What is a day off? I Don't Know because I;m a Farmer!

Being a farmer though rewarding can be extremely difficult. Day in Day out you are responsible for the success and failure of your farm and its output.

The work never stops as you cant control every variable and hurdles just pop up especially when unexpected.

I currently have a fresh batch of broilers who are now about 4 days old. Here in Barbados we have been having scorching heat on top of our already steady 32 degree weather, thus keeping these little ones cool is a challenge unto itself but my main hurdle has been the RATS! yes I said it! RATS!

I figured I got this down as I sealed all the visible wholes and entries to the chicken pen, patrolled the pen at all hours which meant little to no sleep and ensured that my feed was stored adequatley. Well apartly not! as I woke up this morning to 83!!!! yes 83 dead chicks.

This rat bites through the wire in my pen it seems and proceeded to massacre and pile the birds . Clearly this wasnt a kill for food but a kill for the thrill. I was so heart broken to see this calamity when I arose at 5.30 am this morning.

Every chicken farmer knows that raising chickens comes with a rat issue as they are attracted to the feed and chicks them selves and you do your best to prevent as much damages as possible but sometimes mother nature out smarts you.

I am currently employing these methods to keep the rats away and protect my remaining chicks

• blocked all holes (even the smallest hole in case they have flexi bones and squeeze through)
  -Spray my beams and brooding partitions with citronella and peppermint oil ( as i heard rats hate these smells)
  -Set rat poison with some bay leaf ( read also that bay leaf when eaten can kill the rats)

I pray these things work. Needless to say it has been a stressful and worrisome batch thus far!