Grabbing a rat by its tail

[grainboy]

Went to take down 4 outdoor 100 odd ton bins, for someone, the farm was not the tidiest,
Opened door of first bin, rats everywhere, and in daylight,
Decided to call the job off, don’t mind a few but !!

 

[ollie989898]

Years ago I was given the job of loading a spreader gang from field heaps. Loads of old bales, tyres and sheet in the heaps unfortunately. During a lull in the proceedings I got out of the handler and pulled a few tyres out of the heap, pulled one up and out and the biggest fudging rat I ever saw jumped out of it at me. Damn near shat myself and threw the damned tyre away. That was the last time I did that for a while.

 

[FarmBoy01]

Years ago put my hand into a bag of pig food wondered what the warm furry thing was ,then a rat jumped out arrgh

Rolling the sheet back on a Heston bale stack got the end ,rats every where no where to run was terrified

 

[Deerefarmer]

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.

Reminds me of the farm where we made a 10 x 150 ft. silage bag along side the drive leading to the barn, directly across from the remains of the previous years 10 x 150 bag which looked like it was rat infested. Had to go back to said farm that night to pick up some remaining equipment, as we drove in the drive and the cars lights illuminated the gravel drive between the old and newly made bag it was like the lane came alive. All we could do was gawk in shock as thousands of rats ran back the old silage bag. Never seen anything like that in my life.

 

[Kidds]

Years ago put my hand into a bag of pig food wondered what the warm furry thing was ,then a rat jumped out arrgh

That pig farm I worked at had lines of pens where the pigs could be outside and a row of kennels at the back of each line.
My job was to feed the pigs by pushing the meal barrow down the passageway at the back, lift up each kennel lid and fill the feeder that was inside.
They were usually full of mice but when the mice disappeared you knew the rats had got bad again. As you lifted the lids you were ready to whack whatever rodents were under there staring back at you, I carried 18" of truth just for that job. (you couldn't swing the full yard)
The incident that made me jump the most was the time I was just about to open the kennel lid and was expecting the rats to be in there. I put my hand on the kennel lid and a big rat had eaten so much of the ceiling he fell through and landed on the back of my hand. That one did make me jump!

 

[designanddetail]

Lovely New York rat.....

 

[Deerefarmer]

Big enough to saddle break and ride

At least worth taking to a taxidermist

 

[Wolds Beef]

I have 3 neutered cats in the yard, given to me by the cats protection league. They are just about feral. They have cleared the yard of just about all rodents. Red tractor inspector asked if I worm them and I promptly said if that he could get hold of them I would worm them. He shut up and did not put it as a non compliance!! I will do the same this year. I know when they have nearly cleared the place out because they eat more biscuit grub for a few weeks!!
WB

 

[Scholsey]

Nothing to do with poltics or unfaithful partners.

I found a trio of dead rats in the barn, half grown & then loading some small bales, I saw another one same size but very much alive. It dived between two bales but its tail was visible, should I have grabbed it.

from all the replies the only thing I can conclude is if your going to grab it, film it as it would more than likely result in hilarious consequences.

 

[Cow1]

I have 3 neutered cats in the yard, given to me by the cats protection league. They are just about feral. They have cleared the yard of just about all rodents. Red tractor inspector asked if I worm them and I promptly said if that he could get hold of them I would worm them. He shut up and did not put it as a non compliance!! I will do the same this year. I know when they have nearly cleared the place out because they eat more biscuit grub for a few weeks!!
WB

We did exactly the same. Best thing ever for us. I found this in the straw shed a couple of days ago.

 

[tomg]

There used to be a gang of lads who used go ratting on farms around here, they would smoke the rats out to terrier's. If one ran past them they would think nothing about grabbing it by its tail and chuck it to the dogs. Apparently the adult rats aren't strong enough to reach back up and bite you but a young rat could. All the dogs were going mad around an old silage bale so one of the lads just put his arm in the bale and pulled the rat out!
On another weekend one of the gang couldn't make it so they caught a rat and put it in a bag and took to they took back to his house. They told him it was a new ferret!
If their smoke machine broke down they always had a brand new one by the following weekend, usually a Stihl saw!

 

[daveydiesel1]

There used to be a gang of lads who used go ratting on farms around here, they would smoke the rats out to terrier's. If one ran past them they would think nothing about grabbing it by its tail and chuck it to the dogs. Apparently the adult rats aren't strong enough to reach back up and bite you but a young rat could. All the dogs were going mad around an old silage bale so one of the lads just put his arm in the bale and pulled the rat out!
On another weekend one of the gang couldn't make it so they caught a rat and put it in a bag and took to they took back to his house. They told him it was a new ferret!
If their smoke machine broke down they always had a brand new one by the following weekend, usually a Stihl saw!

Wonder if theres any1 like that in co antrim

 

[robs1]

We were in Bournemouth just after xmas and were on a road above the temporary ice rink watching, the path below had at least a dozen rats running about, huge great things and no fear of the few people walking by

 

[milkloss]

I have 3 neutered cats in the yard, given to me by the cats protection league. They are just about feral. They have cleared the yard of just about all rodents. Red tractor inspector asked if I worm them and I promptly said if that he could get hold of them I would worm them. He shut up and did not put it as a non compliance!! I will do the same this year. I know when they have nearly cleared the place out because they eat more biscuit grub for a few weeks!!
WB

All good but they'll absolutely decimate the wild bird population. Thankfully the cats have mostly died off here now and glad to be seeing some ducklings on the pond again as well as more songbirds.

 

[topground]

In the early 60s we had laying hens on deep litter and slats, 1000 in each of three sheds. After clearing the old flock father would fill the troughs with rat poison. I can still picture walking into one of the sheds, clapping my hands and watching a wave of rats disappear over the back of the troughs. One time going into clear out one shed with a shovel and a wheelbarrow there was no sign of rats or mice. The reason became clear when a ferret appeared from a hole. My baby sister kept it as a pet, wearing it as a live stole and it lived in the airing cupboard! Child labour at 11.

 

[toquark]

All good but they'll absolutely decimate the wild bird population. Thankfully the cats have mostly died off here now and glad to be seeing some ducklings on the pond again as well as more songbirds.

That's always been my issue with feral cats. Ive recently been offered a couple of neutered ones to keep on top of the rats but there is a lot of collateral damage. Don't like using poison either given we've kids and dogs running about the bit so I've organised a pal with terriers and an old chainsaw in February so I'm looking forward to a bit of sport there.

 

[TheTallGuy]

Our last cat never showed much interest in birds, but was a great one for taking on rats & mice. She was only a small black & white, but was absolutely fearless - my favourite memory of her was seeing her appear out from under a neighbours bush... being dragged by the biggest rat I have ever seen! She stuck with it and the rat soon tired and met a rather gruesome end.

 

[Netherfield]

Do dogs talk to one another.

We'd a rat in a bird feeder, once it saw me it decided to make a run for it, pair of JRs also decided to make their move, some odd noises from the pair that I'd never really heard before, Casa went one way Tess

the other in a pincer movement, a bit of squealing and Tess came proudly out with a large but dead rat.

Tess the front one, Casa the one who's head you can't see. Pepper in the middle was almost blind at this point so not much use in this business anymore.

All gone now RIP.

 

[ollie989898]

I'm told the best thing to put down rat holes is a leaf blower. Not the exhaust: the business end and rev it up. Apparently rats hate it.

I'd have a gang of ferrets for ratting they can get anywhere a rat can and fudging evil things.

 

[holywell farmer]

Disease from rats is no joke people, in my time on sites I have had tool box talks about prevention by good house keeping and no food on site,