Advise needed on rat bites.

[NilayS]

I have an 8ft by 8ft by 7ft tall aviary in the UK. I made it specially for the quails last summer. This is my first time. I had about 33 Quails in there, till a rat got in. Before I could figure out what was happening and identified where the rats were getting in, 10 were killed. Of the remaining, some have been bitten and were injured. They have all recovered and I have secured the aviary as much as I could. No incidences since.

I caught two large rats and I am not ashamed to admit - I drowned them.

What do I do with the Quails that were bitten? Is there any risk of disease transferred from the rats? Are the eggs going to be safe to eat when they start laying again in a couple of months’ time? Will the meat be safe to consume?

I do not want to just cull them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Melky]

I would clean any bite area with soap and water using gloves. You can apply an antibiotic ointment to the site. Also may consider providing an antibiotic orally if you can obtain one from a feed n seed, Tractor supply etc. Infection risk is the main concern here.Rats carry Rat Bite Fever.

 

[Melky]

Another illness is Haverhill Fever so would not consume the meat. Rabies is rare in rats. So far I can not find info on egg consumption. Maybe someone else can help answer who has had this experience. Definitely make sure you have eliminated the rat problem and any droppings.

 

[Melky]

Would maybe consult vet by phone on egg consumption advice or CDC. If can’t get antibiotic for qual consult vet for advice on bite treatment.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Please don't drown animals as some form of retribution. They aren't doing anything out of malice, they are incapable of malice. Find a more humane way of killing them.

@cosmosue, it's illegal to possess just about all native birds in the US, if you still have that cardinal I really wouldn't post about it.

I don't think you have to worry about a disease getting into the eggs. As long as the quail don't show signs of disease, they're fine. Treat them with a gentle antibiotic, keep them quiet and calm, and make sure there are no holes larger than 1/4" in anything. That'll keep all rodents out.

 

[WindingRoad]

I have an 8ft by 8ft by 7ft tall aviary in the UK. I made it specially for the quails last summer. This is my first time. I had about 33 Quails in there, till a rat got in. Before I could figure out what was happening and identified where the rats were getting in, 10 were killed. Of the remaining, some have been bitten and were injured. They have all recovered and I have secured the aviary as much as I could. No incidences since.

I caught two large rats and I am not ashamed to admit - I drowned them.

What do I do with the Quails that were bitten? Is there any risk of disease transferred from the rats? Are the eggs going to be safe to eat when they start laying again in a couple of months’ time? Will the meat be safe to consume?

I do not want to just cull them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

IDK about rabies in the UK. And IDK if it's transferred to birds. Might ask a vet or your local animal control.

 

[cosmosue]

Sorry - anyway - the same thing happened to me and we lost many parakeets and cockatiels. After taking care is the rat issue - which was quite easy, we then got chickens and it never happened again - that was when I was 20, now I’m 43 but the only issue we have now (different area) is opossums ans racoons. Won’t say how we deal with that issue. Also people who let their dogs roam free which is highly annoying and a real pain. Been through a lot here.

 

[YousufTheAnimalist]

I have an 8ft by 8ft by 7ft tall aviary in the UK. I made it specially for the quails last summer. This is my first time. I had about 33 Quails in there, till a rat got in. Before I could figure out what was happening and identified where the rats were getting in, 10 were killed. Of the remaining, some have been bitten and were injured. They have all recovered and I have secured the aviary as much as I could. No incidences since.

I caught two large rats and I am not ashamed to admit - I drowned them.

What do I do with the Quails that were bitten? Is there any risk of disease transferred from the rats? Are the eggs going to be safe to eat when they start laying again in a couple of months’ time? Will the meat be safe to consume?

I do not want to just cull them. Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Good you did that. I hate these rats now onwards

 

[HillGuy]

I would spray the bites with Blu-Kote. It's for wounds. Don't think I would feed them antibiotics and eat the eggs.

I have a similar size aviary and had a rat issue. I covered the whole most of it with 1/2" hardware cloth, except for the bottom 3 feet and the floor. For those areas I used 1/4" hardware cloth. I wanted to keep out mice and any juvenile rats. So far so good.

 

[Chickie friend]

I would spray the bites with Blu-Kote. It's for wounds. Don't think I would feed them antibiotics and eat the eggs.

I have a similar size aviary and had a rat issue. I covered the whole most of it with 1/2" hardware cloth, except for the bottom 3 feet and the floor. For those areas I used 1/4" hardware cloth. I wanted to keep out mice and any juvenile rats. So far so good.

Good you did that. I hate these rats now onwards

This thread is from 2019