<p style="text-align: center;"><em>A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara</em></p>
Over the years, we have had issues with unwelcome animals on Miller Farm – mainly stray cats, rats and possums. We are animal friendly but draw the line at cats and rats and possums.  All three have a tendency to harm chickens.

<a href="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/hole-in-yard.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-6746" src="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/hole-in-yard-300x262.jpg" alt="hole in yard" /></a>When we discovered holes in the back yard, we figured there was another unwelcome guest.

Rachel did some research and concluded that there were Norway rats digging holes in the back yard.  This conclusion was based in part on the attack of one or the chicks in the brooder in the garage and in part on the rat sightings in the garage.

She put rat poison in all the holes and we carefully scanned the yard for dead rats each morning before letting the dogs out.  We saw no more rats and the chicks in the brooder seemed safe so we figured the problem was solved.

The exterminator came out last week and I asked him about Norway rats.  He said they are not usually found in this area but more in coastal regions. He said the more likely culprit is…….wait for it……<strong>frogs</strong>.

I had no idea that frogs were burrowers. It was somewhat of a relief to think of frogs in the back yard rather than rats.

In fact, I was much less disturbed by the frog in the garage last night than I had been by the rats last month.

The dogs are most interested in the holes.  It is a well-known fact that dachshunds are indeed burrowers.<a href="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Tucker-digging.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6747" src="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/Tucker-digging-169x300.jpg" alt="Tucker digging" /></a><a href="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/dog-digging.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-6748" src="http://judythewriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/dog-digging-250x300.jpg" alt="dog digging" /></a>

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I feel a little better about the dogs burrowing for frogs than for rats.