Neighbor complained of rats

[BarkerB]

Why in the world would rats go into chicken coops? My neighbor (about a mile away) said last year he had rats in and under his chicken coops. It was the first time he had this and he's been farming for 30 plus years. What gives do you think?

 

[RichZ]

The rats are probably after the chicken feed. Rats will also eat eggs.

 

[Locksmith]

They're hungry. Buy some traps and suggest he or she do the same. Use some of the feed as bait, I'm sure that will attract them.

 

[Charli1]

Yuk! I would be afraid that they would get into the house. I would definitely set up traps too. I'm thinking you would have to be careful so the chickens don't get caught in them.

 

[BarkerB]

I just hope they don't migrate to my property. I don't want to deal with them. Do you think they will bite any chickens? I sure hope not. He did say that he put poison under the coops (not where any other animals can get to it).

 

[RichZ]

Be careful with this. If you put traps where the chickens can get to them, the chickens will be injured or even killed by the traps. If you use poison, if any dying rats or mice make it to where the chickens are, the chickens will probably eat them and they will be poisoned as well. Chickens love to eat mice and baby rats. I've always had barn cats to deal with my rodents. I introduce the cats to the chickens while they're still kittens. The cats learn not to bother the chickens and they take care of mice and rats. However, cats normally don't, and shouldn't eat mice and rats, so you have to give the cats food, water and and cozy place to sleep.

 

[Henderson]

I'm with RichZ about bait and poison not being worth the trouble. Then you have to worry about goats, dogs, children, chickens, and other critters getting into it. Plus, if that rat eats some poison and gets in your walls or shed somewhere, it will stink up a storm as it rots.

 

[just a guy]

use live traps for the rats and kill with a pellet gun, chickens will eat the mice and rats, poison will kill the chickens after eating the rats I agree. rats will kill old and young chickens. I have some neat ways of catching rats n mice alive.

 

[TammiT]

Definitely no poison for the reasons they said. The chickens could eat the rats and that would be bad! Let's just hope they don't migrate to your place. Try to keep the chicken feed in a container so the rats can't get into it.