219 Rats! Ratting chaos from start to end PART 2

Team on the day was as folllows:

Pippa - Border Terrier
Fen - Norfolk Terrier
Misty - Beddy whippet
Polly - Lakeland Terrier
Cooper - Norfolk type Terrier
Albert - Norfolk type
Willow - Spaniel
Rosie - Spaniel

Before the first sunrise of 2023 the pack had assembled, although some had bleary eyes everyone was rearing to get to work.
We received a call from a farmer telling us he needed to clear some bales that he knew were full of rats. He was about to poison them, however he was delighted we could attend at short notice. Therefore; instead of the rats dying a slow and painful death with poisons entering the ecosystem via bioaccumulation and killing other animals, our dogs would have a go at quickly thinning the infestation down.
The bales were originally laid out for bedding for the livestock, however before it could be used the rats urine rendered it unsafe to use for the livestock and it was due to be destroyed.
As we put our boots on the dogs were on it from the off, marking a large pile of loose straw that had been separated from the other bales. Digging with spades in loose straw is not much fun, it's even harder if the straw has begun to degrade with rat urine. Luckily the farmer was keen to get the tractor out and move it slowly with that. He used little movements under our instructions and with every jolt of the tractor more rats bolted out to the waiting dogs. This was not the plan or the area we were supposed to be clearing, but they kept coming so we could not stop!
After a crazy first hour we gave the dogs a drink and we counted up nearly 100 caught. The next job was ‘the main event’ - the reason we had been called. On the way over every bale we walked past was marked by the dogs and the farmer obliged by lifting it. Rats bolting from everywhere!
The pile of bales that he wanted us to clear had nearly fallen over due to the rat runs, urine and general damage they had done to them, it was clearly very busy! As normal when clearing bales the first one or two are busy, the remaining rats then work out what is happening and they move away from the noise of the dogs and all head to the final bale. Today there were simply too many and we found rats under each bale - we knew there was going to be a massive amount under the last bale!!
With every rat caught it was a financial saving for the farmer. Not only is it another mouth he does not have to feed or another rat that will damage the buildings. He has also saved money on the poison that he would have otherwise had to put down.