Rodents live in close proximity to human housing. With the onset of cold weather they make their way into the house, shed, cellar, outbuildings. Especially attracted by rodents is the chicken coop. The room is always warm, there is an abundance of food, no one threatens. For humans, the question of how to get rid of rats in the chicken coop becomes vitally important.
Danger to chickens
The rat is a pretty strong predator. Able to win the battle with the cat, pretty much injure the dog. In the chicken coop, she feels free, calm, safe. It behaves in a boorish manner, systematically committing an attack on full-fledged residents.
Rats steal eggs from the chicken coop with an enviable systematic nature. With a small number of layers, a person can even be left without eggs. A rat is capable of attacking a chicken if it wants to taste fresh meat. The predator equally easily copes with young growth, adult birds. Even a rooster will not interfere with the hunting process, a predator is able to bite strongly. Engage in theft will be systematic.
On a note!
A rat can eat a whole chicken if it is very hungry. In other cases, looting. Kills birds, bites, leaves a carcass. The damage from the rodent is enormous. Chickens strangle in a matter of days. Will attack every night.
It is necessary to protect the chicken coop from dangerous rodents, in order to prevent the spread of infection. Rats carry dangerous diseasestransmit harmful parasites:
- typhoid fever;
- toxoplasmosis;
- plague;
- toxocariasis;
- tularemia;
- rabies;
- soda;
- rickettsioses;
- leptospirosis;
- hemorrhagic fever;
- listeriosis;
- streptobacillosis.
Carries fleas, bugs, ticks. The causative agents of infection are in saliva, feces, blood, on wool, in the air exhaled by rodents. It is necessary to remove rats from the chicken coop for the safety of chickens and the preservation of their own health.
House reconstruction
Protecting the chicken coop is the main task of the breeder. It is necessary to take care of safety, a comfortable stay of hens in the house at the stage of building the building. In order to drive out rats or prevent their appearance, it is necessary to create unfavorable conditions for pests. Since it will not be possible to deprive food, you need to worry about the tightness of the chicken coop.
- There should be no gaps in the walls. Rats are so brisk that they penetrate the smallest gaps. At a distance of 1 m in height, aluminum sheets can be nailed. Hens nest at an altitude; only pecking food descends to the floor. Sealed walls are not placed for them, but they will be protected from dangerous rats.
- Doors put metal. The windows should be glass or a solid mesh with small cells. It is better to concrete the floor. Boards, polystyrene foam, foam, various rat rats will nibble.
- Try to keep the house clean. Regularly remove chicken droppings, clean food containers, clean eggs in a timely manner.
If a thorough reconstruction of the chicken coop is not possible, begin to search for effective methods. You can destroy rodents yourself. If the efforts do not give the desired result, turn to specialized rat extermination servicesthat will carry out deratization.
Ultrasonic Repellers
Rats can be fought with sound. The device produces a sound of a certain vibration. A person does not feel it, but rodents catch it well. Such background is also not harmful to chickens, therefore only rodents feel the effect. Remove pests with ultrasonic repellers can be fast, safe.
Professional sound repellers are produced by domestic, foreign manufacturers. Especially popular Clean house, Tornado, Grad-A, Pest Reject, Electrocat. Range of action is up to 1000 sq. m. Devices are powered by electricity. In a large chicken coop, several devices are used at once. A prerequisite is the availability of a free exit for rats.
An unpleasant sound affects the nervous system. Unable to withstand psychological stress, rodents flee. Such humane methods of fighting rats in a chicken coop expel a whole army of rodents, they will protect against re-emergence. The effect is felt within 1-2 weeks after installing the repeller.
On a note!
If there is no way out, the rats will go crazy, their actions in this state are unpredictable.
According to the reviews of poultry farmers, the effectiveness of a modern tool is not more than 80%. It can be used as an additional method from rats in the house.
Use of poison
How to exterminate rodents, each owner of chickens chooses individually. When using poison, some nuances should be taken into account. Edible baits should not be placed in a place accessible to chickens. If possible poison for rats cram into holes, crevices.
From rats in the chicken coop do not use powder scattered around the perimeter. It is dangerous to destroy with tablets, briquettes. Smoke curious birds, they want to try everything.
If there is an urgent need to poison rats, you need to temporarily move the chickens to another room. In this case, you can use any rat poison with quick action. An effective remedy for rats. The minimum dose of the drug in the stomach causes fatal poisoning. It is enough to swallow a small piece. You can corrode rodents in a week.
On a note!
You can poison rats with edible baits by mixing poisonous substance into raw meat, fish, and fat. Rodents equally like salty, sweet. To use as a bait you need a product with a strong smell. Spoiled meat, lard will be just right.
Folk methods of struggle
Without using poison, rats can be quickly treated with effective folk remedies.
The main methods of extermination:
- Wood ash expels rodents, does not harm birds, does not threaten human health. It is a traditional folk method from rodents. They are scattered on the floor around the perimeter of the chicken coop, paying special attention to places with crevices where rodents may appear. Rats in the chicken coop appear at night, do not notice the scattered powder. Ash causes irritation on the skin. Ash enters the stomach when trying to get rid of contamination of the coat, causing an upset. Abdominal pain upsets the predator’s plans. Repeated repetition of a disease state forces the rodent to seek a new habitat.
- If the rats drag eggs, you can put geese in the chicken coop. This bird, unlike chickens, can stand up for itself, will protect others. The goose sleeps sensitively, hears the slightest rustle. The loud sounds of gagging will scare the predator. The turkey can alter the whole chicken coop when the enemy appears.
- The natural enemy of rodents is a domestic cat. In the chicken coop to run it is undesirable. Since she herself does not mind eating eggs, she will slowly steal them. Instead, you can settle with hedgehog hens. He lives at night, will become a real guardian of order. Will catch pests when rats begin to attack.
- If the rats dug holes in the chicken coop, they didn’t just get the habit of dragging eggs into holes, they start to bite chickens, you need to act thoroughly. Use carbite.Pour water, cram into holes, fill the exit with earth. The substance emits gas that is harmful to rats and can kill all individuals. It doesn’t harm the birds.
- Such a plant as colchicum autumn contains strong poison, can destroy the animal. 10 g of the plant are mixed with 100 g of seeds, thrown into holes. The agent is capable of poisoning pests per day. For the same purpose, use the seeds of chilibuha. Poisonous strychnine is obtained from this plant. Mix the seeds with raisins, sugar, stearin.
- You can secure the house with a burdock. Collected into lumps, laid out in a chicken coop. Spikes do not stick to the feathers of birds; they adhere to the animal’s coat with particular strength. Unpleasant sensations do not give pests peace. After a while, they stop appearing in the house. Burdock does not allow to steal eggs, harm birds. Effective safe method.
- You can prepare poison for rats from eggs. Cook, grind, add sugar, flour, gypsum. Place out of reach of chickens. Pests will willingly eat poison. Treats will gradually exterminate pests.
- The smell of burning wool can get rid of pests. Set fire to natural threads, throw in a hole.
Catch a rodent in the chicken coop, there is no possibility. Ineffective methods of destruction are rat traps. Dangerous for chickens traps. Use potent poison with extreme caution. The best option is folk remedies.