Neighbors have a rat problem

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busymama9

In the Brooder
Oct 31, 2017
20
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They chewed some pipes and flooded their kitchen. A big problem. Exterminator possibly blamed the chickens that 2 of the bordering houses have (myself included) but the other chicken family says they wouldn't have caused them but that they of course will eat the feed. Mine have only been outdoors for 4 weeks and I was feeding them with a bucket with holes sitting in a round drip pan thing. They had made quite a mess around it and I wasn't sure what to do about that but on suggestion I removed their feeder today so they would eat the feed off the ground and they are. I also give them scratch daily which they eat but not every single little piece. There is still some scattered around.

Short of getting rid of them, what else can I do to avoid feeding the rats and keeping the peace in the neighborhood? They are in a completely enclosed coop/run all the time but it is not rat proof. I'm not sure if I can make the run rat proof as it is chicken wire around. They are inside our fully enclosed block wall yard as well so they are safe from predators but I am not sure if I can do anything about rats being able to get in the run.

I may move to only scattering feed daily and not having a feeder but wouldn't they still come for the left bits on the ground? Do I need to remove water daily as well? I have a pool nearby as well as most of the neighbors so I'm trying to figure out if the water is much of a draw for them. Maybe they are too smart to drink pool water?

Please be gentle. It's been a very rough 24 hrs since I was cornered by another neighbor and I don't know what to do. Thanks.

ETA: I have only had mine since October but the neighbors have had theirs for 15 years. The rats are a fairly new problem in our area I think and plenty of homes in areas that don't allow livestock are being infested to. I don't know if my chickens are to blame or not for this specific instance.
 
Don't use crumble. Use pellets or mash--there's less waste. Alternatively, feed fermented that they can't scratch out (EDT: of a pan). In the case of mash, supply a water bucket next to it for them. Don't throw feed. You'll have even more waste than you already do.

Try feeding twice a day, with as much feed as they'll eat in fifteen or twenty minutes, and then completely empty the pans and store the food in a metal bin until next feeding time.

I use tall, rubber pans with a few inches of clearance above the feed. Even if the chickens get in to play with it, they're unable to toss the feed high enough to clear the sides. There's a water bucket (rubber pan, in this weather) next to it so they can clear their throats.

I personally would look into rat traps. Cats are a great option. Many kittens do need to be taught to hunt, either by you or by and older cat. Live traps are good because you won't kill what you don't want to kill, but then you have to decide what to do with the live rat. (and once, the live litter of thirteen a rat had while waiting for me to empty the trap. Not an experience I enjoyed.) Snap traps--in a safe, chicken-inaccessible place--are my trap of choice, but I also find that a feed barrel with a method of access and no method of egress is the best, safest trap I have.

You shouldn't have to empty the water.
 
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You may want to cut down on the amount of scratch you're feeding. A couple of tablespoons per bird, and they should be cleaning it up. If your situation permits, pick up the feed at night and/or only feed them
enough for the day. Pellets will sometimes cause less spillage since they aren't picking through feed for their favorite bits. Trap the little suckers too! Good luck, rats are nasty!
 
Thank you. Our outdoor cat did just die as well as one of the neighbors cat got hit by a car but we have lots of (fixed and released) feral cats.

I am not wanting to commit to feeding them 2x a day. There are days we are gone all day and I just can't see that being a good long term solution. Two local friends told me they do the scatter thing so I thought that would be good. But I will try the one pan of feed in the am and clear it away at night. That should be doable. And less scratch. I am only giving 1-2 handfuls (6 10 week olds) but I will cut back until I see them eating all of it. It seems like they eat it best when there is more of it but once there is only small amounts spread thinly they can't see it as well or something. I am new to this so I'm not sure.

I can get metal containers for the feed. Right now it is in 6 gallon heavy plastic buckets but I'm reading that they might be able to chew through that.

We will have the exterminator check and possibly treat our property. I can't see any signs (droppings etc) but we need to be cautious and make sure.

I tried fermenting their food a few weeks ago and they wouldn't touch it. Even when I removed their other food. I can switch to pellets when this is gone though. I am so worried I'm going to have to get rid of them and it makes me so sad.
 
They will, but they aren't going to keep coming back if its just a few crumbs. Leaving the whole feeder out every night is basically giving them access to a Las Vegas buffet table. They are not typically attracted to hay if there are better things to eat. You neighbor likely has an issue because the rats have found a way inside their house. It's their fault for not maintaining their home to keep rats out.
 

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