270 PROGRESSIVE POULTRY CULTURE 



dying chick is then hidden under the brooder or in 

 any convenient place and the rat returns for his next 

 victim. Unless interrupted the slaughter may continue 

 until the brood of chicks is exterminated. To catch 

 a cunning old rat will sometimes tax the patience and 

 ingenuity of the shrewdest poultryman to the utter- 

 most. 



The most effective method of capturing these villian- 

 ous vermin is by means of steel traps or guillotine 

 traps. Several of these traps may be set in the runways 

 of the rats and looked at daily. Sometimes the traps 

 should be baited with bread, cheese, flesh or other food. 

 At other times the traps or some of them should be left 

 unbaited. They may be left sprung in the run ways 

 for several days and then set. They may be left un- 

 covered or have a few feathers or light chaff scattered 

 over them. Many rats can be caught if the trapper 

 will give his attention to the setting of the traps daily 

 and change his tactics frequently. 



The French wire traps will sometimes catch large 

 numbers of rats. Placing them where the rats have 

 passage ways, they are often very effective for a while. 

 Leaving a live rat in the trap sometimes helps to entice 

 others to enter. 



Poisoning by means of the rat killers sold on the 

 market or by using arsenic, phosphorus or strychnine 

 in bread or flesh may be practiced effectively in some 

 cases. 



Mixing flour with plaster paris, half and half, and 

 placing the mixture in a saucer, with a dish of water 

 near by, may tempt rats or mice to their death. If they 

 eat of this mixture and then drink water the plaster 

 solidifies within their digestive organs and prevents 

 their further depredations. 



A cask may be provided with a cover nicely balanced 

 at its top so that if a rat or mouse steps upon the cover 

 to get food he will be promptly toppled into water with 

 which the cask is partially filled. 



In using traps, poisons and other methods which are 



