Yes, but it’s like plain fat for them.I think they are trying to find a way to cut cost. Chicken feed can get expensive. They could technically live off of that. Have you ever been to a duck pond all those ducks get is bread and what ever they can find. They said they also have a river im guessing there are fish in there. It is best tho to supplement with a protein or a feed with higher protein especially in the winter.
I was not implying that they were fort knox, by any means
to use your examples, a child that is not old enough to know what the poison looks like should be being monitored anyway. I grew up in an old house with mice and rats. I knew not to eat the bait blocks in the basement, but I also wasn't allowed down there unsupervised either. As for the dog, my dog has gotten the (mouse) bait blocks(this was before we got the containers) twice. The vet told us not to be worried and how to treat it. Very simple. He's fine. Check the containers and don't put them where dogs/cats/birds can get to them, as someone else has said. As for steel traps nor hurting anyone, a chicken can get caught in mouse trap, and could lose a leg from a rat trap. Trust me. I got a broken knuckle and permanent nerve damage from a rat trap that wasn't even fully set. A dog or a cat could suffer the same. That is why I prefer bait blocks in a container set where nothing but rodents could get it. Put it in the window sill of your chicken house or wherever you keep your feed and keep the animals out. But this is only my experiences and everyone is entitled to do as they please. 
Also depending on the type of poison brand, it has different level of toxicity. Some kinds can kill a mouse but be fine for anything larger. http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/rodenticide-toxicityThey make sticky traps of the exact same design.. You toss these out as you do the poison ones.. I grew up with Decon 'oatmeal in a box' in the crawlspace.. Tempting even for a child. Had a pet hamster escape and lived a full thirty days on that stuff to no ill effect.. Rats build a tolerance to poisons.. So all your efforts may be in vain.. May be why you are overrun.. Two summers ago I went on a crusade to rid my world of vermin.. 5 gallon bucket and a rat trap over holes.. 99 vermin of variety, from shrew too to something I could not identify, it was of good size and had no tail. Had a mouser who played with chipmunks, to digging moles and stalking deer. Was always going after squirrel, they were as big as she. She even got curious and some how got into the coop. They dang near killed her.. Poison gets into the food chain and harms pets, livestock too children. It only takes one time, vigilance or incompetence. You can't take it back.I was not implying that they were fort knox, by any means
We don't use sticky traps. We use poison in the house in places no big animals or kids can get into. We have used rat traps outside before but I don't anymore because our neighbor's pets got into them. And I think you misunderstood, we are not overrun by vermin at all. In fact, we don't have any (as far as I know). But we both have different methods that lead to the same end-- killing vermin and possibly harming other animals in the process. I don't find it a big enough deal to keep arguing about as I was originally just giving a suggestion to another poster and this topic has nothing to do with the op. Have a good day!
