@#$&@$!! RATS!!! Rat proofing project.

[Drip baby girl]

wow

 

[Preitler]

Dang!

Just set all 5 snap traps I could find, there is only one kit left from the last, 1 week old litter of 4 . I want to keep a doeling from this doe, she's 5 now and time is running out. Going to rebreed her in two weeks.

 

[eco2pia]

The saga continues, slowly. I got one out of 3 floors done yesterday, the mama cage was first--she won't mind me fussing around with everyone else but she is due this next week, so I wanted her settled first.

Before I started on that I leveled and cleaned the chicken run floor, so I would be kneeling on a level surface at least while I worked. I found extensive rat tunneling in the floor.


Luckily the dog helped me dig them out!


(hopefully that video runs--he was soooo happy that I was LETTING him dig!)

I moved the mama doe into the bucks cage and put him in a carrier while I worked. She is the sweetest doe, gentle and kind, but she actually grunted and grumbled at me when I came to pick her up to put her back in her cage. She is visibly very pregnant. Poor girl, I know how you feel! Here is the new flooring in the space, it was a pain to get it in there. I did not think it would ever flatten out.

But it did...with eleventy million stainless steel zipties!


Its solid and sturdy and presumably now rat proof, but there are already a select few poops sitting on it, refusing to fall thru!

 

[Bunnies4me]

I feel your pain @eco2pia, I've had atrocious rat problems these last few months too. Saw them running inside my cages, vertically from one floor to the next story up. I'm beat how they got through the floors, as there is a layer of solid plywood between them and they're reasonably well rat proofed in that they can't run up the legs (legs of cages are in set about 100mm all around, rats can't run upside down). Thankfully it happened in the summer time when I didn't have any young litters, only dry adults, but I eventually set bait stations underneath/ between the cages (basically inside, below the floor) as well as outside the rabbitry. The rats have eaten through most things they could and there were days where we would replace the bait every 24 hours. We have regular cat visits too, so we don't normally have a problem with rats. May I suggest that you set a bait trap inside your rabbitry in a secluded spot that your other animals won't be able to get to - maybe put a bait station on top of you cages, and make it small enough for just a rat and not your quails to access.

All the best with eradication, good luck!

 

[olhippityhop]

A rat triggered my motion sensor lights and I saw it snooping around my cages . Are you getting poop buildup in your cages with the new wire?

 

[eco2pia]

A rat triggered my motion sensor lights and I saw it snooping around my cages . Are you getting poop buildup in your cages with the new wire?

Sadly, yes, I am, in the poop corners. Options will probably be to scrape the corners daily or clip select wires.

I feel your pain @eco2pia, I've had atrocious rat problems these last few months too. Saw them running inside my cages, vertically from one floor to the next story up. I'm beat how they got through the floors, as there is a layer of solid plywood between them and they're reasonably well rat proofed in that they can't run up the legs (legs of cages are in set about 100mm all around, rats can't run upside down). Thankfully it happened in the summer time when I didn't have any young litters, only dry adults, but I eventually set bait stations underneath/ between the cages (basically inside, below the floor) as well as outside the rabbitry. The rats have eaten through most things they could and there were days where we would replace the bait every 24 hours. We have regular cat visits too, so we don't normally have a problem with rats. May I suggest that you set a bait trap inside your rabbitry in a secluded spot that your other animals won't be able to get to - maybe put a bait station on top of you cages, and make it small enough for just a rat and not your quails to access.

All the best with eradication, good luck!

I tried traps and bait stations but I'm now convinced that for my area exclusion is the only option.

 

[Robochelle]

May I suggest a "litter box"? Thanks to instinct, even adult buns might immediately take to a box of straw put in the poop corner. This will be easier to clean than the cage floor.

Get something large enough for them to lay on, with a mesh bottom -or at least a drain of some kind to keep it from getting too wet. Fill it with an inch thick of straw, and if it's tall enough to fit more straw you can add a layer when the poops pile up (extending the time before you need to change it). Even if they don't take to litter training, the soft place to perch will help prevent sore hocks.

Learn from my and my daughter's folly, though, always use box that is big enough for adults: we started off with ice cream pails for recently weaned kits, and her favorite lil guy is now fully grown and hates pooping in anything other than his ice cream pail. Even offering him a larger litter box, he will stomp and grunt and whine until he gets his pail back. We even tried putting in both to get him used to it, he would only poop in the pail.

