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How to kill baby rats in the barn?
Topic Started: May 29 2007, 01:40 PM (3,430 Views)
Fish Cheeks
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Ugh. I don't want rats in my barn. But I don't want to kill them, either. I was moving bales of hay around in preparation for a new delivery tomorrow, and the last bale on the bottom had a little hole scooped out of it and I looked in there and there were baby rats. I took them out and was prepared to drown them - even dropped one into a bucket of water. But I couldn't do it and so fished him out!

Now the babies are in a little bucket in my laundry room. Mr. Fishy is trying to ponder how best to get rid of them. He thinks that putting them out in the scrub brush isn't fair because it is just delaying their deaths and it would be cruel. Best to get rid of them now and quickly.

I couldn't see mom, but heard her rustling around in the barn. I think I know where she is. If I had all of them together, I'd just relocate them. But I don't - I only have the babies, no mom.

What is the best way to do this? I wish I knew someone with a snake... I actually really like rats and think they make nice pets. But I don't want them in the barn.

:jaw:
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KaliTude
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Thomas H. Cruise!
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Put them in a bag and run them over with your truck?

Yeah I know, I couldn't do that either... I leave all the killing of little anumals to Kev, he's a lot better at it than I am. I am still all upset over the snake I ran over in the road 2 weeks ago.
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Smiles
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You got a hungrey barn cat? Let the kitty eat them for a snack and perhaps their momma too!!! :yes: or feed them decon....
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Renn/aissance
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Hakuna matata!
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Get not-so-baby cats. They are nice to snuggle with as well.
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JointVenture
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Shunnnnn the unbeliever. Shunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn.
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I am so sorry. I couldn't do it, either. I cried just flushing a dead goldfish. Speaking of flushing, if you can't find a better way and they are the "baked bean" variety, maybe your DH could do that? At least you wouldn't have to deal with the remains.
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Fish Cheeks
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Well, it is done. Mr. Fishy went for the decapitation method - thought it quick and relatively suffer-free. He used a wood block and a little ax. :lonely:

I wish we had a barn cat. We've HAD four barn cats. We have happy coyotes, though. Sadly their preferred diet is barn cats, not barn rats. :argh:
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2hsmommy
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Fish Cheeks
May 29 2007, 07:48 PM
Well, it is done. Mr. Fishy went for the decapitation method - thought it quick and relatively suffer-free. He used a wood block and a little ax. :lonely:

I

Next time, bag them and put them in a freezer. Kinda just puts them to sleep....but make sure you leave them in there long enough. No fuss.
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Trialbyfire
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Ugh - I so feel your pain. When I took in an old QH because his barn flooded during the last Nor'easter we had to move hay that was stored in a stall and found the same thing - a nest of 4 baby rats. The local farm boy helping me suggested the bucket of water but I just couldn't do it. I walked around with them in my hands for a while, but realized I really had to do something. Since it had snowed overnight I put them in a snowbank. But then I felt really bad for them having to suffer until they 'fell asleep' or froze to death, that I called the dog over in hopes of a quicker death. He did the deed, but I felt awful.

That was, until I tried to move about 20 bales of alfalfa that ALL had the twines eaten through. :censored: Then I was mad. My previous "storage room" now has alfalfa stored in it, and on top of the intact bales we literally just threw all the loose hay.

I went to Agway and bought rat poison and loaded the whole barn up -- we were having a new floor poured the same week and it was inevitable that I had to do this. I couldn't pay $4K for a new floor and let the rats ruin it. So they are gone. But not before one could run across the wet concrete floor, so I have the permanent reminder of my little friends. Poor little things. :P
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DairyQueen2049
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DRAGON BREATH. DRAGGIN' BUTT
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Add water to the bucket - rats can swim for a while so walk away and don't come back till next day.

I hate killing things too, but rats, possum, skunk, red squirrels, coons and loose dogs chasing my livestock all get a one way trip. :,(
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Irish Ei's
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Grab mane and kick on!
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The only time I like Jack Russells.....
Or a Local pet shop or zoo that has snakes???
Free food,,,,
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AstonMartin
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Ugh, i'd have such an issue with that....

My ex partner had pigs, and they frequently had to kill sick babies. It broke my heart so I didnt watch.

Fishy, it sucks to be grown up...you can't just yell out 'dadddddd.....' or the names of your siblings and hope they will 'make it go away'

Two years ago I found a spider in my house and i covered it with a tuperware container for about 2 hrs before I got the nerve up to kill it myself. If I found rats in my house i'd move....:):)
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CDNjumpergirl
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If I ever faced that situation I'd put them in a garbage bag, poke a couple of holes so the air can escape, put the mouth around the exhaust pipe of my car, duct tape it there, start the car and walk away. Its carbon monoxide poisoning, they just pretty much fall asleep and die, pretty quick and mercifully painless. You have to watch out though, if you don't poke enough holes the bag will pop and you'll have to go through it all again.
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Sing Mia Song
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Bucket of cold water. Squirt of soap. Toss and leave.

For little babies, it doesn't take long. I hate doing it, but I hate full grown rats worse.

I take that back. I actually like rats--little pet rats in cages. Big nasty Norway rats crapping all over my barn and eating holes in the floor are a completely different story.
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RHowell
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Is it time to move this thread to God's Garden? :lol:
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AstonMartin
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Mia, are you living in Norway????
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