New to the site.

[chickenpooplady]

from Highland County Ohio!!!

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi and welcome to BYC from northern Michigan

 

[CayugaLover]

!!!!

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard.

 

[liz9910]

from California! Ask away....

 

[RustysProvider]

Haha wow! I had opened this thread and didn't know how to read the replies. I finally figured it out though. I'm glad to have so many helping chicken enthusiasts. I'm also from Ohio though. I have bantams and also I help tend to our main laying flock. We need serious help in our main hen house. We have 85-90 hens. The other day we got eleven eggs... We have rat problems. Traps are not cutting it. We need to kill them all off. They are stealing feed and mauled one of my peeps. I'm also wondering if they could be the reason for low egg production. Thanks to everyone for the warm welcomes!

 

[brahmakid11]

 

[jbirds2012]

ask away

 

[RustysProvider]

Will rats cause low egg production?

 

[griffinkid02]

Will rats cause low egg production?

Just by virtue of being there? They shouldn't. BUT. They will eat the chicken feed, oh BOY will they eat chicken feed, lol. Also, they will steal and eat eggs, kill and eat chicks, and occasionally the really arrogant ones will go after an adult bird while it's asleep. So, if you have wild rats making a home in or near your coop, they aren't good., and could explain a drop in egg production if they are stealing them. But just having them around shouldn't cause your hens to automatically stop laying.