, Patterdales but no white on either, they're jet black. It's been a trying fortnight as Milo saw her as 'small furry animal' until last night when it clicked and he began playing with her. All helped by our 12 year old Stafford bitch who is simply a legend, she'll endure anything and will lay down the law when needed.

Pargyle,
Sounds like some great memories with great little dogs. It was all dogs and ferrets with me, there's nothing like watching the dogs work, they absolutely love it.
I think active vermin control with dogs is the better option, it's probably the kindest solution as well.

 

[Itchy]

Not forgetting that rats will eat chicken ****, dog **** and human **** when nothing else around.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not forgetting that rats will eat chicken ****, dog **** and human **** when nothing else around.

Well, you often see them around the bins in macdonalds car parks - so snacking on a turd is probably a pleasant change

 

[Erichalfbee]

We have a camera trained near one of the rat traps hidden under a pile of bricks by the chicken run. Last night we got a blurry shot of a Tawny Owl on top of a rat!!!!!!

 

[carrodale]

it has been a ridicules year for rats, our suppler for work at one point had a 3 week waiting list for coated dressed wheat, to say that when we could get it in stock watching it be sold by the half tone was depressing, last year we sold a couple of tuns a month, this year was easily 15 times that.

 

[BeeJayBee]

it has been a ridicules year for rats...

Just before Christmas the local agricultural supplier ran out of traps, bait stations and bait. Never had it happen before.

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are like bacteria here, as soon as you get one method right they manage to get round it.
I'm beginning to think the only foolproof way is a .22 and a night sight...then they will discover Kevlar, I guess!

 

[jd101k2000]

They have not found a way around our cats. They not only protect us, but since we moved in our neighbours' rat problem disappeared. They have been seen to dispatch, in a few seconds, rats that were nearly as big as they are. The verminators also keep your lap warm in winter.