Another rat story

[tbird]

This morning I woke to find 5 out of my 12 gouldian's dead,3 of which were babies that had fledged 2 weeks ago. I thought my aviary was rat proof as it has been 3 years since I set it up and not one sign of a rat or mouse. As it is a previous fernery converted into a avairy and is basically a room in the centre of my house I just didn't think vermon could get in. They would have had to have tunnelled 3 metres under the concrete slab of my house to find the entrance to the avairy. So after work tonight it took my husband and myself 2 hours to catch the remaining birds. I can't believe we actually managed to catch them as the avairy roof is 4.5 metres off the ground, so it was a matter of standing on a ladder with a net and just hoping my husband could scare them my way.I think it was more the fact that they really tired out. I am just hoping they all survive as it was pretty stressfull especially for the baby. Anyway they are now in cage inside the house. I am wondering if anyone can shed anylight on how long they can be kept in a relatively small cage after being in such a great space with lots of flying room. I have 1 baby, 1 hen and 5 cocks. The cage is about 1.5 metres tall and round in shape perhaps the width of a bmx tyre. I want to try and rat proof the aviary somehow...before I put them back in. I have read the last post from sam davis re his problem and have used the idea of using the carcase of the dead bird as bait in a trap and also put lots of rat bait in there as well. Fingers crossed I can catch it or them. Does anyone know if there is a rat proof wire that can be used on the ground over the dirt to stop the rats from tunnelling in. Thankyou in advance for any suggestions

[Jayburd]

Sorry for your loss
Re how long they ca be kept in a smaller cage, the answer I think would be indefinitely, they would adjust... But it's always best to try and eliminate any excess time in a smaller environment.
I use mouse/snake proof wire for my entire aviary, so a rat certainly wouldn't be able to get in if a mouse couldn't. I have mice all through my bird shed (damn rodents) but none in the aviary, so hopefully that means its working. It's more expensive than usual wire but so worth it!

[Tintola]

I am so sorry to hear that you lost your birds. It is a heart wrenching feeling. You did the right thing by removing them. I doubt that the rat burrowed under the slab unless you can see signs of this. Is the aviary open to the sky with a wire roof in any area? Or butting up against your ceiling? A pic would be good. I think you may have already posted one on here. I'll have a look.

[Misso]

sorry to hear,

was their visible signs on the dead birds of fowl play? been chewed, etc???

misso

[SamDavis]

Sorry to hear of your loss - I understand your agony. Awful things, particularly when it seems they've just killed for sport. Many of mine had hardly been touched and others just had a chunk of their breast eaten - to get at the internal organs I think. Pretty gruesome.
As tintola says, I very much doubt a rat could burrow 3 metres under the house slab. From memory your aviary is in the middle of your home surrounded by windows. Sounds lke they've got in through some gap in the roof or could it have got into the aviary from inside the house?

[tbird]

Tintola - yes I have posted a picture. Its in introduce yourself on 15/2/2011. My avairy is open to the sky with a wire roof. There are no signs of entry there. I actually heard the rat the night before in the ceiling of the study ajoins the avairy, it then ran along the hallway ceiling and down the wall which is the corner of the aviary. Perhaps is got in from there somehow. Hopefully if I can cover the ground and up the sides of the avairy to the glass with the wire Jayburd suggested, I may have some luck.
Mizzo - yes some of the birds were be-headed and others ripped open. Its was so distressing to see. I was so happy 2 weeks ago when my babies fledged as it was only my 2nd clutch in 3 years and now I have lost 3 out of 4 of them

[Mortisha]

rats do like hanging out in ceilings

[tbird]

Sam and Tintola
Hopefully you a right about them not being able to tunnel under the slab. It may be easier to find the entry point if I can count that one out. I'm also hoping I find it dead in the rat trap in the morning. If I do i think I will continue to bait until I find the entry point in case there is more than one.

[Finchman1]

I have caught small rats a few times in one of these ,they work great for mice

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Ketch-All-Au ... 1e58667770" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tintola]

OMG. I would have thought that if any aviary would be rat proof it would be yours. You heard a rat(s) in the ceiling. My guess would be the solid wall on the right is probably hollow and the rat has gone down between to the base and chewed through. Check at ground level for the entrance hole, it has to be there. I can't see the other fourth wall is it glass or solid? It would be a pity to line the base with wire and destroy all your plantings.