Rats… *heavy sigh*

[Al Gerhart]

There is something missing in your post, age and weight of the chickens. Some types or ages might not be able to use a treadle feeder.

Go back and search for Howard E.'s posts on the three methods of rodent control. Rat Control 101 maybe? They are sanitation, exclusion, and elimination. Not going to type all the info, it has been posted ad nauseam already.

The solution is a treadle feeder but again, do your research very carefully and pay close attention to the negative reviews. The vast majority of treadle feeders are sold to folks wanting a chicken feeder without a rat problem. Almost any treadle feeder will work until you have rats.

Poison and traps using a professional pest control might work for a few days but either the rats wise up or they just refuse to fall for strange food left around or scary traps that pop up. Then there is the never ending expense. Then IF you cleaned them out, a new population will show up.

Say it with me boys and girls.....the rodents won't leave until you stop feeding them.

Closing the feed ports at night, assuming you have a bucket and elbow feeder, just means the rats eat during the day. Bucket feeders are great until you eventually attract rodents, then you are paying for a treadle feeder without having one.

 

[SemiSweet2391]

There is something missing in your post, age and weight of the chickens. Some types or ages might not be able to use a treadle feeder.

Go back and search for Howard E.'s posts on the three methods of rodent control. Rat Control 101 maybe? They are sanitation, exclusion, and elimination. Not going to type all the info, it has been posted ad nauseam already.

The solution is a treadle feeder but again, do your research very carefully and pay close attention to the negative reviews. The vast majority of treadle feeders are sold to folks wanting a chicken feeder without a rat problem. Almost any treadle feeder will work until you have rats.

Poison and traps using a professional pest control might work for a few days but either the rats wise up or they just refuse to fall for strange food left around or scary traps that pop up. Then there is the never ending expense. Then IF you cleaned them out, a new population will show up.

Say it with me boys and girls.....the rodents won't leave until you stop feeding them.

Closing the feed ports at night, assuming you have a bucket and elbow feeder, just means the rats eat during the day. Bucket feeders are great until you eventually attract rodents, then you are paying for a treadle feeder without having one.

Yeah, this is what I’ve gathered from some research/reading other posts here.

I have adult birds, no bantams, but hoping to hatch some chicks in a week or so (we are incubating eggs for the first time!). I understand that treadles don’t work for chicks/pullets. So I feel kind of stuck until they are grown in several months.

But once everyone is big enough, is a treadle really enough by itself to get rid of the rats, or do you recommend other methods in addition to the feeder? We are not in a position to make a rat proof run, unfortunately, so I’m looking at the feeder, poison from the store and/or exterminators as options.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Yeah, this is what I’ve gathered from some research/reading other posts here.

I have adult birds, no bantams, but hoping to hatch some chicks in a week or so (we are incubating eggs for the first time!). I understand that treadles don’t work for chicks/pullets. So I feel kind of stuck until they are grown in several months.

But once everyone is big enough, is a treadle really enough by itself to get rid of the rats, or do you recommend other methods in addition to the feeder? We are not in a position to make a rat proof run, unfortunately, so I’m looking at the feeder, poison from the store and/or exterminators as options.

Glad you know that about chicks and pullets, treadle feeders offer too many ways for them to kill themselves. Being that you already have rats, you might need to either just resign yourself to feeding them or tighten up part of your coop so it can exclude the rats until the hens are big enough to use a feeder. The right treadle feeder can be set from say one pound to over six pounds of pressure needed but the lighter the weight needed to open the door the less ratproof it is. Then there is reach, a true ratproof treadle feeder needs a narrow and distant treadle so an adult hen has to stretch out a bit to feed. That way IF the rats overwhelm the treadle by ganging up, the won't be able to reach the feed. On rare occasions a horde of rats might smother themselves if they overwhelm the feeder, very rare, in my experience only in commercial flocks with thousands of rats.


Yes, a treadle feeder is enough if you do your research very well. Not on Amazon, none of those will work with a rat infestation. You should though go back and read Howard E.'s posts. The treadle feeder is ONE leg of the stool, you need other sanitation like cleaning up the pathways to expose the rats while they move about, and put the bulk feed in metal barrels with tight fitting lids.

 

[SemiSweet2391]

Glad you know that about chicks and pullets, treadle feeders offer too many ways for them to kill themselves. Being that you already have rats, you might need to either just resign yourself to feeding them or tighten up part of your coop so it can exclude the rats until the hens are big enough to use a feeder. The right treadle feeder can be set from say one pound to over six pounds of pressure needed but the lighter the weight needed to open the door the less ratproof it is. Then there is reach, a true ratproof treadle feeder needs a narrow and distant treadle so an adult hen has to stretch out a bit to feed. That way IF the rats overwhelm the treadle by ganging up, the won't be able to reach the feed. On rare occasions a horde of rats might smother themselves if they overwhelm the feeder, very rare, in my experience only in commercial flocks with thousands of rats.


Yes, a treadle feeder is enough if you do your research very well. Not on Amazon, none of those will work with a rat infestation. You should though go back and read Howard E.'s posts. The treadle feeder is ONE leg of the stool, you need other sanitation like cleaning up the pathways to expose the rats while they move about, and put the bulk feed in metal barrels with tight fitting lids.

Great, thanks! At least there is hope. They creep me out.

 

[DLA]

This stuff works to get rid of rats without being a danger to other animals and people. I wouldn't leave it where the chickens can eat it but it might help get the population under control.

 

[SemiSweet2391]

This stuff works to get rid of rats without being a danger to other animals and people. I wouldn't leave it where the chickens can eat it but it might help get the population under control. View attachment 4117405

Ok, fantastic! Thank you!