Can rats steal eggs from a chicken coop?
Yes, rats steal eggs from the chicken coop.
I personally observed a picture of how they do this: A rat holds an egg with two legs, walks along the floor with its hind legs, and holds prey with its front legs, but does not move standing, but crawling. In the same way, the rat began dragging the egg along the ceiling! She held the egg with her two front paws and crawled along the ceiling with her back paws. How is this possible? It’s simply incredible, if I hadn’t seen this in person, I would never have believed it.
Why did rats steal eggs? Most likely because of the chickens inside, since they only stole from us the eggs that were under the hatch. We learned about the thieves because of the chickens; the birds made such a fuss when the rats raided that we had to go to their chicken coop to investigate. The kitten was then taken into the house and the rats were poisoned.
Of course, rats are very smart animals and they steal eggs in a smart way, and they steal not alone, but in a group, one grabs the egg with its paws and turns over on its back and clasps the egg, and the other pulls this cart by the tail into its hole, if you disassemble the floors in a chicken coop, you can find a bunch of eggs, rats don’t eat fresh eggs, they wait until the eggs go rotten, but they not only steal eggs, but also spread all sorts of infections, which is why the chickens then start to get sick, and if the rats are really hungry, then they can kill chickens, and also these smart creatures, in my chicken coop, they dug holes in each nest, and when the chicken sits down to lay eggs, the egg carefully falls into this hole and does not break, because there at the bottom of the hole the rats dragged sawdust, and the egg fell , I couldn’t get it, but the rat quickly dragged it away under the floor. Fantastic, I am amazed at their cleverness.
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Prevention measures
Reconstructing the chicken coop and observing basic sanitary rules will help you get rid of rats forever. Products should be stored in metal boxes out of reach of rodents.
The daily diet of birds should not be excessive so that at night the animals have nothing to profit from.
Timely cleaning of the premises and inspecting it for the appearance of rat passages will help prevent the proliferation of parasites.
Crushed stone mixed with broken glass can be poured into holes and repaired with building mixture.
If the rodent feels pain, it will no longer appear in that place.
How rats steal eggs
The rat is a very dexterous and intelligent animal. These rodents love to feast on chicken eggs, but chicken coop owners do not immediately notice the presence of an uninvited guest. They steal eggs at night, just when the chickens are sleeping and cannot see anything. The animals do this very quietly and unnoticed, leaving not a single trace.
There are two most popular theories about how rats carry eggs out of the chicken coop.
The first says that the rodent holds the egg with its front paws, while it moves with its hind paws and, as if crawling, carries away its prey. This is all simple and banal, but quite possible.
The second is more interesting and says that rats steal eggs not individually, but in groups. One of the animals lies on its back, places the egg on its stomach and holds it with its paws. Allies drag him by the tail and also help hold the egg. Thus, the egg is transported on a kind of “living cushion”, which protects it from damage.
Basic methods of struggle
There are ways to get rid of rats in a chicken coop forever, both with folk remedies and with the help of chemicals. The quickest solution to the problem is to seek the help of a professional disinfection service. The method is expensive, but works flawlessly. The arsenal of such enterprises includes a lot of effective means that will not harm poultry or other animals. Due to the high cost of the service, residents of the private sector carry out pest control on their own, using all available options at once.
10 effective ways to catch a rat
Chemicals
There are a lot of drugs that can poison rodents. But not all of them have the ability to remove rats forever without harming the chickens. Any poison is a risk for a large poultry farm. The substance will become available literally immediately, spreading on its paws throughout the entire room. Hence the need to move the chickens to another place while working with chemicals. For etching, you can use a quick-acting agent. Krysin is popular, but there are other poisonous baits, substances, and solutions.
Poison bait
Rats are a real threat to households and modern life. The animal reproduces intensively, develops new territories, and has a high level of intelligence, which makes “war” with it difficult. The chemical industry offers the use of numerous poisons for disinfection. At the same time, the drugs perfectly mask odors that attract pests.
When etching a room, you should be careful and use protective clothing and gloves. Upon contact with human skin, substances penetrate the body through the skin. They help remove rats from the chicken coop, but if used incorrectly, there is a risk of exterminating all the birds and animals on the farm.
The following types of poisons are offered:
- granules;
- pills;
- grains;
- powder;
- gel-like substances.
Most poisonous products require dissolution in water and mixing with food products (porridge, minced meat, flour, cereals, etc.). But there are also those that are ready to use without any extra effort (they put it in a hole).
Important! A prerequisite for purchase: check the expiration dates and the presence of instructions for use.
The most popular baits are those that mummify rodents. Reason: the poison does not always act instantly, which means the rat will die later. The result will be an unpleasant odor due to the decomposition of the corpse.
