Rats!

[thepopela]

Hi all,

I have raised my feeder 12" off the floor and its hanging from the rafter in the run, but i have seen a rat this morning eatting scraps from underneth it

i would like to know what rats will do to my chickens?
Will the rats transmit disease to the chooks / attack them?

I dont really want to poison the rats as i think that is probably the most painfull way to kill any animal (rat or not). Any advice?

Cheers!

[RichmondHens]

If they are so bold as to be out in broad daylight then you have probably a good few rats about. If you don't wish to poison then your best bet is to shoot them or trap them. As they are sitting under the feeder then you should be able to pot a few if you are a good shot. Set traps round and about the place, but obviously not where chickens or other animals can get in them.

Remember to always take in feed at night and if your chickens are spilling a lot of feed during the day, remove the feeder at lunchtime and let them clear up any spillages over the afternoon.

Rats may attack a chicken, but more likely small chicks/growers rather than an adult. However they will steal eggs given the chance so collect eggs as promptly as possible after they have been laid.

[Mrs T]

RATS!!! you have my sympathy... we had them earlier in the year... I rang the council and they sent someone out free of charge to put a trap down and come back and monitor it...
I felt a bit rotten - the trap attracts them, they eat the poison, then they go away and die within a few hours (apparently) but it did freak me a bit... not sure they'll really do much harm to chickens, and they're everywhere!!! We live between a stables and a stream so there's definitely more of them than there are of us (chickens included!!) but read around and they said, if you actually see one it means there's a problem and you need to get help - not to kill them ALL off, just to manage the population...
Local council were very helpful and in the end we had a trap down for three months and never did see any sign again, so possible that they will pass through...
Best of luck!!!

[Flummery]

We are having success with a trap - a neck-breaker, obtainable from farm suppliers. Mr F feeds the wild birds and that is what's attracting them - they can't get into the chicken run or at the chickens' feed. In a farming area, we are aware that the stables at the paddock behind the house has them and the farm a few paces along the road has too. Inevitable that we would get them. Not nice, but mercifully quick compared to poison.

[motherhen]

Hi Thepopela, rats bring disease and it's best to control them as much as possible, yes most local councils are very good. You mention the dreaded scraps this only encourages them as it's a food source and the chickens are eating scraps that the rats are climbing and defecating over
I would minimise scraps or not feed them at all, if you put a large tray beneath your feeder it will catch the waste and this can be removed or if clean returned to the feeder. I would not encourage them to eat off the ground if it's wet and the feed is mouldy then this can cause respiratory and digestive problems.
You say you hang your feeder about chicken head height this will help, also some feeders are better than others at minimising spillage.
Is there any way that you can keep the rats out of the run or enclosure.

[thepopela]

hmmm, didnt think about them defecating on the food oh well looks like i will have to dust off the 'ol .77 and spend an hour or so camped in the garden poping them off!

if that dont work i think i will see if i can get one of them traps.

you dirty rats!