RATS!!

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Anyone know what to do with a rat problem?  I caught a couple of them but I know there are plenty more.  In the walls of the brooder, underground, everywhere...  I don't want to poison them in case they go and die in the flight pen, I don't find them, and the birds peck at them and die.  How do you guys get rid of them?

Thanks!

[slider]

Get you a couple of good cats and do not feed them or set plenty of traps. It never bothered me to poison them.....

[CharlieHorse]

     I'd put out poison.......and seal off all holes to keep them from getting in to begin with and/or dying in where the birds are.

[Little Bear Game Farm]

I am hoping more human activity out there might help as well.  They have holes burrowed all over the place going into the pens and out.  I need to rebury wire and pen protection this spring so that should get rid of a lot of the holes.  The galv poulty wire I used a few years back was completely rotted gone after a year.  You could actually see the hatch pattern from where it used to be.  I am going to bury a 3/4" x 1" poly fencing and see how that works.  If they still pose a problem this summer, poison might be the best option.

Thanks

[thekid]

I would set out a lot of traps, everything from rat traps to some #0 longspring http://www.fntpost.com/Products/Oneida+Victor+Long+Spring+Traps/+0+Victor+Single+Long+Spring+Trap

setting some mouse traps wont hurt either, you never know there might be some mice running around too

[slider]

And your thinking about buying a ton of feed and storing it for 6 mo....?

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Yeah yeah... not smart    Feed gets stored up by the house, though, not by the pens.  I may have a line on a couple 6 ton poly bins with augers for a couple grand.  Not sure if its in the budget this year but they would work great.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Spend the extra $$$ and buy either Galvanized or Stainless feed bins. Rats will chew through plastic.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[slider]

 

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Goog Point, I'll see what I can find.  May just have to get bulk/bagged food yet this year and save money for next year.  Took wednesday thru friday off last week and had the wkend to get work done on the pens.  What a waste of vacation, had actually planned on taking off today and tomorrow.  Well, buried my truck first thing wednesday, then skidster broke down.  Spent the day getting skidster running and truck out, one day wasted.  Got brooders ready on thursday but now there is no power and skidster broke down again.  Spent half of friday getting skidster running and then started on chukar outside pen.  2' of snow on top of the raised floor.  Damn near impossible to work.  Really hope the snow is gone by mid April. We have about 16" on the ground right now and hey look, its snowing again.  Another 3" to 6" today.

[Pheasant Hollow Farm]

Goog Point, I'll see what I can find.  May just have to get bulk/bagged food yet this year and save money for next year.  Took wednesday thru friday off last week and had the wkend to get work done on the pens.  What a waste of vacation, had actually planned on taking off today and tomorrow.  Well, buried my truck first thing wednesday, then skidster broke down.  Spent the day getting skidster running and truck out, one day wasted.  Got brooders ready on thursday but now there is no power and skidster broke down again.  Spent half of friday getting skidster running and then started on chukar outside pen.  2' of snow on top of the raised floor.  Damn near impossible to work.  Really hope the snow is gone by mid April. We have about 16" on the ground right now and hey look, its snowing again.  Another 3" to 6" today.

I feel for ya  I have nothing but flood water and mud. Predator problems up the    azz.. 

If you go and buy bulk bag feed, you will have even a more then expected problem with mice and rats. You will need a room that is completely sterile so nothing can get in. I go through 2060lbs a month at a cost of $493.10 and every bit of that feed counts at these prices.

The price has more then doubled in 3years.

Steve
Pheasant Hollow Farm

[Little Bear Game Farm]

Yeah, you guys have had more than your share of bad weather over there as well.  Not sure I would have had the energy to rebuild after what you went through a few years back.  Bulk/bagged is what I have bought the last few years.  Keep it up in the garage attached to the house.  Not much rat/mouse trouble in there.  We used to live in it while I built the house so our garage a pretty nice man cave.  Actually still has our bedroom in it(which is now the kennel), bathroom, kitchen area....  Not a whole lot of room for vehicles but critter free    Winters like this make me wish I had a least one more parking stall in a heated garage!

[slider]

What Steve said...Bulk Bag needs alot of help...Especially if its going to be sitting around for 6 months...

[Little Bear Game Farm]

I'll go through the 23% and 16% much faster than the 6 months.  I think a few years ago when we raised about the same amount as we are looking at this year, I was going through about 800lbs a week.  I think we will need about 19 ton or so for the year. 

I was hoping to get my wife to partake in the business a little more but don't think she can handle 100lb bags of feed.  Can't wait for the day we can have some bins and an attachment on the skidster to feed.  Baby steps though.  I still see some people posting that they're going to dive in and become rich!!  I remember when I thought that    Now its baby steps and maybe we can make a few bucks this year so we can expand a little each year.

[slider]

Well I will tell you for sure its not an easy business to be in..