Your probably looking at about 8 youngsters on average

Thankyou MB

Well done for getting the big ones. Lets hope the parents haven't finished teaching the babies how to hunt properly. I hope you get them all! Good on Ken for killing them when he is against it

Edited June 19, 200816 yr by **Liv**

Well done for getting the big ones. Lets hope the parents haven't finished teaching the babies how to hunt properly. I hope you get them all! Got on Ken for killing them when he is against it

Funny ... Ken didnt seem too worried when they were in my budgie aviary and dismissed it as trivial stuff. Now that they are in his aviary he has enough rage to kill the little $#@%$## 's

... Good luck on the remainder of your hunt. Lets hope you get the babies before they re-populate themselves! When I had mice in my aviary, we had a hose down the hole and filled it with water. Nothing came out, but I imagine this would work if they were down there. I'd try this over poison.

The half grown ones aren't too worldy wise so they are pretty likely to end up dog bait

The half grown ones aren't too worldy wise so they are pretty likely to end up dog bait

My Cavaliers have proven themselves as very competant ratters. So I will keep taking them in the aviary to search.

 

 

PS for her dedication to duty, Cricket got to eat the two largest rats.

Thanks Kaz, I'll comtemplate that while I eat my dinner

They can have up to 16 babies. My friend's rat had 16 babies. So if you get 8, don't stop looking

They can have up to 16 babies. My friend's rat had 16 babies. So if you get 8, don't stop looking

 

 

Oh no... I bet Kaz doesn't want to know that!!!!

I think you will find they tend to have more in captivity and even in captivity 16 is highly unusual. I used to breed show rats and the largest litter I ever had was 12 and that only ever happened once.

Edited June 19, 200816 yr by melbournebudgies

okay. Yeah they are probably less likely to make as many babies in the wild. Hard times and all

They can have up to 16 babies. My friend's rat had 16 babies. So if you get 8, don't stop looking

Yes...thats what I thought. My daughters pet rat years ago used to have 13 regularly. Last rat nest discovered under the shed had 16 youngsters.

Edited June 19, 200816 yr by KAZ

And don't they bred really quick like 2 months old or something? I hope you get them all Kaz.

And don't they bred really quick like 2 months old or something? I hope you get them all Kaz.

Yes...the babies can breed to their parents very quickly.

Its a good thing my dogs are so good at finding them and killing them. With some attention paid to the task we should sort it out in no time at all. Hopefully without any further bird losses.

Kaz, How about the good old remove the trapdoor spider techinque ...Find all holes and cover Pour the Kero down the rat holes and BURN BABY BURN !!!!!!!Or Ken can start up an new Hobby ... Night Rat Golfing ...... I can hear it now ...... FOUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRR lol

Edited June 19, 200816 yr by Neat

Glad to hear that you got some rats, hope you get the rest before they do anymore damage.

I set traps in my now empty aviary last night, but no rats caught. The rats had instead dug a new tunnel into Kens aviary. Cricket ( my cavalier) was going mad down the back by a back wall of the aviary. I told Ken where she was sniffing and barking on the outside of the tin, and he started looking in the aviary on the other side. A very large rat was hiding in the corner behind a storage container and shot out and tried to leave by the new tunnel. Ken managed to kill it. Next another large rat came out too and also it was killed. A smaller one got away. So that was three rats in Kens aviary and if Cricket hadnt discovered them and told us, they would have killed birds in Ken's avairy during the night.

I am assuming we have killed the parents and there must be a litter of half grown youngsters still to find. I believe they have 11-13 babies ?

 

 

 

These are the issues of soil floor aviaries. :hap:

 

Well it sounds like you've got a battle on your hands hunting down all those rats. Good Luck!

 

Hows the new aviary/breeding room coming along? Have you finished yet? Time to make the move pronto methinks ... unless you've already done it.

Edited June 20, 200816 yr by KAZ

I set traps in my now empty aviary last night, but no rats caught. The rats had instead dug a new tunnel into Kens aviary. Cricket ( my cavalier) was going mad down the back by a back wall of the aviary. I told Ken where she was sniffing and barking on the outside of the tin, and he started looking in the aviary on the other side. A very large rat was hiding in the corner behind a storage container and shot out and tried to leave by the new tunnel. Ken managed to kill it. Next another large rat came out too and also it was killed. A smaller one got away. So that was three rats in Kens aviary and if Cricket hadnt discovered them and told us, they would have killed birds in Ken's avairy during the night.

I am assuming we have killed the parents and there must be a litter of half grown youngsters still to find. I believe they have 11-13 babies ?

 

 

 

These are the issues of soil floor aviaries. :hap:

 

Well it sounds like you've got a battle on your hands hunting down all those rats. Good Luck!

 

Hows the new aviary/breeding room coming along? Have you finished yet? Time to make the move pronto methinks ... unless you've already done it.

New birdroom completed up to a point this weekend, but new flights will take a lot longer. Meanwhile birds are housed in smaller aviaries and I will cull some as well.

your getting there, the ones you are thinning out just send them packing my way

Edited June 20, 200816 yr by Elly

My Cavaliers have proven themselves as very competant ratters. So I will keep taking them in the aviary to search. :sad:

PS for her dedication to duty, Cricket got to eat the two largest rats.

 

Is that safe to let your dogs eat them...??? what about diseases and parasites :sad: ???

My Cavaliers have proven themselves as very competant ratters. So I will keep taking them in the aviary to search.

PS for her dedication to duty, Cricket got to eat the two largest rats.

 

Is that safe to let your dogs eat them...??? what about diseases and parasites ???

The thing is, Liv...they eat anything they catch through the night anyway and they are our ratters and mousers. We dont use poisons, so I guess its safe. She leaves the stomach and liver and doesnt east that part.

My Cavaliers have proven themselves as very competant ratters. So I will keep taking them in the aviary to search.

PS for her dedication to duty, Cricket got to eat the two largest rats.

 

Is that safe to let your dogs eat them...??? what about diseases and parasites ???

The thing is, Liv...they eat anything they catch through the night anyway and they are our ratters and mousers. We dont use poisons, so I guess its safe. She leaves the stomach and liver and doesnt eat that part.

 

EWWWWwwwwww.... **Yucky mental images** :mellow:

 

They must have good imune systems and you must have a stronger stomach than I do

MMMMMM Rat stomach and liver!!

 

 

 

 

TB what a crackup!!!