As with the corks, use a drill bit that matches the diameter of the shaft so there is room for it to enter the wood yet allow the threads to bite into the wood. Screw the hook into place. Step 7 Rats can dig several feet deep and jump up to eight feet high. They are also expert climbers and can access your coop or run from above if it’s not protected. Now, if you’re like us, and your lazy good-for-nothing cat would rather play with rats than hunt them, move onto the next step. Set traps Again, this may result in rats dying in hard to reach places. But it does eliminate the possibility of your animals or wildlife getting poisoned if they find and eat the rat. Call a Professional assembly. The feeder does call for some setting up and also I am just tired of having to set up stuff. It likewise required dismantling the weight for the feeding door for my birds, as well as it will certainly have to be returned at some time. I can see why it came partly unassembled as it would have required a bigger box, however, this is an aggravation for me.

chicken feeder - keep feed dry and safe from The best DIY chicken feeder - keep feed dry and safe from

They are known to be carriers of a number of horrific things such as fleas, mites, plague, salmonella, hantavirus and hemorrhagic fever. Let me start by saying this is incredibly hard to do. When it comes to rats, if there’s a will there’s a way. After a week of this he called saying I was right, the birds mobbed the feeder after he followed the directions. I just had to ask and we had kind of become friends and chatted about many things other than the feeder. "Why wouldn't you follow the directions?" His response was "The instructions just weren't logical." Buy two 4-inch-long eyebolts with 1/4-inch diameter threads and one 4-inch-long hook with a threaded shaft. Step 2

Another downside to poison is that over the years rats have developed immunity to many poisons, and others they’ve just learned not to eat it. This means you’ll have to frequently change the type of poison as one won’t work for long. Even if you do manage to get the rats to eat the poison and they do die from it, they will likely die in a very hard to reach place, such as underneath the coop or within its walls, and you’ll be reminded daily of this horrible mistake by the stench.

7 Best Chicken Feeders to Prevent Rats in 2023 - Pet Keen

Our mixed grain has different sizes in there so we’ve made our hole quite big to make sure they can all get through. Rats are most likely to enter through corners or places where the walls meet the floor or ceiling. Fill and cover holes

🍪 Privacy & Transparency

I’m going to say this right at the start: beware the use of poisons. This should be your last resort if nothing else is working. I know it seems like an easy fix to a big problem, but using poison to get rid of rodents could lead to bigger problems down the road.

Rodent-proof Chicken Feeder | Good Life Permaculture Rodent-proof Chicken Feeder | Good Life Permaculture

The very best materials for your poultry feeder when you’re trying to prevent rats from consuming the feed are either metal or resilient, chew-proof PVC as well as various other plastics. A good mouser is your best defense against a looming rat population. Not only do cats hunt and kill rats, but the scent of cats on your property will help to convince rodents not to make a home there. Available in varying sizes up to 20 kgs, bell-shaped feeders are some of the most commonly found. They have high sides, are usually segmented to prevent waste, and can easily be hung. They’re also the most economical choice. • Treadle

Step 4: Go to War

Rats will chew through plastic trash bins and fatten themselves up on your garbage every night. Either store your outdoor trash in a steel garbage can with a tight lid, in a garage or shed, or wait until garbage day to take it outside. If rats have chewed holes into your coop or underneath it, fill the holes with steel wool and cover them with hardware cloth or wire mesh. Fill any holes in the soil around your coop as well, as rats love to tunnel. Be adamant about filling holes, if they make new ones the next day, fill those too. Make sure you only put the bait inside the little cup, not on the plate and not anywhere around the outside of the trap. If a rat accidentally sets it off by eating food spilled next to the trap and doesn’t get caught in it, it will remember not to go near it again.