Rat residue?

[Ekemp]

Hi there, I am prepping our space for our chicken coop, and thought I should probably ask about this. We had rats invade our greenhouse over the winter, and moved it elsewhere so that we could allow the elements clean up the urine/feces/potential germs. We moved the greenhouse several months ago, and the dirt is looking normal. Truthfully I kind of forgot that it even happened. We are now planning to put our coop in roughly that same area. Could there be anything remaining that would harm my new chicks? I've tried googling and searching threads here, but can't find anything specific to pathogens remaining in dirt. Any thoughts or knowledge would be helpful!

Also- our new coop will be very carefully predator and rat proofed, so I'm not concerned that any new things will show up once the coop is in place. More just curious about whether any ratty cooties may still be lingering.

Thank you!

 

[Al Gerhart]

Get some lime from Home Depot or Lowes, used in masonry work, and broad cast the ground. Leave it for a few days then scratch it into the ground. Might crust up if it rains but break it up with a rake. You want the hot stuff, not agricultural lime. The heat and high alkalinity will kill just about anything. They did this in WWII to deal with massive amounts of dead bodies.

 

[Ekemp]

Get some lime from Home Depot or Lowes, used in masonry work, and broad cast the ground. Leave it for a few days then scratch it into the ground. Might crust up if it rains but break it up with a rake. You want the hot stuff, not agricultural lime. The heat and high alkalinity will kill just about anything. They did this in WWII to deal with massive amounts of dead bodies.

Oh boy, what a comparison! There are no rat bodies needing disposal, but potential remnants of pee/poo. Would lime kill the potential pathogens too?

 

[Al Gerhart]

Of course, put it on heavy and it will draw the moisture out of any eggs waiting to hatch too. When I was a kid there was a lime kiln on the outskirts of town. You always knew who worked there, their hands and skin were always burned and scarred. The farmland for a mile around was always damn near lifeless from the constant dust blown in. Just brown, all the time. In your case, the lime will sterilize the soil. Once it has been rained on a few times the alkaline level will go down and the soil will return to hosting life.

Agricultural lime is different, it has been slaked in water. It is used to alter the pH level or soil and won't hurt plants or insects if applied in moderation. The slaking creates a ton of heat, part of the reason it will sterilize the soil if the masonry lime is used.

 

[townchicks]

Honestly, I don't think you have that much to worry about with the chicks, as long as they can't get into the coop. Rats can carry pathogens, and pathogen carrying fleas, but you are more at risk from them, and your dogs or other mammalian pets. I could be wrong, but I am not aware of many cross species diseases that will put the chicks at risk. Obviously, you don't want them around, but they can be so hard to eliminate. I know I have had rats all around the chicken yard at various times, and even in the run a couple of times, without any effect on the chickens. Rats will go after chicks, however, so you do want your coop ratproof . You can go scorched earth, or leave it alone, or maybe till it all under, you decide what your tolerance level is. If you have one of those flame weed killer things, that's another option, too.