Rats and Broody Hens

[ChickenRisa]

I just had a broody hen hatch out four chicks (her firs time, mine too!) and now they are several days old and she has been taking them around the chicken yard. She's a very good mama and won't even let the other hens get near her chicks, so I don't really worry about their safety during the day. But she has been wanting to sleep on the floor of the regular roosting area at night with her chicks, and I worry because of how "stupid" chickens get at night that a rat might come and try to swipe her babies. We have some pretty large rats that like to raid the chicken house for food and live under our barn. I've been moving my hen and her chicks into a secure area every night, but it's a little bit of a pain. My question is: would a rat be successful in swiping a baby from under mama or is my worrying unnecessary? Should I continue to move mama or would I be okay to let her sleep on the floor?

 

[centrarchid]

Place an animal carrier with a little hay / straw in it very near where she takes brood for night. Leave door. Odds are she will call chicks into it for the night. When she goes in close door for night. Chicks and hen safe for night from predators. Open door next morning and do nothing until following night when closing door again.

 

[gander007]

I just had a broody hen hatch out four chicks (her firs time, mine too!) and now they are several days old and she has been taking them around the chicken yard. She's a very good mama and won't even let the other hens get near her chicks, so I don't really worry about their safety during the day. But she has been wanting to sleep on the floor of the regular roosting area at night with her chicks, and I worry because of how "stupid" chickens get at night that a rat might come and try to swipe her babies. We have some pretty large rats that like to raid the chicken house for food and live under our barn. I've been moving my hen and her chicks into a secure area every night, but it's a little bit of a pain. My question is: would a rat be successful in swiping a baby from under mama or is my worrying unnecessary? Should I continue to move mama or would I be okay to let her sleep on the floor?

Your worries are founded and it is worth the extra effort if you know rat's are in the area and I personally put a wire screen door in the nesting boxes that are removal and at night and after the chicks hatch the heavy screen door goes over the nesting boxes .......

 

[petrel]

I agree with the posts above, combined with a serious effort to eradicate the rats.

 

[centrarchid]

Rat abundance can be controlled by limiting their access to feed after dark.

 

[ChickenRisa]

Thanks for the tips! A pet carrier is genius, I don't know why I didn't think of that myself. I'm glad I followed my instincts and didn't allow the mama and babies to stay out at night.

I have already been taking the food away at night, but now the rat comes out during the day. He'll be running about in broad daylight while I am standing ten feet away in my garden. I'm still figuring out a non-poison way to kill rats that my kids, dogs, cats, and chickens can't get into.

Eventually I would like to build a rat-proof brooder box bit for now a pet carrier I think will work great.