egg laying stopped...could it be rats?

[Fortune]

My 5 girls were all giving me an egg a day after molting this yr, and then 3 of them got broody and won't come out or lay....now I'm down to one egg a day and 3 broody hens I have to kick out of the house during the day or they'd starve themselves. I have a rat/mouse issue getting worse and ordered a "ratinator" trap but still waiting for it to arrive. Could the rats coming by at night be why they aren't laying or do broody hens quit laying and what kind of help can I give them? They're all one yr old, healthy and seem fine other than that. 2 welsummers and one blue jersey giant are the broody ones and then my buff orpington and 2nd blue jersey giant are still laying but don't even want to go inside the house at night. They prefer perching in the coop which is completely enclosed but rats are getting in thru the wire. Ordered a Ratinator which hopefully will be here soon. Wondering if its stress from the rodents.

 

[sourland]

Broody hens quit laying, and once their broodiness 'breaks' they generally go several weeks before restarting. The rats should be eliminated, but I doubt they are having any impact on egg laying.

 

[aart]

Ordered a Ratinator which hopefully will be here soon.

I hope you have better luck than this guy did(and he's good):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ObcILAtE4

 

[Fortune]

I hope you have better luck than this guy did(and he's good):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6ObcILAtE4

I've caught 12 rats in the first two days! But this hasn't solved my laying problem. Maybe its lice or mites? I've heard Ivermectin drops work if anyone has used that for this. All but my buff orpington has quit laying so pretty sure this is it.

 

[Fortune]

Broody hens quit laying, and once their broodiness 'breaks' they generally go several weeks before restarting. The rats should be eliminated, but I doubt they are having any impact on egg laying.

turn out its lice/mites. Looking into treatment.

 

[Fortune]

turn out its lice/mites. Looking into treatment.

actually I think I have both problems at the same time.

 

[AmgkChicken]

turn out its lice/mites. Looking into treatment.

I am struggling with the same things. The rats are insane out here. Rent a coop feeders have helped but the chickens aren’t eating enough bc the holes are so small and a few don’t like eating from it. I also have found mites in one of my hens who looks like she has neurological issues now. Has anything helped for you?

 

[Anon112]

I am struggling with the same things. The rats are insane out here. Rent a coop feeders have helped but the chickens aren’t eating enough bc the holes are so small and a few don’t like eating from it. I also have found mites in one of my hens who looks like she has neurological issues now. Has anything helped for you?

Someone here will know the name of it, but there's a thing you order (it is like $40) that you dilute in water and then spray down the chickens and their coop. It worked wonders when my chickens had mites.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I also have found mites in one of my hens

Most common treatment would be permethrin (powder or liquid) or elector PSP.

 

[Henhouse Harlot]

Elector PSP!!! You will need to treat the hens and the coop multiple times if it's a bad infestation and strip out all the old bedding....and put bait boxes out for the rats. Good luck!