Advice needed, Rats in the rabbittry

[Sheepshape]

Squirrels.....the grey, of course, not the lovely little red, are a major problem in the sheep shed here. They come in for the chicken food/sheep food etc., scatter the broody hens looking for stray ears of corn in the straw and generally bite wires, wood and anything else which crosses their path

has that brain parasite that comes from cats...the one that makes rats/mice go toward predators.

Wow, never heard of that....must consult Dr Google.

We have a live squirrel trap....a long cage where food is placed and which snaps shut when the squirrel gets inside. It's illegal to release them, they have to be killed. Over the last summer we caught 13.....all despatched by OH. It's not something I like, but they are very destructive .

Larsen Poultry Ranch, what is you rodent total for today?

 

[AmberLops]

Squirrels.....the grey, of course, not the lovely little red, are a major problem in the sheep shed here. They come in for the chicken food/sheep food etc., scatter the broody hens looking for stray ears of corn in the straw and generally bite wires, wood and anything else which crosses their path

Wow, never heard of that....must consult Dr Google.

We have a live squirrel trap....a long cage where food is placed and which snaps shut when the squirrel gets inside. It's illegal to release them, they have to be killed. Over the last summer we caught 13.....all despatched by OH. It's not something I like, but they are very destructive .

Larsen Poultry Ranch, what is you rodent total for today?

Found a link to an article about Toxoplasma Gondii (brain parasite)
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-parasite-that-makes-a-rat-love-a-cat-86515093/
I bought a squirrel live trap and it's been out since April...still haven't caught one and they're everywhere! What do you bait them with??

 

[rosko]

I am using the bucket trap shown on youtube that filled 20% with water. Everyday I find rats and mice inside although the number has seriously diminished since I use this system.

For bait I use peanut butter. The water in the bucket prevents them to jump out.

Home made...

 

[Sheepshape]

What do you bait them with??

This is the trap with the door open.

I just place a little bit of poultry corn on the plate inside. When the squirrel steps on the plate for the corn, the door closes.

Toxoplasma Gondii

Ahhh...that little nasty....yes it does send things crazy.

The trouble with the trap above is that someone has to kill the beggars after catching them......and I can't....

 

[Baymule]

Probably a very dumb question...but is it actually for squirrels?
I have a squirrel in my yard that's either rabid or has that brain parasite that comes from cats...the one that makes rats/mice go toward predators...so they become easy meals.
This squirrel lets me get a foot away from it, I can spray it with the hose and it doesn't even run...it looks all scrawny and mangy too

Yes, it is for squirrels. When they get in the tank and drown, I gotta take them out, drain the tank. clean it and refill it. I'd rather give them a sapling to crawl out on. Birds use it too. They light on the squirrel stick, get a drink and fly off. Once I startled a Pileated Woodpecker that was getting a drink.

You need to shoot that sick squirrel, dig a hole and bury it.

 

[AmberLops]

You need to shoot that sick squirrel, dig a hole and bury it.

If i had a gun, i would!! I feel bad for it.
That's why i asked about the trap, i figured i could end its suffering after i caught it

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

We are at 11 snap trap and 3 rolling log as of last night. We did a bunch of yardwork this weekend and trimmed a lot of shrubbery. Hopefully that will make the rodents more cautious and stay away.

Going to try to move the quail shipping container and rabbittry before Wednesday. Good news is I can add another set of cages when they get moved.

 

[Sheepshape]

OOOOOOOOOh.....I've got a problem, too. CATS. Yo be precise, one she cat and 2 half grown kittens which have appeared right behind my sheep shed (where I currently have 3 hens, 2 of which have chicks.). Never seen them before yesterday. We are way out in the sticks and well off the road, so not dumped there. There was a feral (nasty0 ginger and white cat who used to come into our sheep shed, but that is over 2 years ago and I haven't seen him for over a year. I went to the back of the shed and there were 2 identical white with black and brown splodges kittens (half grown)....they ran when I came round. Later I saw a glossy and healthy looking she cat who wasn't massively afraid of me. I told OH who ran out of the house with our BB gun muttering about toxoplasma, chick slaughter etc. I followed him closely and told him 'NO'.....don't fancy felixicide. Been trying to get hold of local cat welfare league all day with no success and trying to find out if I can get a cat live trap (or if there's any chance of catching them). They are way too frightened of me to let me get closer than about 50 yards..... but i'm fearful for the chicks and of what parasites they may be bringing.

Somehow, my problem and your problem, Larsen Poultry Ranch need to be bought together!

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

OOOOOOOOOh.....I've got a problem, too. CATS. Yo be precise, one she cat and 2 half grown kittens which have appeared right behind my sheep shed (where I currently have 3 hens, 2 of which have chicks.). Never seen them before yesterday. We are way out in the sticks and well off the road, so not dumped there. There was a feral (nasty0 ginger and white cat who used to come into our sheep shed, but that is over 2 years ago and I haven't seen him for over a year. I went to the back of the shed and there were 2 identical white with black and brown splodges kittens (half grown)....they ran when I came round. Later I saw a glossy and healthy looking she cat who wasn't massively afraid of me. I told OH who ran out of the house with our BB gun muttering about toxoplasma, chick slaughter etc. I followed him closely and told him 'NO'.....don't fancy felixicide. Been trying to get hold of local cat welfare league all day with no success and trying to find out if I can get a cat live trap (or if there's any chance of catching them). They are way too frightened of me to let me get closer than about 50 yards..... but i'm fearful for the chicks and of what parasites they may be bringing.

Somehow, my problem and your problem, Larsen Poultry Ranch need to be bought together!

Good luck with the cat situation! The local cat rescue does a catch/spay/neuter program, I think this is how they deal with a mom/kitten group: if you can catch the kittens, place in a cage covered with a towel, then place the live trap with closed end to the kitten cage (that part uncovered), then the mom cat will get caught when she tries to get to the kittens and has to enter the live trap.

I checked the traps this morning and we are now at 12 snap trap 3 rolling log. This one trap is particularly effective, I think it's more about the location than the bait. I put it right where they seem to walk past and they just walk right into it.

I moved the other two traps around, I know the rats are moving through that area because I swept up all the droppings in Saturday and there's more this morning. Hopefully they will be successful. Getting super tired of dealing with these rodents. Thankfully they haven't gotten into the house so far.

 

[Sheepshape]

Getting super tired of dealing with these rodents.

Good luck with catching them....took all summer to get our 13 squirrels.....but problem SOLVED! I only wish I could get these cats to you )only the small matter of catching them and transporting them across the' Pond'!

In case you're wondering about the capabilities of cats....I currently have one cat that I claim ownership of, NO apparent rodent problem....not seen a mouse or rat in ages, and this little lady is a Rodent Exterminator of the First Order. Here she is with yesterday's catch which she prefers to my 'posh' cat food.

That's a half-grown rabbit that she has killed, carried back and, after showing it to me with extreme pride, is promptly eating......and, just to say,it looked very fat and healthy. Now, I'm an out-and-out strict vegetarian, but she's strict carnivore, and I respect that.