Bred to Perfection Ep262 - The Rodent Menace: Protecting Your Flock from Rats and Mice with Peter Brown
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Sep 15, 2025 Join veterinarian Peter Brown, an expert on poultry healthcare, as he teams up with co-host Frank Bradley to tackle the rodent menace threatening your flock. They explore how rats, particularly Norway and Roof rats, can devastate farms by spreading diseases and damaging infrastructure. Peter shares vital strategies for rodent control, including effective traps and biosecurity measures. With humorous anecdotes, they highlight the importance of pest management to ensure the health and safety of your poultry.
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Deny Food And Shelter
- Deny rodents food and shelter to control infestations by rat-proofing buildings and removing feed left out overnight.
- Use shade netting over runs to block droppings and keep people off your property to reduce disease risk.
Two Needs Drive Rodent Problems
- Rats are opportunistic and focused on two needs: food and shelter, making prevention straightforward in concept.
- Once established they reproduce rapidly and become far harder to remove, so early action matters.
When Control Slips, Rats Explode
- Kenny describes staying on top of rats for years using shooting, traps, and poison to keep numbers low.
- A month off for bronchitis let populations explode and made him nauseous at the sight of so many rats.