Keeping Rats Out of the Feeder

[TaraontheCoast]

Hi All,

We have a very peacemeal, urban backyard set up. We have hardware cloth under our coop and when closed up, the coop is preador-proof. However, the door to the coop is open during the day so our two hens can come and go between the coop for food, water and laying, and outside in their run. The run is just a simple plastic fencing in our yard, nothing underneath it or on top.

Short of enclosing everything top to bottom, is there a way to keep rats out of the chicken's feed? I am literally watching them run in and out of the coop gleefully all day. :/ In addition to it being disgusting, I don't want to pay to feed the local rat population.

 

[HuskerHens18]

What kind of feeder do you have? Hanging feeders might work, I'm not sure how high rats can reach.
I let my cats in the coop, they smell the rodents and lie in wait until they catch one.

 

[TaraontheCoast]

It is a hanging feeder but this little stinkers can stand up on their little legs and reach the food. They aren't playing or getting into it with their whole bodies, just tippy toes to grab some food and run. A cat is actually a brilliant idea. We can't have one indoors because my partner has terrible allergies but I know there are organizations who adopt our feral/semi-feral cats who just need food, water and a "home base."

 

[HuskerHens18]

It is a hanging feeder but this little stinkers can stand up on their little legs and reach the food. They aren't playing or getting into it with their whole bodies, just tippy toes to grab some food and run. A cat is actually a brilliant idea. We can't have one indoors because my partner has terrible allergies but I know there are organizations who adopt our feral/semi-feral cats who just need food, water and a "home base."

Rats can be so frustrating! Darn little punks.
My cats and chickens get along great, plus my cats love the coops and often times curl up and sleep in the nesting boxes The presence of cats would definitely cut down the rat population. I see a rat maybe once a year. Last year the only time I saw one was when my kitten drug it up to the front door to show me how proud she was of her first catch.
I have 1 Feral cat and 2 hand raised farm cats, the feral has called this "home base" for about 8-9 years. I caught her, got her spayed, and she has thrived perfectly. You would think she was still just a year or 2 old, she hasn't aged a day!

 

[Howard E]

In the short run, if your coop is truely rat proof, just shut the door on the coop to keep the rats out......if they are denied all food,they will soon move on. If not rat proof, won't help.....rats will find a way in.

As to your original question, there are rat proof treadle feeders that work well, but not sure you could justify the expense for only 2 birds? That would be for you to decide?

http://ratproofchickenfeeder.net/

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Rats are a big problem! I've tried multiple methods but they are sneaky little things. Other than sending the dog on them, we can't trap the rats here. They will rip the glue traps away and they're roof rats so they are too big for mouse snap traps. I have yet to catch any with the peanut butter bucket method. Poison is too risky around your flock and other animals. My only suggestion is do your best to contain loose feed- they'll climb to get into stuff also

 

[cmom]

If you are seeing rats then you have more than you know. If you have a camera see how many are roaming at night. They can squeeze through the smallest spaces. I had a problem a few years ago but I had a severe infestation but I also have a lot of birds. I would try some traps. You can put the traps in a small wire cage where the rats can get to the bait but not other critters. I used poison which was my personal choice because I had dozens of rats of all sizes that had built nests in one of my coops that I have since renovated and solved that problem. I bought some rat bait boxes and put the rat baits in the bait boxes. Now I have the bait boxes inside small wire cages that the rats can get into and then into the bait boxes. I did not find dead rats laying around. There were tunnels around the infested coop. I think the rats went into the tunnels and died. There is a little window above the baits in the rat bait boxes so I can check them often. I would try the traps first.

 

[Terri Flaxman]

We bought a tredle feeder and have not had a problem since. The chooks learn to use it pretty quickly and when you get new ones they learn from the old ones. Saved us lots on feed. They are expensive here but have had ours for at least 8+ years and except for some W40 every now and then on hinge no maintenance has been needed. A few years ago we did some renovations where the chook wire needed replacing. upon digging outside the coop to attach the wire we dug up a GIANT rat which ran away and there were 17 babies in the hole. They must have been living underground. We also keep bait in bait boxes that only the rats/mice can get into and this seems to have solved our problem. The bait goes down from time to time - usually beginning of spring and autumn. I have heard it said from old timers that if you see one rat you have many more and if they come out in the day time you have an infestation. Chooks don't eat at night so as long as you get their feed to them in the mornings they are fine. Good luck.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Only one way to defeat rats and mice, remove the chicken feed and force them to go elsewhere. I used a hanging feeder when I started raising chickens, you could walk up to the coop during the day and open the door and find the feeder swinging like mad from all the rats that had jumped off and fled for their holes. Treadle feeder, properly installed, properly made, will solve the problem.