good pigeon killed by a rat

[Guest]

i went out into the cot yesterday and found a very good bird killed by a rat which had entered the cot from behind, came through a hole it had made,my dog had  one of his m8s earlier tonite.so  ive left a mesage saying enter at own risk...cause my dogs got ur number!....paul >

[T_T]

Seem very common now around the lofts of pigeon fanciers, another gripe for our neighbours.

These rats always seem to take your best birds as well.  I think most people call the council in to get rid of them.

[Guest]

i live near to fields and a neighbour has chickens,i think there was a survey and they stated that cos of the rise in rat population, where ever we are, we are no more then a metre away from a rat....paul

[robinthfc]

i live near to fields and a neighbour has chickens,i think there was a survey and they stated that cos of the rise in rat population, where ever we are, we are no more then a metre away from a rat....paul

 

I heard it was 15 foot, metre would probably mean they were in your house.

 

Hopefully my jack Russell keeps them at bay.

[Flyer]

never had rats here and ive lived here 14 years and always had birds.ive had the odd mouse but always have traps set, baited with jam on toast   and put poison under the loft. on the point of poison, last week i got some new stuff off the farmer where i get my corn from. it looks and smells like strawberry bubblegum chewed and stuck between 2 pieces of cellotape. not tested it yet. 7p a piece.

[Roland]

Very rare indeed that a Rat will kill a pigeon. Has been know to knibble the feathers, but... Personally Iw ouldn't involve the council as the less we have to do with them the better in this, and many other regards. A pipe with a bit of peanut butter laced with anti freeze will sort them They love peanut butter and the sweet taste of anti freeze. In a pipe nothing else will be able to get at it.

Also they can't resist going into pipes, they seldom if ever go past one. Even with a terier up it back side lol.

One must remember that rats and mice team into the house in winter.

Every home has one or the other. But they never mix. The above will also get rid of mice.I bait my traps regulary with Mars Bar. I wash the traps regularly too. Some time weeks, months go by with nary a on... then 7 or so in 2/3 days. Means I am well ontop of them.Yes the ole spring trap never fails. Even if only caught by the tail. Hope this helps.

[andrew]

Hello,

 

We had same few weeks back in our wooden shead, we live surrounded by fields and next to the river this is the first time in 8 yrs or so we have had a problem with a rat, it started by gnawing a hole in the floor of the shed once we refilled it another appeared and so on and so on hes always finding ways in, we have had 3 birds killed heads taken off, during night on three seperate days luckly we tthink weve stopped him now but we are no longer using our racing lofts as my farther has stopped racing for a couple of years, the wooden sheads are all comming down my stock loft is a brick built building which is very very secure and virmin proof.

 

Rats are very clever and will always find any possible way to get in. the rats even moved brickes etc to get in shead, eaten cheese from traps, but we put some poison packets down from local hardware shop adn seems to have eaten them hasnt been back since

[Guest]

Very rare indeed that a Rat will kill a pigeon. Has been know to knibble the feathers, but... Personally Iw ouldn't involve the council as the less we have to do with them the better in this, and many other regards. A pipe with a bit of peanut butter laced with anti freeze will sort them They love peanut butter and the sweet taste of anti freeze. In a pipe nothing else will be able to get at it.

Also they can't resist going into pipes, they seldom if ever go past one. Even with a terier up it back side lol.

One must remember that rats and mice team into the house in winter.

Every home has one or the other. But they never mix. The above will also get rid of mice.I bait my traps regulary with Mars Bar. I wash the traps regularly too. Some time weeks, months go by with nary a on... then 7 or so in 2/3 days. Means I am well ontop of them.Yes the ole spring trap never fails. Even if only caught by the tail. Hope this helps.

 

 

hi roland m8...rats will rip out the throats of pigeons to get at the corn in their crop,i had trouble a few yrs back where they would rip off the birds heads even.

when they get in that sort of mood rats will kill for the sake of it.i lost 6 birds a few yrs back till i found where they was getting through...believe me it isnt rare for them to kill a bird..ask anyone who has found a headless bird in their loft......paul

 

[Guest TAMMY_1]

 

 

YES RATS HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO KILL PIGEONS, AND ANDREW I DONT THINK THERE IS ANY BUILDING THAT IS 100% VERMIN PROOF

[blackjack]

Sir is you loft off the floor if not get it up my 2 lofts are all on two blocks capped with sleepers my dogs have easy access . i cannot belive how many people keep thier lofts virtually on the floor its a calling card for them. I can assure you thier will be more than one if i were you i would go to your local agricultural merchant and purchase a 5lb or 2.5 kg box of nesorexa blocks to fiddle about with any less would be a waste of time and money and put 3 at a time in plastic money bags or old shopping bags and put them at the rear of the loft and keep putting them down until it stops being taken . I used to be a gamekeeper and rats can be a bad problem but with some commonsense precautions and be looking out  for them you can stay on top . If you want any advice e mail me and i will give you my phone number.