 

[Florida Jeff]

We battled the Rats for three months or so this year. THANKFULLY we did not lose any kits. They would run above cages attached to the back wall.and hung in front by chains. we would find rat droppings in the feeders and food bowls. I caught one in a large snap trap before all the others learned. I tried the pail of water with the teeter totter lid to no avail. not one catch. I had to take the tin off of the back wall and blast the nests with high press water. Every time I would get them running the Dog would catch them. This went on for months. I finally made poison bait traps out of old Tupperware containers or the cheap ones from lunch meat containers. mounted to old tote lids. screwed the bait down to rafters where the dog could not reach and on the hay storage on the back of the barn. They took the bait for three or so weeks and finally they were gone. The dog gets one every now and then when I lift the floor off her dog coop. We used TomCat bait chunx. All weather bait from Rural King farm supply. That stuff works but you must keep it in the traps and keep destroying nest where you can. GOOD LUCK to all.

 

[Florida Jeff]

We battled the Rats for a few months this year. Our cages are anchored the the back wall of the rabbitry,and hung by chains in the front. back wall is Tin with insulation and plywood inside. Cages are 1X2 wire sides and tops and 1X1/2 bottoms with baby wire. 3 inchs up on sides. We saw rat droppings in the feeders and feed bowls. THANKFULLY did not lose any Kits. Caught one in a snap trap then the others got wise. Tried the deep pail method and came up with zero. Finally took the tin off of the back wall and blasted rats nest with HP water. The dog caught most of the ones we could get to running. They just kept coming back. We finally maid bait traps out of old sandwich meat containers and screwed the bait down to the bottom mounted to a board or tote lid. then screwed some bait openly to rafters and beams. Kept them replaced for about a month or more. Now we only get one every once in a while and the dog alerts and I drive them to the open if I can and the dog gets em . We used TomCat all weather bait chucx. Acquired from Rural King Farm and Ranch Supply. That stuff really works but you must stay at it.

 

[TomO]

May I suggest a "litter box"? Thanks to instinct, even adult buns might immediately take to a box of straw put in the poop corner. This will be easier to clean than the cage floor. . . .

People litter box train their pet rabbits in the home, why not in this environment? I see text and videos about scraping, scrubbing, even using flamethrowers to sanitize the cage bottoms.

Since I'm not in the mix yet, there might be a good reason this wouldn't work, but it sounds like worth a try. Thanks, @Robochelle, for the suggestion.

 

[eco2pia]

We battled the Rats for three months or so this year. THANKFULLY we did not lose any kits. They would run above cages attached to the back wall.and hung in front by chains. we would find rat droppings in the feeders and food bowls. I caught one in a large snap trap before all the others learned. I tried the pail of water with the teeter totter lid to no avail. not one catch. I had to take the tin off of the back wall and blast the nests with high press water. Every time I would get them running the Dog would catch them. This went on for months. I finally made poison bait traps out of old Tupperware containers or the cheap ones from lunch meat containers. mounted to old tote lids. screwed the bait down to rafters where the dog could not reach and on the hay storage on the back of the barn. They took the bait for three or so weeks and finally they were gone. The dog gets one every now and then when I lift the floor off her dog coop. We used TomCat bait chunx. All weather bait from Rural King farm supply. That stuff works but you must keep it in the traps and keep destroying nest where you can. GOOD LUCK to all.

sadly I have 6 bait stations with this exact brand. they ignore it. My rats must be picky?

 

[eco2pia]

May I suggest a "litter box"? Thanks to instinct, even adult buns might immediately take to a box of straw put in the poop corner. This will be easier to clean than the cage floor.

Get something large enough for them to lay on, with a mesh bottom -or at least a drain of some kind to keep it from getting too wet. Fill it with an inch thick of straw, and if it's tall enough to fit more straw you can add a layer when the poops pile up (extending the time before you need to change it). Even if they don't take to litter training, the soft place to perch will help prevent sore hocks.

Learn from my and my daughter's folly, though, always use box that is big enough for adults: we started off with ice cream pails for recently weaned kits, and her favorite lil guy is now fully grown and hates pooping in anything other than his ice cream pail. Even offering him a larger litter box, he will stomp and grunt and whine until he gets his pail back. We even tried putting in both to get him used to it, he would only poop in the pail.

I do think this will be easier for poop, but I was thinking that for pee it might be easier for it to fall thru. I think that is the reason that people do not use them in large operations--I do not have a large operation so this is a reasonable solution....tho my rabbits might just throw them around like toys.

 

[Robochelle]

I do think this will be easier for poop, but I was thinking that for pee it might be easier for it to fall thru. I think that is the reason that people do not use them in large operations--I do not have a large operation so this is a reasonable solution....tho my rabbits might just throw them around like toys.

For the ice cream pails, with holes poked in the Bottom, the urine does build up; our fussy lil guy needs his pail changed every other week.
However I've used egg baskets (the wire ones) they have damp spots at times, but most of it goes right through. As long as you add straw once the poops start to build up it stays pretty dry. (The poops become the absorbent factor, not the straw). The downside is the wire mesh is wide and leaks straw out the sides. I'm intending to make some solid wall wood boxes with mesh bottom to fix that issue.

