Rats stealing chicks?

[Nats Chickens]

All of it. They can get at the food and other nest boxes, so now maybe they won’t bother with this one...
Can rats dig through brick?

 

[aart]

Maybe, would they go for live chicks?

Oh, Heck Yes!

 

[Nats Chickens]

Mum said no...Now I have to figure how to break her!

 

[aart]

Now I have to figure how to break her!

It's pretty easy with the right setup.
Good to have a set up, and be ready to use it.

If you don't want her to hatch out chicks, best to break her broodiness promptly.
My experience goes about like this: After her setting for 3 days and nights in the nest (or as soon as I know they are broody), I put her in a wire dog crate (24"L x 18"W x 21"H) with smaller wire on the bottom but no bedding, set up on a couple of 4x4's right in the coop or run with feed and water.

I used to let them out a couple times a day, but now just once a day in the evening(you don't have to) and she would go out into the run, drop a huge turd, race around running, take a vigorous dust bath then head back to the nest... at which point I put her back in the crate. Each time her outings would lengthen a bit, eating, drinking and scratching more and on the 3rd afternoon she stayed out of the nest and went to roost that evening...event over, back to normal tho she didn't lay for another week or two. Or take her out of crate daily very near roosting time(30-60 mins) if she goes to roost great, if she goes to nest put her back in crate.

Chunk of 2x4 for a 'roost' was added to crate floor after pic was taken.

 

[cmom]

I've used my brooder as a jail. I blocked off the nest area.

 

[Nats Chickens]

I don’t have anything to seperate her in.

 

[BarredRockMom]

I was glad to see that at least 1 person suggested trapping & killing the rats & mice!

That's just as important as predator-proofing your coop! If they're coming in for the food, make it a 1-way buffet!

 

[Ponte]

Poison the rats.

Last week I went to close the coop later than usual, saw one mouse in top of the aviary and three inside.
Made two boxes out of wire cloth and place rat poison bars in them.
No more rats !

 

[aart]

I don’t have anything to seperate her in.

Might be the perfect time to get something, eh?

Good to have a set up, and be ready to use it.

I got the crate pictured for $15 at the flea market.

 

[Nats Chickens]

Might be the perfect time to get something, eh?
I got the crate pictured for $15 at the flea market.

I am not allowed to get any more enclosures or anything.