Goliath
It goes on sale in different packaging: from 1 to 10 kg. Intended for industrial use, but recommended for the private sector. A kilogram package is enough to treat several private properties.
Ratid-1
The bait is ready to use. Its appearance: grain mixture. The main component of the drug is diphenacin (2nd generation anticoagulant). The death of the pest occurs 5-10 days after eating. It is convenient because within the specified period of validity it is eaten by a whole brood of rats, since it is considered a safe product.
Krysid
Using this method to poison rats is simple and quick. The substance is toxic only to animals. It does not pose a particular threat to humans, but one should not deviate from safety measures. The death of a rat occurs after a maximum of 3 days, at least after 12 hours. Includes use:
- spraying inside the hole;
- mixing with food (it is recommended to put the stash directly into the hole);
- stirring in water or milk.
Since the task of the owner of a chicken farm is to protect the poultry, the Rat is quite suitable for safe use in a chicken coop.
Storm
The drug is quite cheap and effective in the fight against rats. Sold in briquettes individually and in sets of 4 pieces. There are also packages with pellets (granular substance) and in containers up to 16 kg.
Mortorat
With the help of this substance you will not have to search for and remove rodent corpses. The drug mummifies them. It differs from other baits in its high efficiency and safety of use.
Appearance: a briquette with a gel-like substance, carefully packed so that there is no contact with the skin (it is better to use gloves when working). A hole is laid in the hole and then sealed with plaster or cement. There will be no one left to damage the walls.
Rat death
Purpose: large-scale persecution of all types of rodents. The Italian manufacturer guarantees quick freedom from pests. Sold in two versions. Difference in composition:
- first option: the main component is brodifacoum;
- second type: the basis is bromadiolone.
You will need auxiliary components: mixing with minced meat, porridge or cereals.
Ratindane
The bait is effective. Used only in combination with additional ingredients (food). Methods of use: pollination, dilution in liquid or with food.
Repellers
A humane way to deal with the threat of rat attacks is to use ultrasonic, mechanical or biological repellers. In addition to preventing pests from approaching the chicken coop, the devices do not interfere with the quiet life of the farm’s inhabitants.
Ultrasound
The device is connected to the power supply. The sound is inaudible to humans, but the rodents lose orientation and refuse food. Since animals love comfort, due to the inconvenience created by ultrasonic repellers, they leave their place of deployment in search of new housing.
Mechanical
To eliminate rats, stores offer mechanisms for physical influence: rat traps, traps. Products are attached to a special compartment. When you try to take food, the mechanism is triggered and kills the rodent.
The method is safe to use indoors. At one time, with modern mechanical traps, you can catch several individuals at once. The price (from 200 to 1000 rubles) will suit everyone, since there are more than a dozen types of such products. Homemade version of the trap: glue applied to a thick base before eating.
Biological
The cheapest and does not require additional effort other than cleaning up the pest’s corpses. Involves the use of other animals: owls, rat-catching cats. Most often these are street cats. Their ability to catch rodents can be determined by their muzzle: pointed, extended forward.
Traditional methods
In addition to chemical and mechanical baits, private property owners use folk remedies to repel and catch rats. Some of them are humane, but most eliminate the threat. The main thing that is being relied on is that there is no significant threat to hens and chicks, since the technique ensures safety for the birds.
Medicinal black root
Rats have an overly heightened sense of smell. Therefore, they can hear smells a kilometer away from their homes. Since ancient times, medicinal black root has been used to repel. It acts on animals and birds in the same way as on a pest. They are not suitable even for the sake of interest in the plant. In emergency situations, when a rat has already visited the chicken coop, grass is laid out in the corners of the barn, around it. Both dry and fresh plants are suitable.
Wood and stove ash
Materials such as wood and stove ash are used as a fertilizer mixture in the garden. But it has an additional positive quality: it destroys rats. No additional ingredients are required to prepare the deadly drug. Simply scatter it around the chicken coop (pre-transfer the bird to another building) in a layer of 1-2 mm. Ash is very sticky. Therefore, it will remain on the fur and paws of the rat. Once in the stomach, it begins to corrode it, causing pain. Death occurs 2-3 days after ash enters the rat’s body.
Alcohol
The method of removing rats using alcohol does not always work correctly. Provides for diluting vodka, alcohol, homemade alcohol in water. Place it closer to the holes so the rat can drink. After which she quickly falls asleep. There is no time to waste: a drunken pest is killed on their own.
Gypsum and lime
To prepare the bait, choose one of the building materials: gypsum or lime. Combine with corn flour (in equal proportions). Using milk or kefir, make dough and roll out balls. We leave the blanks near the holes, in places where there are large concentrations of rats. When baits disappear, add new ones.
