electric fence for RATS

[Toddgordon]

Need some help. Not wanting to use poison so trying to figure out an electric fence set up. Does anyone else use an electric fence for the purpose of deterring rats and if so can I see a picture of the set up. Thanks in advance.

 

[Pork Pie]

Hello and welcome to BYC. The best place to ask your question is on this forum - https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance.9/

You can also use the search function

 

[007Sean]

Howdy

@Pork Pie Ken has given you a good link to follow, so I'll just say Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[drumstick diva]

Sean, do you ever get to sleep?

 

[Trish1974]

@Howard E has some great information on electric fencing. Its not specific for rats, but perhaps it would be a good starting point for you. Oh, and !

 

[Howard E]

Electric fence for rats? Nope......sorry. If only it was that easy.

If you have a serious rat problem, there are a lot of steps you will need to take to get rid of them, but just know poison is likely to be an integral part of it. One of many steps, starting with elimination of all access to feed and water, then rat proofing the structure, and if those don't send them packing, poison bait blocks served up from secure bait stations. With a serious infestation, you can expect the need for all three.

In residential settings, where you can't get them all out and don't want to stink up the place with the smell of rats that died from poison, traps are also used to get them out of the house. Serious, robust traps.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Welcome from New Orleans, in the city we use large snap traps at night outside the coop. Of course you have to pick them up before you can let your chickens out in the morning. Sometimes the traps disappear due to a possum or raccoon foot in the trap!!

 

[Creteloc]

I JUST got over a serious rat infestation. By serious, I mean multiple rats out in the chicken run during the day! Dozens of rats were out at night so thick you couldn't tell heads from tails. The problem with an electric fence is that rats dig under the ground. If you put an electric fence under the ground, the electricity will dissipate into the ground and not shock anything.

I tried snap traps and live traps. Nothing worked. Rats are scary smart. I didn't want to poison either. Not only is it illegal in my town, but I have dogs and my neighbors have cats.

I called four exterminators and the dept. of wildlife. Poison is the only way to get rid of them. It can't just be any poison either. Rats send out young rats to try any new food, and if those young rats die, the others won't eat it. So the poison has to have a 4-5 day delayed death, or it won't work.

These are what we used (below). It took about 4 weeks and we haven't seen a live rat. We are very vigilant about checking for dead ones before letting the dogs or chickens out because we still find the occasional dead rat out in the yard.

https://www.amazon.com/Just-One-Bit...8&qid=1524234144&sr=8-3&keywords=one+bite+bar

That's what we used, and we secured it inside of a 4" PVC pipe so no cat or dog could get to it. I'm an animal lover, and it killed me to poison one of God's creatures, but rats bring raccoons, which kill chickens and will bring down coyotes and bobcats into our yard (we live on a mountain). They also carry diseases. Sometimes you have to weight the risks.

On top of that, we also moved all food inside at night and use a spill-less chicken feeder. All chicken poop is cleaned up every evening. We can't move the water because it's a stream running through our property.

 

[Porche719]

I JUST got over a serious rat infestation. By serious, I mean multiple rats out in the chicken run during the day! Dozens of rats were out at night so thick you couldn't tell heads from tails. The problem with an electric fence is that rats dig under the ground. If you put an electric fence under the ground, the electricity will dissipate into the ground and not shock anything.

I tried snap traps and live traps. Nothing worked. Rats are scary smart. I didn't want to poison either. Not only is it illegal in my town, but I have dogs and my neighbors have cats.

I called four exterminators and the dept. of wildlife. Poison is the only way to get rid of them. It can't just be any poison either. Rats send out young rats to try any new food, and if those young rats die, the others won't eat it. So the poison has to have a 4-5 day delayed death, or it won't work.

These are what we used (below). It took about 4 weeks and we haven't seen a live rat. We are very vigilant about checking for dead ones before letting the dogs or chickens out because we still find the occasional dead rat out in the yard.

https://www.amazon.com/Just-One-Bit...8&qid=1524234144&sr=8-3&keywords=one+bite+bar

That's what we used, and we secured it inside of a 4" PVC pipe so no cat or dog could get to it. I'm an animal lover, and it killed me to poison one of God's creatures, but rats bring raccoons, which kill chickens and will bring down coyotes and bobcats into our yard (we live on a mountain). They also carry diseases. Sometimes you have to weight the risks.

On top of that, we also moved all food inside at night and use a spill-less chicken feeder. All chicken poop is cleaned up every evening. We can't move the water because it's a stream running through our property.

Do you have the name of what you used. The link is no longer working