Rats? A Cat? Something Else? What killed my chickens?

[McChooky]

My run was built (with lots of help from my family) about 8 years ago, when I was very much a chicken newbie. I've learned a lot since then, and there are a lot of initial design mistakes that need to be fixed. Current project is getting everything secured with washers and screws. I know this will have some people clutching their pearls (and I get it!), but there are even some sections that were done with chicken wire instead of hardware cloth. I'm piece by piece taking out the chicken wire and replacing with hardware cloth. But you know, $$$$. I'm replacing from low to high, figuring that critters are more likely to try to get in at ground level.

My big project for this summer is digging around the run to put in a new apron.

I didn't have anyone helping me attach my wire so I used a staple gun and zip ties to get it up then went back over it with heavy duty fence staples.I keep a 25 watt light on at night to deter predators.I got lucky when I bought my hw cloth.Lowes had a close out sale so I was able to save a lot of money by buying it there.The only problem was it only came in 2 ft wide rolls

 

[BDutch]

I did have chicks and so I had some feed out and unguarded. I think that the treadle feeders really cut down the rat population, but then they had a little boom with the access to the feed for the chicks. Two weeks ago the chicks finally got old enough to work the treadles, so no more open buffet.

I'm hoping that the combination of winter and no open feed/only treadle feeders will drive off the last of them. I do realize that any time I go back to having feed available in the run it will pull them in again, but I'm hoping not to do chicks for a while at this point after so many this summer.

Sorry for your losses.

The rats are probably very hungry bc they no longer have access to food.
A hungry rat can take a sleeping/resting chicken down at night to eat from her.

The injuries are not what I would expect from a member of the weasel family.

A new rat-proof coop to roost in, is probably the best solution for now.

A cat that hunts baby rats and traedle feeders are a good solution to prevent that you get more rats. And make sure no spilled feed is left after roost time.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Rats cannot survive without a source of food and it is always from humans. Clean up the food and the rats cannot hang around. In the wild, rodents always have territories and small ones at that, which they have to defend. Just not enough food for a rat colony in most situations.

 

[McChooky]

A rat just has to bite a chicken. Once they draw blood the flock will attack its own and kill them.The rats will eat the dead