Rats in the Barn?

I've seen a few rats in the barn over the years, but the biggest problems have been mice running all over the place, and English sparrows and starlings living in the barn and pooping on everything. It got so bad that we trapped over 70 mice last year over the course of a month or two, and anything left along the edges of the barn got covered in literally three inches of dried bird poop. Once, just in the process of walking through the barn doing chores, I stepped on a mouse - that's how high their density was!

It all changed a couple months ago when we got a barn cat. She was a near-feral, unadoptable cat from a local shelter who would have probably had to been euthanized eventually. We weren't sure if a cat would be willing to stay and live in the barn, or if it would be smart enough to keep clear of our donkey, so we decided to rescue a cat and give it a chance at life it probably wouldn't get otherwise. She has been just perfect! I can't remember the last time I saw a mouse in the barn (a live one, anyway) and the birds have all but moved out entirely. I definitely recommend getting one!

 

The rats here burrow down in the built up litter or the dirt under the stalls during the winter and have kits all year long because it's warm. Grrrrr.......goats, horses, chickens, they don't care what animals you have as long as there is a chance for spilled grain.

Those with feral or barn cats- how do you keep then from spreading fleas to your dogs? I am finally totally flea free. I have 8 big hairy/woolly dogs who are near impossible to de-flea once they get them. I would love to adopt a feral barn cat or 2 but am scared of the fleas.

Nancy, which old fashioned rat traps? The wooden spring ones? If so, what do you bait them with? I can't seem to get them to go near the traps, blasted things. I have several Hav-a hart traps for rats that don't work either. I have to resort to poison, which I hate because they seem to end up in the walls of my house when they die.

 

If I got cats, they would be from the "Barn Buddies" program. Those are cats that are mostly feral and therefore un-adoptable. So, the flea problem would remain a problem. I just can't bring a cat here that would infest my dogs with fleas.

 

~T

 

Our rescue cat was really scared for the first two days she was here, but now she greets me every morning and every night to get pet. I've even picked her up! And she'll paw at me when I go to leave, because she wants me to stay and pet her longer. She's probably an exception, but not all unadoptable cats end up being unmanageable.