Rats only need a ½”-1” opening to get into your barn.  Personally, I have no idea how a 1/2lb -1lb rat can squeeze through a narrow ½” opening, but the experts say it’s possible and by looking at this trapped rat, see how tight the jaws are? That is an indication of how “Flat” the rat can become.  As for climbing, I do know from experience that rats are great climbers and trapeze artists!  Rain gutters or fencing create a perfect highway to enter your barn and eat your feed. They usually live within 300 feet of their nest and food source and they require ½-1 ounce of water each day. Rats are very cautious and do not like new things in their path.  Traps will need to be placed to let the rat get used to it.  Rats eat both grain and meat. They will attack and eat mice.

Two common rats are the Norway rat and the Roof rat.  The Norway rat is light brown with a white chest and belly.  They look more like large mice and live in lower ground areas and can reach 1 lb. in size.

The Roof rat is the classic black rat with a pointed nose and ears.  Their fur is rough looking and they are smaller than the Norway rat, but are great climbers as their name implies.  They tend to stay in higher places.

For some of you, the whole idea of trapping rats may be too much to deal with, or just plain gross.  But keep in mind the potential health risk to your barn animals and loss of contaminated feed.  So if you are not up to the task, please get someone to help you.  It’s too great a price to let them live in your barn.

I always say “Rat’s have I.Q.s, so what will work for one will not work for the second”.  I’m not sure if they take notes or have little community rat meetings…but they figure things out and change their patterns to avoid traps.  This makes catching them a challenge.  Tradition says to place traps in the path of the rat, locate where they may be nesting & their food source. Many times their food source is the grain leftovers from your goat, lamb, pig or poultry.  Always pull grain leftovers out of your pen at night. This will help direct them to your trap. It also teaches your livestock to eat when it’s time to eat. Also when setting traps, sprinkle extra grain pieces around the area to encourage eating.  This can help catch them.

If you are fortunate enough to have a good rat catching barn cat, you don’t need to read much further! Barn cats who are hunters are worth their weight in gold and they are willing to do the dirty work of catching rats!

There are a variety of traps and I’d advise to buy one of each. “Different traps for different rats!” There is the traditional snap rat trap in both wood and plastic.  Always attach twine or string to your traps. The goal is to catch & kill them quickly, but sometimes a leg is caught and they will drag your trap away. Place the traps where you think they are nesting.  The trap may have to be in place for 3-4 days before the rat will check it out.  Place a variety of baits such as peanut butter, grains or cracked corn. Corn can be hot glued to the trap to help catch the smart rats.

At your local farm or feed store, there is a wide variety of poisons in different formats such as blocks, cubes or pellets.  My preference is the bait blocks or cubes.  Simply, it’s easier to handle and I am less worried about dropping pellets that may be eaten by my other animals. Side note: Rats will sometimes take portions of the bait back to their nest.  This is a sure sign that rats are in the barn.  Mice will slowly nibble on the bait.

My preference is a hamster or bird cage with the poison blocks safely inside.  This ensures that I can control and protect the poison from other pets eating the poison.  This cage can be tied to the fence for extra security. There are also tubes that can be purchased to hold the bait.

• Contaminating water & feed with their feces and urine.
• Transmit diseases and spread fleas that also spread diseases.
• Gnawing causes damage to barns, equipment, wiring and any non-metal item.

• Barn Management – Rat control in a barn or livestock area requires diligent management all year long.
• Clutter – Don’t stack fence boards, lumber or firewood near the barn, as this offers shelter to rats.
• Weeds – Keep weeds and grass mowed around the barn and pens.
• Secure Gaps – Block all holes or gaps larger than ½ inch. Rust proof wire mesh is a good choice.
• Containers – Keep blankets or other fabric items and feed in tightly-sealed containers.
• Pull Feed – Each evening pull leftover grain and store in a metal can. Rats are most active at night and will search high and low for food and water sources.
• Collect Eggs – If you have a chicken coop, pull eggs each night and all feed. The birds will be roosting and not eating, so they will be just fine until the morning feeding.
• Close Gaps and Holes in walls and doorways. Below is an easy way to seal up a doorway using ½” x 3”trim.  The boards over hang the door jamb to close up the gap between the sliding door and trim.