[T_T]

Yes !! make NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, rats WILL kill a pigeon without a second thought.  My brothers ( both of them again living very close to open land ) were pestered by these rodents last year and lost a number of stock birds to them.  Their lofts are on the floor.

My lofts are of a concrete foundation and my racing loft 18" off the ground on a brick surround, the back end being left open for access.  Have never seen evidence of a rat here in 30yr, poison is always down but rarely disturbed.  

My brothers got rid of the rats they had, by dropping bags of poison directly into the rat holes.

[Guest]

my loft has a concrete floor and the rat came in through knawing through a 3x2 post,i regularly have poison down for them but believe me they will enter if they feel a need too,a few yrs back they was coming through a vent in the roof untill i wired it off,ive been a keen hunting dog man for many yrs and ive experienced some big rats in my time,behind me the guy has run down sheds and i believe they might be venturing out of them because he has taken one down...the sheds he has , have to be  at least 16x8 and on the floor.my garden is clean and tidy and so are my lofts.beleieve me....ive already taken steps to eradicate them...or should that be erat...dicate them.....lol...paul

[john robo]

there is loads of ways to keep rats away but some of these need doing before the loft is built. ie the footings and base should be filled with broken glass. rats and mice find it almost impossible to dig through it.

i have cctv in my sheds the 1 in my corridoor is a pir type and mice set this off. got some great footage of mice getting there necks snapped with the little nipper (in my opinion the best trap). ive never had rats here but when i lived in wales i had a big aviary full of cage birds, finches and quails etc. a rat dug 3ft under the footings and killed the hen quails for there eggs even the unlayed 1's. i found spreading a bit of ferret poo around kept them away.

never tried them but what about the ultrasonic chasers ?

[westy]

have had a mouse in my loft but no rat, sorry to here what happend mate.

[Roland]

I have learnt a little more. They cant gnaw through Glass, nor ( no pun intended lol) climb it. If placed, around and under the loft it makes it sucure.

I glass sheets place between two sheets of Ply wood, hardboard, chipboard or any wood etc. when building a loft, or reline the sides and floorwith good insulation and gnaw proof glass. But anti freeze is exceptionally effective.

[T_T]

Roland,

             Seems as though you have a biggish problem there but I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it because there's one thing that we pigeon fanciers can't be when it comes to obstacles, BEAT.  Wish you luck with your efforts.

[blackjack]

Something else for you concrete is not impossible for rats ive seen them knaw through it . Thier teeth have the strenght of industrial diamonds they are also great climbers . I recently with 5 mates and 12 terriers killed 700 plus adult rats at a piggery .Please nail them now and if its on the floor get it up good luck .

[Roland]

Very true Blackjack, but the Glass has no reference what or who it cuts. They soon shy away.

Rats are attracted by hegdehogs of course which they will kill and eat.

  Ratty snarls and the hedgehog will roll up into it's ball for protection. But Ratty snarls more and gnaws away at the pines till a round hole down to the skin. It then bits through and turns hedgy over, and kills it. All the time poor Hedgy sqills like a good un -  which is very upsetting to hear.

[ALF]

PAUL GET YOURSELF A COUPLE OF FEN TRAPS (THEY ONLY COST ABOUT A TENNER EACH) AND START SETTING THEM WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE RATS ARE COMING INTO YOUR PLACE AND YOU WILL GET THEM QUITE EASILY...I HAVE MY LOFT ON AN ALLOTMENT NEXT TO A BURN SO I HAVE TO BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR RATS ALL THE TIME AND FIND THE FEN TRAPS WORK GREAT AT GETTING THEM ;)

 

MIND NO GET YOUR FINGERS CAUGHT IN THEM THOUGH OR YOU WILL REGRET IT ;) ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Guest]

hi alf m8,i got traps set in a few places,i think 8 of them , including 2 live traps.

ive also got a ton of poison down too..some industrial strength stuff.i havent had probs for over 2 yrs from them .....paul