Grabbing a rat by its tail

chaffcutter

Moderator
Arable Farmer
Location
S. Staffs
On my pre college farm back in the 60’s they had made a temporary bin for feed barley under the Dutch barn with hay as one side and then stacked straw on top. We emptied it down and I found that the ‘floor’ was old hay bales, and it was moving under my feet !, we got the dogs and everyone with sticks and stuff, and gradually lifted each bale, standing well back as rats jumped out in all directions!,
We killed about 70 but hundreds escaped all over the farm. Rats make my flesh creep after that experience.
I hate the barstewards.
 

Jerry

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Devon
As a kid my job in spring after the grain shed was emptied was to be sent down the dryer ducts that ran the length of the shed.

I was the smallest person and only one who could fit.

I would be armed with a torch, brush and bucket plus a cricket bat.

Could always guarantee a bunch of rats piled up at the end of the tunnel. Only way for them to get out was past/over me.

Bloody hate rats!!
 

Kidds

Member
Horticulture
I walked into a shed at night on that rat instead pig fam and turned the lights on.
Swear on my grandkids lives there were two thousand rats in there and half of them ran towards me.
Tucked my trousers into my socks before I went in the next shed!

I used to be scared of rats but there were so many there that they don’t bother me any more, what I mean is I hate rats but don’t run away from them.
 

Cowslip

Member
Mixed Farmer
I prefer a shovel myself although I have learnt to be more careful when my 4 Yr old is around. Being quizzed by his teachers at pick up time as to why he has been telling horror stories to his classmates about mummy killing rats in the silage clamp with a shovel was not one of my best moments😂
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
I prefer a shovel myself although I have learnt to be more careful when my 4 Yr old is around. Being quizzed by his teachers at pick up time as to why he has been telling horror stories to his classmates about mummy killing rats in the silage clamp with a shovel was not one of my best moments😂
Good on ya!! :)

Mine would have been there with their beach spades, ready to help!!
 

Richard III

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
CW5 Cheshire
My eldest son has just moved out of a rat infested block of flats in London, quite a new build too. The rats are all over the balconies and in the walls too. All the flats have an island in the kitchen, the cutlery drawer is in this and for some reason the rats can get into all the cutlery drawers! He bought a big bag of flour during lock down and put it in the shoe cupboard, they chewed through the plaster board and ate it! One woke him up chewing on his bed leg one night. :eek: The management company refused to do anything about them.
 

Wigeon

Member
Arable Farmer
There is honestly no feeling in farming better than really belting one with a hockey stick.

Personal highlight was a fully grown one I clobbered as it ran past me once. It flew in a graceful arc across the grain store (ahem), through the grain cleaner without touching anything, and thudded into the far wall, about 15 yards off.

Some years later it still makes me smile!
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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