Pandemonium in the coop

[Nanili]

This morning at 5am we awoke to our chickens squawking and flying into the roof. We ran outside, thinking our coop had been breached (we have reinforced it with hardware cloth with a buried skirt), but we went in and found nothing. Could rats cause our ladies to freak out like that? We have trapped some rats around and think they might still be getting in. We have 9 pretty large birds--3 americaunas, red star, australorp, brahma, barred rock, buff orpington, and a wyandotte. Can rats hurt a chicken?

 

[Chickens :)]

Hello! I usually get rats around my chook coop so I have to take the food out at night so it doesn’t temp the rats. The rats have never attacked my chickens only given them a fright but my girls seem to be quite used to the disruption of the rats. I don’t think that rats will attack your chooks because they are a lot smaller than a chicken and generally only look for food not trouble with chickens. My chickens, when they encounter mice tend to attack them and eat them but I have never seen them eat a rat. I would keep up with the traps and try taking the food out at night because even if it isn’t rats bugging your chickens, whatever it is is probably looking for food and by taking away their food source they won’t turn up.
I hope this helps

 

[cmom]

It can be a predator outside the coop. I have heard my birds early in the morning and sure enough my game camera out aimed at the coops will show usually a coyote out there.

 

[50-45-1]

The problem with rats in your coop is that if a rat can get in, so can a weasel.
A weasel can fit through a small hole.
They are a most efficent chicken killing machine.
They kill for fun, more than food.
The presence of rats might draw a weasel as they are his food also.
If you want to keep chickens, you must have a secure coop. I have learned this lesson the hard way.