Rat

Apodemus

Davesnave said:

Stoats and foxes haven't visited. Fox trails actually avoid the chicken run and I think I'd know if a stoat had got in!

Around here it is the pine martens you need to watch out for if you have chooks. Smart as a fox but much better at climbing and can get through a much smaller gap.  They probably help keep the rat numbers down, though!

in_my_wellies

I had a visit from a 'lost' pet ferret and her daughter.  Some of my hens killed (climbed over 6' fence or squeezed in somewhere) plus more than12 hens belonging to 4 neighbours killed over three nights, quite a wide area. One met an untimely death and the other was caught. Very tame and obviously a pet the RSPCA response as to what to do with caught animal was 'take it up the road and release it' 

Well, no! It was hungry and stressed enough already and would have either returned or gone on to the next village to find more hens. 

It eventually found a home at a ferret rescue about 60 miles away. 

Buzzard1985

Well the hole covered by soil hasn't opened up. No noise in the walls.   Few green bits in the opening of the bait box. No dropping around.   Assuming I have killed it.      Hens are in the house now due to this dam Avian flu.   The upturn of this egg-laying seems to reassume.
   However, I have noted from day ONE they were drinking more.  Yet I have hardly seen them drink in the run.   

DiggerUK

Had a disappointing result in our trap. 

We recently finished turning our compost bins from last year, then we noticed a lot of new activity in between there and the stream. We hoped the holes might be Water Voles, but it's Ratty.

The local buzzards will be getting a bit more gardenkill in their diet for a month or two..._

[Deleted User]

I've returned and re-read this thread because - yesterday i actually saw a rat up in one of my woody shrubs where suet blocks are hung .... i'd not seen one close up before and was surprised at its large size, they give me the creeps 🤢😟
I'll get bait down today and monitor things.

Apodemus

Catsacor, if they are up in the shrubs then, I would imagine they are much more accessible for your original "bored" solution!  You'd also get winter pruning thrown in for free as a side-benefit!   

[Deleted User]

Apodemus said:

Catsacor, if they are up in the shrubs then, I would imagine they are much more accessible for your original "bored" solution!  You'd also get winter pruning thrown in for free as a side-benefit!   

Indeed 😉 
And yes, very helpful with the pruning 😋👍