Hi,
The best advice to give any city hall about a "chicken regulation" is that they should make it match their dog regulation (i.e., no running loose on the streets, distance from pen to boundary, don't let things stink, noise control, picking up or not leaving feed overnight, etc.)
This lets the police use one set of understandable rules for all animals.
That said, I kind of doubt that chicken feed alone caused the rat problem. If it did, rats would be equally attracted to bird feeders, or cat/dog food bowls left outside.
I do know that construction or remodeling can disrupt the wildlife, and then they look for other accommodations. I lived through the first part of the "Big Dig" in Boston, and people nearby were finding rats everywhere in their offices and homes. I also worked in an AT&T building that had several floors going through renovation, and our floor wasn't. We had a lot of rat traps around for a while, and that gradually solved the problem.
I have about 250 chickens on 3 acres, but they are concentrated in the middle. I have not had rats in the entire time I have been here, since 1997. I do have a few mice, but a well-designed cage lets the chickens take care of those by themselves, so the mice never overrun us. (I also probably have a few predators snacking on the mice when they can't get to the chickens, eggs, or feed.)
Hope this helps!
https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Chicken-Controversy-in-Chelmsford-497994501.html
Just saw this on the news. They are blaming the Rat issues to the Chickens ?!?!
WTH ? One guy is like yeah I had 10 rats and someone else had 20. Think maybe you have a Hoarder somewhere that might do this ? Weather? INDUSTRY ???!!!
Anyone else see this around here?
