Rat Problems & Advice

[pottamus]

I have a mobile field stable - one for my horse who is in at night and one for my hay. I have no feed in there other than chaff and I have just been out and bought a metal bin to put that into. But over the last couple of weeks I have noticed what looks like rat droppings on my hay. Now I don't really want them around as I have heard they are destructive critters and can eat hooves!????? Any advice from anyone as I have removed the food source but cannot move my hay supply for obvious reasons? Does it need to be a rat poison job?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Yep

 

[Cobland]

We had to poison them in the end too, there seems to be a lot of them this year. Annoying things

 

[Happytohack]

Poison is best solution. Neo Sorexa gold is pretty effective - we usually put it in a bit of old drainpipe out of the way of cats/dogs etc. Keep topping the poison up until it doesn't seem to be going anymore. If you don't get rid of them now, you'll have loads of them before you know it.

 

[fionic]

I've had a massive rat problem over the past month or two.

You could try getting some terriers in to get rid of them. If you chuck a pile of horse food out into the open to get them out in the open, then release the dogs, you might get them that way.

Snap traps are useless as you'll catch one and the rest will get wise to it. Live traps are a total waste of time.

We've ended up having to poison them as they were in the house, so could hide from the terriers. Ferrets would have been worth a try, but apparently they can't climb up cavity walls so they can't follow the rats.

Good luck is all I can say! They're tricky little so and so's as they're so clever.

 

[Cobland]

Also if you poison them then you will get the others, as rats do eat dead rats, its disgusting

 

[Baggybreeches]

Poison is the only answer. Its the wet weather that is bringing them all in. I have never heard of them eating hooves???

 

[severnmiles]

Forget any rat poison you can buy off of the shelf, useless stuff, they become immune to it and you end up actually feeding them!

There are a number of options:

*Proper rat poision - though this can kill dogs/cats/birds and other small rodents so is quite dangerous.

*Getting a group of young lads and some terriers in with a chainsaw and hose pipe - quite good fun actually!

*Ferrets or polecats, apparently rats can't stand the smell of them so they'll move on (not nice for your neighbours

) all you do is walk a very smelly male ferret or polecat around the area with the rat problem and all through the hay/straw e.t.c

*Humane rat trap, using peanut butter/peanuts, sardines or Cadburys milk chocolate, quite a slow process. They can probably breed faster than you can catch them!

A few ideas for you anyway.

 

[TheresaW]

One of the old horses on our yard has recently had his hooves attacked by the rats. We have poisoned and seem on top of them at the moment.

 

[Hattie]

My Patterdales love them!!! Where are you Im sure OH would like a days ratting. We had two mice trapped in the oat bin today so Pats were having fun!!!!Yummy.

 

[Rockchick_uk]

I have never ever heard of Rats eating horses hooves, the idea sounds just silly. Yes they may chew on hoove cuttings (as dogs do) but im sure if a horse or pony was to have a rat chewing on its hoof it wouldnt just stand their and let them do it!

Rats produce a litter every 21 days and the female rat can get pregnant 1 hour after giving birth. Litters can vary from 2 to 15 kittens and if i can remember correctly doe kittens can get pregnant at around 8-12 weeks old themselves. So you can see how quickly they can reproduce (i used to breed fancy rats).

I dont like the idea of killing anything but i understand if you have a problem then they need to be controlled, personally i feel that something like a polecat or terrier are better at the job as poisoning is a very slow and painful way for any animal to die, also we had a dog poisioned at our yard when he ate a poisoned rat so you never know whats going to get the stuff.

 

[TheresaW]

Every morning the horse had blood around his heels. Vet was called out to see him, and upon examination, teeth marks were found around the bulb area of his front hooves. Am sure most horses would put up a fight, but this particular horse is well into his 30's and not that sharp on his front legs anymore. (Have to say though, no way would I stand behind him)

 

[dozzie]

I found my rat population has dropped considerably since feeding ponynuts rather than a mix. I started feeding nuts when my oldies needed softer food (I soak the nuts) and it really has had an impact on the rats.

I wont poison anything as it gets into the foodchain.

Best thing has to be a cat, Jack Russel or ferret.

 

[filly190]

I have mixed Drrat with wheat and put it in bait boxes and this has worked very well. This cold snap has brought them looking for shelter and you are quite right to be concerned. good luck

 

[Taboo1968]

Failing that, get a bin with a swing lid, fill it with water and place nice tasty treats on swing part of lid..... nice treats attract rattie, who jumps on swing lid and falls into water and drowns! cheaper alternative to rat poison!

 

[SpruceRI]

Have had same problem as you, though not seen any activity for a few weeks now. 'Caught' 4 rats in my 'drown pool'. Dustbin filled half with water, then sprinkled with oats and straw so they can't see the water! As I say, 4 have jumped in and met a nasty end.

My humane trap has been laced with all sorts as has my splat trap, and nothings' touched the food, I think they're too wise to it.

Also bought some 'humane to the pets/wildlife' but not the the rats poison which looks like giant pony nuts. They've not been touched either.

Can't see how a terrier would help me as my hay is well wedged in and standing on pallets so don't think I'd want a herd of dogs scrabbling over my horses' food and potentially catching something which will be splattered all over the hay?

Tis very difficult to know what to do really.

 

[ticobay831]

Ive got a rat or rats at the moment im afriad i had to put poison down in the end, it made a huge hole in the bottom of the bag of hifi. At first it wouldnt tkae the bait.
As its attacked my bag of carrots before now i left a carrot outside the bait box and everynight since it has eaten the carrot and taken all the bait. I must admit i feel bad about it, its not a pleasent way to die but its not good for the horses either,havign them around, its them or my boys.
Poor rattie