Mixed Feelings On Drowning Rats

[corliss]

About four months ago I read on here about someone with a live trap cage that worked great. I ordered one but didn't really think about the whole disposal part. I only caught one baby rat and I just couldn't kill it and ended up letting it out in our yard. Well, this strategy came back to bite me as I'm sure many of you will be happy to point out! Yesterday I noticed two large rats out by the coop and one actually went inside and was trying to bring out a flock block. I decided enough was enough and since I hadn't much luck with the snap traps, I resorted to the live trap again. To my surprise, this morning when I went out to check the chickens, the live trap was literally jumping with baby rats. There were five in total, just as cute as the last one I released. This time, however, my heart was hardened. I filled a trash can with water and upended the cage inside. Unfortunately, the can wasn't tall enough to completely submerge the cage and the rats swam to the surface. I had the hard spray nozzle set to full on the hose and I had to force the rats under the water. This was a really unpleasant thing to do but I kept thinking how I'd feel if one of these actually attacked my chickens. If their population keeps increasing, it just won't be stray scratch and sunflower seeds the rats eat.

And for anyone else who has to do this, I will say that it went very quickly. Within two minutes all the rats were submerged and dead. I felt really sad about having to end five lives, especially as the adults I watched were very entertaining in their little hops and skips around the yard. I know they are pests and carry diseases but a part of me also sees that they are living creatures. Unfortunately for them, my chickens are also and I put their health and welfare first.

 

[mamabahre]

Now I feel bad for some stupid baby rats I never even met.

I'm new to rat trapping but why not just get the kind that kill them instantly? Much less difficult for you and a lot more humane for the rats...

My DH would be so upset, he had pet rats as a kid and just loves them..They are really smart but I can't get past the giant balls on the males.

Drowning is just about the last way you want to kill something if you care at all about an animal suffering (which I think most of us do here).

Here is a rat trap that kills them instantly and it only cost 4 bucks! No having to drown them will be easier on you and certainly less awful for them.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_...9x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM2675283002
All I did was a google shopping search, there are a lot of varieties that do instant death, if you are interested in trying something else.

 

[Smalley]

I hate killing things. I don't think I could ever kill rats or other pests, but I totally understand why other people do.
I work at a farm, and the two Sepastapol geese there are like killing machines. They've killed 10 rats so far; by either "playing" with them in their water and drowning them, or by flinging them around by the tails

Just get some geese to do the dirty deed for you!

 

[calista]

Good for you. The health and safety of your flock -- and your family -- come first.

Rats can transmit at least 35 diseases to humans, including leptospirosis (very, very common) and the plague (very rare). Other diseases transmittable by rats include typhus, rabies, tularemia, trichinosis, leishmaniasis, spirilary rat bite fever, and spirochetal jaundice.

Leptospirosis can be transmitted through contact with water into which a rat has urinated. So be sure to wear gloves and wash up with antibacterial soap after disposal.

(This info from a vet tech friend.)

Be careful and take comfort from the fact that you are doing the right thing in disposing of them, and your method will work with a properly sized container of water.

 

[MysticScorpio82]

I am sorry. I know it's hard and unpleasent to kill anything and it should be. It means you have a heart

If you felt nothing, then I would be worried! You killed the rats because it's what needed to be done. Heck I hate to kill them too! As you said, your chicken's health and welfare have to come first.

For future reference I have a Peanut butter - Plaster ball recipe that seems to work pretty good

I found it here on BYC like 2 years ago. I copied the original post...

I mixed 1 part peanut butter to one part plaster of paris. Add olive oil (not water) until it's a thick paste. Roll into balls and toss under coop and anywhere else nice animals can't reach.

After one night, all the balls were gone, so I made more.

Not so much as a nibble today.

No more rats with a simple rat bait!

E.T.A. Found the thread!! (MissPrissy explains how it works too) https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=183374​

 

[pinkyglory123]

I have to agree as I have pet rats too. Get a snap trap which is instant-much more humane. Two minutes unsuccessfully trying to stay afloat seems a long time to me.

 

[Ariel301]

Personally, I don't care for drowning them either. It's slow and cruel. If I was allowed to trap the rats/squirrels/rabbits that destroy my garden/hay/feed (landlord won't let us kill any pests) I'd either use a killing trap or have my husband shoot them inside the live trap.

 

[Dennq]

If you shoot a rat in a live trap the other rats will stay away because of the blood. Sorry to say I drown them.

 

[aprophet]

depends on what kind of rats you have I use muskrat traps( coni 126's 120's with 160 springs) here they work well that and a 5 gallon bucket 3/5's full of water with peanut shells covering the top of the water set beside the fence

 

[GiddyMoon]

Drowning is not very slow. A method I know many people use is the 5 gallon bucket pool..fill it over half way, float the top with black oil sunflower seeds, run a ramp up the top with a few seeds on it..they will usually jump in and drown themselves..it only takes a few seconds and once their lungs are full, they kind of just relax and go to sleep.