Guidance on Rodent Management on Poultry Farms

The RSPCA Welfare Standards for Laying Hens (July 2025) has new specifications relating to pest management. This has been deemed necessary by the RSPCA to have a high level of humanness for all animals including the pests. If you work or are thinking of working in the poultry sector, please be aware that:

 

6.13 Trap points must:

a) Be monitored at least twice a day, ideally at dawn and dusk, and

b) Records of monitoring must be kept, including:

• 1. Levels of activity at each trap
  2. Any missing or disturbed traps
  3. The name of the person responsible for checking the traps

 

To comply with this standard the NPTA recognises that performing this task could be very labor intensive if the pest controller is not permanently on site. Therefore, when welfare checks are performed on the housed animals, a check of rodent traps should be completed, this should be done by a trained and competent person

A simple table can be created to meet the criteria:

Date	19.05.26	Time	05.30
Trap number	Trap present	Rodent caught	Checked by
1			ST
2			ST
3			ST
4			ST

 

There is also guidance on rodenticide use.

6.12 Bait points must:

a) Be monitored regularly, and

b) Records of monitoring must be kept, including:

• 1. Levels of activity at each bait point
  2. Any missing or disturbed bait
  3. The name of the person responsible for checking the bait points

 

There is also the additional specification relating to bait and traps remaining in place after treatment is complete

6.16 Once treatment is complete, all traps and traces of bait must be:

a. removed

b. disposed of/stored according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

In poultry production, there is likely a continual threat of rodents due to the high attraction to sites like this. Therefore, treatment is continuous and total rodent eradication is never achieved. However, if there is no record of any rodent activity for a considerable period, you will have to justify why your traps and bait remain in place and why a monitoring system that presents a lower risk to wildlife has not been introduced.

 

Furthermore, a new requirement states that a copy of the CRRU code of best practice is accessible on site, the most recent copy is advised to be kept to ensure that all working with rodenticides are meeting the requirements.

6.18 Managers must ensure that all stock-keepers:

a) have access to a copy of the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use UK Code of Best Practice: Best Practice and Guidance for Rodent Control and the Safe Use of Rodenticides

b) are familiar with its content

c) understand and apply its content.