Rats stealing chicks?

[Nats Chickens]

I have a broody hen (and, unlike most people, I am doing the happy dance) and, I want to put fertile eggs under her...
We have a large colony of rats (also blue tongues and mice) living in our backyard. If Belle and the eggs/chicks are locked in guinea pig hutch inside the coop with bars that are 2.75cmx10.1cm (1.08inx3.97in) Will the rats be able to get in and kill the eggs/chicks? Will they be motivated to?
Please answer quickly, if I am going to get eggs, I will get them Friday!
@Butterscotchbitesfinger, @LoveMyChickenBabies, @ladybugchickenfarms, @PollyGirl21, @puffypoo, @HuffleClaw!

 

[Wezdin]

Rats can squeeze in incredibly small spaces, cant tell you for sure but they could probably get in there if they wanted to. On the other hand I'm not sure they would want to go through a broody hen to get an egg though. Sorry if I'm not much help, just spillin gmy brain Would it be at all possible to wrap it in small hardware cloth?

 

[Nats Chickens]

Rats can squeeze in incredibly small spaces, cant tell you for sure but they could probably get in there if they wanted to. On the other hand I'm not sure they would want to go through a broody hen to get an egg though. Sorry if I'm not much help, just spillin gmy brain Would it be at all possible to wrap it in small hardware cloth?

Maybe, would they go for live chicks?

 

[Wezdin]

Maybe, would they go for live chicks?

probably more so than the eggs

 

[Nats Chickens]

probably more so than the eggs

 

[cmom]

I honestly don't know. I have had seen a rat in a nest box when I had a coop infested with them. Probably getting the eggs. My brooder was in the barn which is directly behind the coop that was infested. The brooder has hardware cloth on it. Nothing has gotten through.

 

[50-45-1]

rats will definitely kill and eat your chicks.
and at night if your broody is ground level and rats are hungry enough, she can not see them in the dark and they may injure her also.
wrap your cage completely with 1/4 inch hardware cloth, also think about how you might wrap the hardware cloth around the coop, maybe keep them out all together.

 

[Nats Chickens]

The coop is a walk-in she’s lol! That would take a lot of wire mesh!

I tiled up the whole thing and put some bits of old BBQ on it too. The door is normally wide open, but I got her hopping mad when I cleaned it all out and changed the bedding and gave her her own private water bucket, so I threw her in and blocked it all up for her to calm down and relax back on the nest. I will probably leave her for about an hour.
Do you think it’s rat proof now?

 

[Nats Chickens]

I honestly don't know. I have had seen a rat in a nest box when I had a coop infested with them. Probably getting the eggs. My brooder was in the barn which is directly behind the coop that was infested. The brooder has hardware cloth on it. Nothing has gotten through.
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Those chickens are so cute!

 

[Lizzy733]

We had rats greedily staring into our run in broad daylight when we hatched chicks last month. Went on the offensive and have killed about 6 so far using a combination of auto-trapper and old-school snap traps baited with bacon grease.
If they are hungry enough, they will put the effort in. Get finer mouse-proof mesh and re-cover all the exposed spaces including exposed ground as they will resort to digging under and 'metal' is the only thing that deters them.
Do you know what may be drawing the rats in? Compost bin, accessible feed, water stations, convenient shelter?