Wednesday 27 April 2011

RATS!

Rats. I hate the f******s. I loath them. I really, really, loath them. From their beady black little eyes, their greasy coats and scaly tails. They are vile.
I hate them with a slow burning passion, an indignation and a righteious one at that.
Thye have killed my chicks. Taken from under their mother, dragged those poor terrified little things through the fence, killed them then taken them to their nest near the moat and devoured them. Not satisfied with that they have also got one of my poults through the raised slatted floor of the hen house by grabbing one of her legs as she sat on the floor, held it while they evicersated her then tried to eat her through the slats. I found her lying there feebly trying to get away this morning. I put her quickly out of her misery.
I don't like rats.
And I obviously have a rat problem.
I hate using poison but now I see no way round it. This unseasonably warm weather has helped the buggers to breed like mad and my chickens are suffering as a result. I will never get rid of them , nor will I ever get rid fo the grey squirrels, but I will get on top of the problem. I have to, or I will continue to lose more of my chickens and that I cannot stand. All the ones I reared in the incubator are now dead bar one and to be honest I don't hold out much hope for that unless I hold a vigilence all night to keep the rats away and I can tell you from experience the buggers are bold and my presence is hardly going to make them falter.
I was stil at college and working one Christmas on a farm where they had some beef cattle and  one or two dairy cows. I was there at a difficult calving. Thhe calf  was weak and looked as if it wanted to give up the ghost from the very minute it was born. But I wasn't going to let it. I nursed that calf all night and the next day, it seemed to grow weaker but I would not let it go. Every time it closed it's eyes and looked like it had decided to die I would thump it awake, keeping it alive but you'll never guess what. Even though I was there keeping this creature alive, the rats had started to eat it and I didn't even notice in the dark. They started to knaw on its tail. I couldn't at first work out what had happened and the calf was too weak to make any fuss.  I spent the second night keeping the buggers at bay as well as keeping that calf alive. I grew to hate them then, it was a personal thing. And it's personal now.
PS. As for the calf, he survived though his tail had to be amputated about half way up.

11 comments:

Exmoorjane said...

I kinda admire rats for their smarts and tenacity but would not countenance them near the house. Terriers are good deterrents...is there anyone with a good ratter around your way? But really, sadly, poison is usually the only way to rid. Trouble is rats and chickens go together like, hmm, rats and chickens.

Tattieweasle said...

Litte Red Hen - I have a plan and it won't be good for the rats... I have called in the professionals!

Tattieweasle said...

Exmoorjane - I admire their tenacity as one might admire the beauty of a cancer cell - still want them destroyed! Sorry v. wound up about them and I know I will never get rid of them not with chickens but they is absolute puggers. Have alerted the rat man and am moving hen and remaining chicks inside tonight ... could be interesting!!!!

Trish said...

We've had mice on occasions and they scare the hell out of me so heaven knows what I'd be like with rats. They sound vile.

Tattieweasle said...

Trish - they are.. I think there is a deep sociological hatred of rats born into every human on the planet - and it is justified!

MummyDichotomy said...

Rats are vile. We get them at work and the 'rat man' comes with his terriers which whilst not something I want to watch I can't feel sorry for them. Can only think poison is the way at home though. Good luck getting rid of the little buggers.

Von said...

So very sorry. They are not liked here either and reach plague proportions if we don't act fast.Hating poisons, we sometimes still have to resort to judicious use.Found it's the only way.They've never been brave enough to attack my geese, who would be, but do get baby pigeons.
Good luck in defeating the swines.

Anonymous said...

Oh good luck Tattie. I saw an English television program about ratters and their terriers once - they made short work of the rats.I quite liked rats and mice as long as they steered well clear of the house. Now that I've read your post I feel the opposite and am apalled at the stories. I had no idea they were this bad. I dislike anything that doesn't make a quick kill - particulary envisceration and hyenas are the worst.
Looking forward to hearing your problem has been solved. Would keeping a cat or terrier around help in the future, or would they too annoy the chicks.

Rob-bear said...

Sorry to hear of your horrid experience with rats. I hope you can solve the problem very soon.

Anonymous said...

Terriers. Very effective. I hate poison too - but sometimes there are no other options. Good luck!

SmitoniusAndSonata said...

How horrible ! Vile things .
Good luck with whatever method you decide on .

Go on you know you want to...

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