Dear Parrots magazine,
Beware the rat
In have been keeping small parakeets and finches for over 15 years and have never experienced any problems with rodents, that is, until now.
I keep my aviaries clean and tidy and all my birds are fed inside the housing so there is hardly any food residue in the flights. I had noticed some ‘chewed up’ seed husks and other unfamiliar bits and pieces, so was puzzled as to what was going on.
But then early one morning I was horrified to see a rat in one of the flights and could not understand how it got in. My flights have concrete floors with the side panels screwed down into them. How on earth did this rat get in, I asked myself? But on further inspection of the house, I found that a hole had been chewed underneath the back section, which was not easy to see. So the rat was getting in through this hole and climbing up inside and out into the flight. I have now modified the house so I can see easily if this happens again. I did catch the rat after a few days in a humane trap and it was dispatched humanely, so hope I have now dealt with this alarming problem.
Eric King - by email