Rat Breeding for Feed?

[Barefoothappy]

Does anyone here know anything about breeding rats for feeding their chickens? Have you found it worth your time and the cost? Just looking for alternative ways to feed our chickens organically and less expensive. Thanks!

 

[MACCanadianCoop]

I presume you are talking about feeding pinkies to the chickens?
I'm not sure it would be any cheaper or less hassle than other feeding methods. Domestic rats can actually be more work than people realize. And if organic is your goal, you would need organic rat food, which isn't going to be inexpensive either. Probably better off going the route of insect larvae.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

As others have said, it's likely doable but not particularly economical.

I would think raising mealworms or BSL would be cheaper/easier, or maybe raising fish.

Alternately, if you live someplace with easy fishing, especially for invasive species, you could "harvest" a lot of protein while enjoying a hobby.

If you like fishing, that is...I always say that there's a fine line between "fishing" and "standing next to a body of water like an idiot" and I often find myself on the wrong side of the line.

 

[FishaRneKed]

you can definitely gut just about any animal then pressure cook it and feed it to chickens or other omnivorous birds.

i do this with opossum whenever they come in to raid my yard.

i have bred rats before, but what are you going to feed your rats??? now you are talking about buying feed, when you could just have bought chicken feed

have you thought about breeding insects for your chickens?

look up BLACK SOLDIER FLY trap made from a bucket. it's easy and almost no maintenance.

meal worms is another good one. you buy a meal worm starter colony and let them breed/grow in a container.

these insects thrive on vegetable scraps and you can use grass clippings/dirt/sand, whatever is free as their substrate

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Same here I didnt know people fed chickens rats fo there main course

I'm sure they don't usually....but the OP is asking for opinions on doing so.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I am definitely interested in responses

Same, that's why I'm following but let's stop hijacking the thread now. Sorry OP

 

[Bigtom Turkey]

I briefly looked into feeder mice. And from what I read I could work. Rats I always thought would be too big. But they could work too.

 

[affacat]

Sounds like rat propaganda to me!

'Leave out lots of extra feed around chicken run. This will keep your chickens happy and actually decrease your feed costs' - Squeak Ratterson

Honest answer? I'd go with maggot farming first. Did that last year and it was actually fun (we never did get our black soldier fly farm going (the goal) but we made enough housefly maggots to keep the chickens in heavy amounts of treats)

 

[Chickengirl2671]

I breed rats for my snakes and had never thought of feeding the pinkies/fuzzies to the chickens, they love it when I find a wild rat nest in the house. I guess I could do that with all the extra males...

 

[Dandichook]

I used to breed rats for my snakes. I just checked the feed price for the type of food I used--at $35 for a 50 lb bag, I don't see how breeding rats as chicken feed would at all be economical.

Not to mention housing. I used to have two large tower cages along with about 3 smaller cages for maternity wards and holding cages. You could also build a breeding rack for them if you want, but either way housing can be expensive/requires a bit of space. Plus bedding (although if you potty train them to a litter box the bedding lasts a lot longer), and your time for management and cleaning... Unless you just really want to raise and breed rats as a hobby (in which case they make great and very rewarding pets!), I wouldn't recommend it solely as animal feed for an animal that can get it's protein some other way.

As others have said, maybe insects?