Rats and haylage!!

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Sandstone1

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Due to the possible shortage of hay/haylage this coming winter, I would like to stock up on haylage a bit. My worry is rats. I dont want the bales to get chewed on for obvious reasons. I normally stack on pallets but rats can be a problem. Would rather avoid putting rat killer down as we have dogs and wildlife around. Any ideas?
 
The only way is controlling the rat population now. Bait is the best way as you can catch them before they get settled in. The regulations will need checking as you cannot bait outside now.
 
I bought 50 bales and lost 6 to rats, they were stored in a clean indoor barn on pallets ... I think the pallets are a problem as rats love hiding underneath... I also had them up against a back wall. If doing it again I would prob store away from walls and clear under pallets each day. I'm buying mine 10 at time instead to avoid loss. You could pay supplier up front of you know them and pick them up when needed. Trying to get rid of mouldy ones was a pita, I took them to tip to go in green waste in end.
 
Dont think supplier would store for me. I wonder if putting directly on floor on a tarp would be better than pallets.
 
I only had this once but the little gits took a bite or two out of every single bale!

We have since upped the rat poison routine, and I buy fewer at a time now!
 
Sandstone1 said:
Dont think supplier would store for me. I wonder if putting directly on floor on a tarp would be better than pallets.
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Presumably round, wrapped bales? Went to look at a horse once where the vendor had an open shed, raised earth floor that must have drained towards the edges, with a tarp base and maybe ten haylage bales on end, like soldiers. There was a little bit of room between each - for her feral cats!
Apparently they’d had rat issues, acquired cats from a rehoming agency, and solved it.
 
meesha said:
I bought 50 bales and lost 6 to rats, they were stored in a clean indoor barn on pallets ... I think the pallets are a problem as rats love hiding underneath... I also had them up against a back wall. If doing it again I would prob store away from walls and clear under pallets each day. I'm buying mine 10 at time instead to avoid loss. You could pay supplier up front of you know them and pick them up when needed. Trying to get rid of mouldy ones was a pita, I took them to tip to go in green waste in end.
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Same here. The rats ruined a few of the pallet load I bought negating all the savings I made. Luckily I don’t need to buy in now as the farmer gives us big bales.
 
meesha said:
I understand now why the guy i buy the haylage off has so many terriers !! He stores 100s outside and doesn't seem to have a problem ...
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Find out where your local terrier pack is and ask them to come and help you deal with any rats. Terriers will kill the rats quickly and cleanly. If you use poison the rats will go outside to die and will then be picked up by owls and birds of prey who will then be affected by the poison. Rats killed by the terriers can be safely left out.
 
punia said:
Find out where your local terrier pack is and ask them to come and help you deal with any rats. Terriers will kill the rats quickly and cleanly. If you use poison the rats will go outside to die and will then be picked up by owls and birds of prey who will then be affected by the poison. Rats killed by the terriers can be safely left out.
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Yes, for goodness sake don’t use poison and cats / terriers!
For sure feral cats will catch the dopier / dying rats and at least part-eat them, and become very ill, even die, themselves. Similar, terriers. About the only thing you can do then is hope they vomit, give lots of milk and vitamin K.
If you are concerned about scavenging wildlife meeting the same fate, really you should collect up all rat carcasses too, which is usually easier said than done, and thoroughly unpleasant!
 
I've never used poison just tried to keep everything clean and tidy and live alongside any rodents lol... Learnt my lesson getting lots small bale in last year ... Never again
 
Really, really do not want to use poison. Also do not want to run short of haylage or lose a load to rats! I have not seen any signs of rats about for some time but fear they may move in in winter again.
 
Sandstone1 said:
Really, really do not want to use poison. Also do not want to run short of haylage or lose a load to rats! I have not seen any signs of rats about for some time but fear they may move in in winter again.
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This is exactly what happened to me when I bought haylage by the pallet. Think it was a mouse (as we saw him) who just nibbled the corner of each wrap (small bales) so lost about 10 which were then a pain to dispose of - vowed then not to get big loads of haylage in and through the winter bought some as needed each week. Also thought it might be a good idea to stock up a bit due to shortages etc but am wary of same happening again.
Have got two cats but they weren't much help. Think I'm going to bite the bullet - start stocking up a little and hope for the best !!!!!!! x
 
If you can stack them upwards as well. i keep my haylage outside in the field just next to the stables and electric fence it so horses cant get to it. Then go three high so if some are got at the bottom its not as many. I found it was mice making beds in it that were the problem - rats never.
 
Do what the big contractor companies do to protect grain and their machinery from rodent damage

6"x1" boards laid out around the stack flat on their widest side. Screw in normal fencing insulators and use 40mm electric fence tape. Hook to a small battery or solar energiser.
 
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My grandad never used poison. It was traps or. Wait for it. Don’t shoot me. Please !!!!
Porridge oats mixed with plaster of Paris dry. On a dish. You can imagine what happened when vermin took it and had a drink but it worked. And no other wildlife was harmed.
 
ROMANY 1959 said:
My grandad never used poison. It was traps or. Wait for it. Don’t shoot me. Please !!!!
Porridge oats mixed with plaster of Paris dry. On a dish. You can imagine what happened when vermin took it and had a drink but it worked. And no other wildlife was harmed.
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Wow!
Completely obviate all that rodenticide training and certification.....all the growing chemical resistances....and all the expense.....
Are you sure nothing other than rats ever indulged? Did it definitely work? As in, solid little corpses, directly attributable?! This is genius.
 
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