4 easy ways to get rats out of the barn
Residents of rural areas are often inconvenienced by various rodents that harm food supplies, as well as domestic animals and birds. One of the most numerous species that harm humans, without a doubt, are rats.
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What harm do rats do to humans?
Rats are widespread in many countries and are considered one of the most malicious pests. These small rodents most often settle near a person’s dwelling and are capable of causing him many different problems, namely:
- destroy or spoil food stocks;
Rats living in barns.
- damage pipes, wires and even walls of buildings;
- infect a person or pet with many different infections or blood-sucking parasites.
Rats live in both cities and villages. On the territory of cities, they mainly host in places of accumulation of garbage and sewer pipes. But in rural areas, rodents are very often located next to chicken coops.
Where other animals will have access to them - yes. Chickens are less picky than rats and will eat just about anything.
When the poison used is not instantaneous, then yes. Start with a gastric lavage and see a doctor.
How to get rid of rats in a chicken coop
Getting rid of rodents in a chicken coop will definitely be more difficult than in a house. Traps and rat traps should not be placed near chickens in the public domain, and even more so, poisoned baits should not be laid out. These methods can significantly harm the life and health of the inhabitants of the chicken coop.
However, it is necessary to immediately switch to protection when pests appear, because rats are very clever at stealing eggs.
Traps and traps in the chicken coop
It is possible to use various mechanical devices to fight rats in a chicken coop, but care must be taken to protect the chickens themselves. To place traps or rat traps in a chicken coop, you should choose one of two ways to secure the birds:
- Trap must be hidden in a box with a small hole up to 5-6 cm in diameter.
Rat traps with baits.
Inside the box you need to place a bait with a strong smell that can attract a rodent. This method allows you to protect adult chickens by blocking their access to the device, but it is not suitable for chicken coops in which small chickens live.
- Rat trap can be placed on the upper shelves, to which the chickens can not get close. These shelves usually store garden tools and other tools. To lure a rat onto a shelf, you also need a good bait.
Live traps for rats
Zhivolovka automatic.
Instead of killing rat traps and traps, you can install a live trap in the chicken coop. This is a special device that allows you to catch a rodent alive and does not pose any danger to chickens. But, there are also disadvantages of this device:
- the rodent must be removed from the trap in such a way that it cannot bite a person by the hand;
- after the rat is caught, it must either be killed with one's own hand or released;
- live traps are more expensive devices compared to traps and rat traps.
Ultrasonic Rat Repellers
Such devices are very convenient to use and absolutely safe for chickens.
Repeller "ElectroCat Classic".
The repeller makes a high-frequency sound that irritates the hearing of rodents and makes them leave the chicken coop. For humans and chickens, this sound is not audible and does not pose any danger.
When choosing such a device, it is necessary to give preference to repellers with high power. They are more effective and can drive rats not only from the chicken coop, but also from neighboring buildings.
The main disadvantage of such a device is that over time, rats can get used to it and stop responding.
Folk remedies
Among the many folk methods of dealing with rats, the following are considered the most effective:
- Ash scattering. Rodents do not like ashes due to the fact that, getting on their skin, it causes severe irritation. After the rat begins to lick itself, the ashes also end up in the stomach of the animal, causing discomfort. You can place ashes inside the chicken coop. It will not harm the birds in any way and, on the contrary, will help them, get rid of skin parasites.
Blackroot.
- Planting around the chicken coopwho don't like rats. These are Burdock and Blackroot officinalis, which the people have nicknamed the rat-catcher. The spines of these plants often stick to the fur of the animal, and they cannot get rid of them on their own, so they bypass the places where they grow.
How to protect a chicken coop
Even after the rats have left the chicken coop, you should not relax. The rodents could return at any moment and this time the methods that have been used in the past are likely to be ineffective. Therefore, as soon as the rodents disappear from sight, it is necessary to prepare the chicken coop and prevent a new invasion:
- If the floor in the chicken coop is earthen, then it must be strengthened. To do this, the top layer of the earth is removed by about 40 cm and expanded clay is covered. The expanded clay layer should be about 25-30 cm. A chain-link mesh with a mesh size of 5x5 mm is laid on top of it and the earth is covered from above. It is important that expanded clay and metal mesh are not below the level of the base of the foundation. Also, the floor can be made entirely of concrete, and sawdust or sand can be used as the top layer.
- The walls in the chicken coop should also be reinforced. If they are not made of stone or brick, then it is necessary to strengthen them by caulking all possible holes, joints and cracks. It is necessary to strengthen not only the walls, but also the roof.
- Even after the floor and walls of the chicken coop are reinforced, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness and order inside the building. This will help to detect traces of the appearance of rodents in time, if they somehow make their way back into the chicken coop.
Conclusion
Rats in a chicken coop are one of the most unwanted guests. They can not only steal eggs, but also infect chickens with various infections and parasites. Getting rid of rodents is not easy, as they are quite intelligent creatures. Therefore, it is best to prevent the appearance of an unwanted guest, and already when building a chicken coop, follow all the recommendations for protecting and strengthening it.
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