Autumn colchicum
A highly toxic plant. Collect only yourself, as it is not sold anywhere. Work must be carried out with gloves. To use as a poison, 200 g of seeds or a food mixture with the addition of 10 g of grass is sufficient.
Flour with alabaster
The two components are mixed in equal proportions. Pour into saucers, place in corners and near holes. A container of water must be placed nearby. While eating the alabaster mixture, the rat will drink water. Hardening of the material in the stomach takes a minimum of time.
Need to know! All folk methods (except for repelling with plants and rat-catching cats) require the use of luring or baiting tactics. It consists of the following: in places where baits with deadly mixtures will be placed, milk, bread and other products without poison are initially placed. The rat must get used to the safety of this place.
Wine cork
The dry wine cork is crushed and mixed with bread crumbs. To improve the bait, the resulting substance is generously moistened with unrefined sunflower oil. Result: the plug in the rat's stomach will gradually swell and get stuck. Leads to death after 5-7 days due to the inability to eat anymore.
Elder
It is recommended to plant elderberries immediately before breeding poultry and livestock. You can regularly place the plant inside and outside the building. It works better as protection if you place wormwood and squeezed garlic in the opposite corner and near rat holes.
Mint
The grass has a strong odor that is pleasant to humans, but is intolerable to most animals, including rats. Method of application: plant around a plot of land, barn and other buildings. In extreme cases, regularly make a strong decoction and spray it on holes and the room where chickens are kept.
Turpentine or kerosene
The strong smell of the substances repels rats from the chickens’ habitat. It is considered a humane species, as rodents no longer visit barns. Turpentine or kerosene is applied in a small layer to the walls and floors of the room. Regular application at least 3 times a week. During processing, the bird is transferred to another place.
Naphthalene
The principle of using naphthalene is similar to the previous one: generously lubricate the cracks, holes and walls of the room. The number of applications and duration of treatments depends on the number of rats.
How to deal with rats
Rats in the barn and on the property are a real problem for gardeners, gardeners and summer residents. In addition to harming plant roots, bulbs and bark, they spoil supplies. In the barn they scare the animals and steal eggs. It is necessary to take a comprehensive approach to the fight against rats , to expel the pest from the place of residence and from the territory adjacent to the chicken house.
In the selection of articles you can find a detailed guide to fighting rats in the barn and on the property.
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Ultrasonic repeller
Such devices are sold in any hardware store and are one of the most humane ways to control rodents. The device produces sound waves that are not detected by the human ear, but cause panic and anxiety in rodents, and they urgently leave the room. To select an effective rat repeller, professionals advise paying attention to the following details:
- Power. When choosing a device, take into account the range of action. Scene. Ultrasound only travels indoors. Safety. The device must operate in the absence of people. Change of vibrations. To scare away rats, the oscillation frequency changes automatically so that they do not get used to it.
Precautionary measures
To prevent rodents from appearing in the poultry house in the future, you need to build it correctly. It is best to make a foundation for the chicken coop. At the stage of this creation, you should add broken glass to the concrete or lay it out in the corners, and then make a screed. When a poultry house is built without a foundation, on supports, it is necessary to deepen the iron sheets around the perimeter. The depth of their digging into the ground is no more than 30 cm.
Since rodents most often enter the poultry house through digging in the ground, such obstacles encountered along the way will be able to stop them. If, during periodic inspection, you find cracks or holes in an existing chicken coop, you must concrete them.
Cats and dogs
The fight between cats and mice is colorfully described in books, children's fairy tales, cartoons and computer games. It is believed that there is no better way to get rid of pests. In reality, not every cat has a hunting instinct. Many feline pets are afraid of rodents, especially large and cruel rats, which themselves can attack their catchers. The cat teaches its cubs to hunt in practice, which is impossible in home breeding conditions, which is why city cats most often do not know how to catch mice.
To hunt, you need a village cat who has spent his entire life on the street. However, even such “beaten by life” pets often do not dare to attack a rat. What to do in this case? Get a dog. Dachshunds, Fox Terriers and Jagd Terriers are excellent rat hunters, bred specifically for this purpose. Breeds that are not intended for hunting, but for other purposes, as well as mongrel dogs, most likely will not be able to crush rats that steal eggs.
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Why do rats appear in the poultry house and in the yard?
Rats never appear on the site without a reason. They are very cunning and intelligent, they quickly get used to the poison used, and this is what distinguishes them from other rodents and pests. Often you have to fight with them for months. However, this can happen due to the fact that a person has chosen the wrong methods of struggle in a particular room.
The appearance of rats in the poultry house and on the site depends on:
If there is chaos in your neighbors’ yard, there is no order in the barns and other buildings, then perhaps the “rat house” is located there, and they come to your poultry house to feast on eggs or poultry meat. Finding a place where rats live is not easy. They often dig deep and long passages up to 0.5 km long.
