Chickens ate a rat!

[FloridaSunnyDays]

So, the rats finally came. It only took a year but now they’re here so we got onto trapping them as soon as we realized they had moved in. We use the bulky plastic snap traps and they work great, but one of them somehow ended up inside the coop! The chickens ate the dead rat... so gross! My question is, would there be a need for tossing the eggs for a while? Could the rats give the chickens or their eggs an infection? And how do I completely eliminate these damn rats?!

 

[GunnyBun]

If you are not opposed to the idea or allergic, I would suggest a cat. We had a terrible rat and mouse problem until we got a cat. And if we go just a little while without one we will start to seeing mice and rats again. There is also poison options but I wouldn’t do that because of your like me you have other animals that don’t need to be poisoned(chickens, geese, dogs, etc.). I do believe that the chickens eating the rat will be ok, and your eggs ought to be ok as well. Chickens eat things like snakes, mice, and other little critters that venture into the coop(they even tried eating my cat one time)so it was totally normal for them to eat the rat and it should be totally normal for you to continue using the eggs.

 

[nuthatched]

I don't believe theres any disease that can transfer from something eaten to the egg....except poison, if you've been trying to poison them, them then I would toss the egg's. I would toss the egg's just because I'm squeamish.
There's a product called RatX, its completely safe around any animal except rodents, it works by not allowing a rodent to feel thirst, so they don't drink, their body shuts down from dehydration and they die in a coma.
I've used it and it very effective.
And like I said, it only works on rodents so you don't need to worry about secondary poisoning anything. I put it in a container that only the rats can get into, like a coffee can with a hole in the lid.

 

[Desertvalleychickens]

I don't believe theres any disease that can transfer from something eaten to the egg....except poison, if you've been trying to poison them, them then I would toss the egg's. I would toss the egg's just because I'm squeamish.
There's a product called RatX, its completely safe around any animal except rodents, it works by not allowing a rodent to feel thirst, so they don't drink, their body shuts down from dehydration and they die in a coma.
I've used it and it very effective.
And like I said, it only works on rodents so you don't need to worry about secondary poisoning anything. I put it in a container that only the rats can get into, like a coffee can with a hole in the lid.

Agreed.

 

[frostic]

My chickens eat rats, lizzards and even got a gofer once. LOL

 

[GunnyBun]

My chickens eat rats, lizzards and even got a gofer once. LOL

Oh wow! My chickens tried to kill the cat one time, and for the life of me I don’t know why on earth they were trying to do that he never did anything to them in fact most of my cats and chickens have gotten along so well that they would sleep together in the coop!

 

[HappyDuckie]

Wow! Mine have eaten snakes, bees, frogs, and toads, but I don't think they have eaten a rat!