 

[eco2pia]

For the ice cream pails, with holes poked in the Bottom, the urine does build up; our fussy lil guy needs his pail changed every other week.
However I've used egg baskets (the wire ones) they have damp spots at times, but most of it goes right through. As long as you add straw once the poops start to build up it stays pretty dry. (The poops become the absorbent factor, not the straw). The downside is the wire mesh is wide and leaks straw out the sides. I'm intending to make some solid wall wood boxes with mesh bottom to fix that issue.

This is a perfect solution. Thanks!

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

I made litter boxes of wooden frames with hardware cloth bottoms the pee goes right through the poop piles up. They're wood framed so the rabbits don't seem to throw them around. They do lay in them though which is why I quit using them. I have a small operation so I would just dump them out everyday. I suppose I could make them deeper and not have to empty them every day but I clean the cages every day because it's smelly otherwise and I feel bad for them living in cages LOL

 

[hotzcatz]

Here the only rat proof hutches are the nesting hutches. The big hutches aren't specifically rat proofed.

We do have a Cat Goddess next door who feeds a feral herd of cats so there's a lot less rats around now and haven't seen a mongoose in ages.

Right before a litter is due, rat baits are put out, that helps, too. Otherwise, most of the rat proofing is the 1/2" x 1" wire that is used for all four sides of the nesting hutches. Even across the top so the rats don't get in through the humps in the corrugated metal roofing.

 

[Preitler]

Dang!

Just set all 5 snap traps I could find, there is only one kit left from the last, 1 week old litter of 4 . I want to keep a doeling from this doe, she's 5 now and time is running out. Going to rebreed her in two weeks.

Well, I didn't see or catch any rat, but there sure was at least one - the plastic lining under the poop bins was utterly destroyed, and there were bite marks on the underside of the wooden slat floor.

Now I have another litter, second one from my youngest doe Lotte, and I'm hopeful that a rat wouldn't stand much of a chance - she's in full berserk protection mode. Have to lock her away to check the nest, but it's not just the nest, when I plucked some loose fur from my 10yo girl that lives in the same hutch (along with another doe and 4 11week old doelings) she viciously attacked me. Goood girl . She's a sweet girl outside of the hutch and when not having a fresh litter, and follows orders reasonable well, I see that protective stance as a very good trait.

 

[Robochelle]

Especially with rats about, it's good to have that protective instinct! I wish her luck, I hope she is super vicious to the rats, but only distrustful when it comes to anyone else.

 

[Skai]

For the ice cream pails, with holes poked in the Bottom, the urine does build up; our fussy lil guy needs his pail changed every other week.
However I've used egg baskets (the wire ones) they have damp spots at times, but most of it goes right through. As long as you add straw once the poops start to build up it stays pretty dry. (The poops become the absorbent factor, not the straw). The downside is the wire mesh is wide and leaks straw out the sides. I'm intending to make some solid wall wood boxes with mesh bottom to fix that issue.

I made wooden nest boxes with 1/4 inch hardware cloth on the bottom, and I put a layer of straw on the bottom. I call them nest boxes but even my buck has one. None seem to pee in them although I do find the occasional poop. I leave them in all the time, occasionally refresh the straw, and clean them well before kindling. The rabbits love them and I think it gives them a sense of security to be able to run to their box if something spooks them. In the really cold part of winter I stuff them with straw and they will burrow into them and it keeps them warm. Other times of the year they love to lay on top. Obviously keep it away from your rabbits favorite potty corner. That generally will keep them from using it for that purpose.

I use the baby saver cages from KW Cages and my rabbits are in a hoop-house with nowhere that would provide good nesting area for rats. In addition, our ground is so rocky and hard even armadillos give up trying to dig in it. So farI haven't had a problem with rats.

 

[Skai]

My cages are fixed to wooden walls, rather like GIANT hutches. I have posted this picture elsewhere, but this is the basic configuration.

The rabbit spaces are (4) 2ft x 5ft cages, with the back bank enclosed by solid walls and opening from the back. 2x4 wire is buried but is too big to keep rats out--it was intended to keep dogs out and is effective for that. I simply could not afford to enclose the entire structure in half inch hardware cloth, and the Ex objected to its appearance. However, I CAN enclose the rabbit spaces in hardware cloth, and I am inclined to potentially do the same to the rest of the structure now that I have full creative control.

There is one addition since this picture, a solar powered "chicken door" in the front of the wire that allows the chickens and the ducks a wider range during the day and closes them in at night.
View attachment 40453

What a nice structure! Clean, neat and tidy with no place for rats to hide. I'm so sorry you're having such a problem with them.