Rats!!

[tjroth]

I had three nice bantam pullets killed by rats in my coop overnight!!! I hope you never have this happen to any of your birds, ever.
That's why it's a continuous effort to keep rodents out, because they are so successful, and do live almost everywhere.
I guess I wasn't clear enough; poison has a necessary use at times, in addition to everything else that helps keep rodents out of our homes, barns, and other outbuildings.
Some spilled feed is going to be present somewhere, and unless your birds are always confined, so there's never an open door, sometimes rodents will find a way inside.
Mary

They are very common here. For years we never saw any or had any problems. It has just been in the last 3-4 years that they have become an issue in my neighborhood. Too many neighbors have too much crap just laying around. We really try to avoid the poison route because I would hate for the songbirds, hawk or owl eat something they shouldn't.

 

[tjroth]

But...poisoned rats can and do go a distance before dying. Pets or the neighbor's pets, or hawks or other things can and do eat them and then die a slow, painful death.

That's my fear with poison. We have traps and just go the gummy bear and peanut butter route. Or the husband and the BB gun....ha ha ha....

 

[Eggscaping]

Rats are the most disgusting creatures to ever crawl the earth, except maybe naked mole rats. I just really hate rodents

And I completely understand how you feel. I do! ...but...please let me put in a word for PET rats. Yes, I understand the difference. If a rat shows up in our yard, it has to die. They are fleas-with-disease carriers, cause fires if they chew wires and so on. I get it. I really do.
BUT - when we raised a small number of pet rats, some Dumbo (ears set low on the head, giving them a cute, dopey expression) some hairless (soft and very warm like a tiny hot-water bottle) they were a delight. Funny, very affectionate, gentle, and enjoyable. They learn their names, come when you have a treat, and like to be snuggled. Kind of like chickens in that respect, I guess.
The funniest thing they did was, when young male pups had to be taken from the female cage and put in with the big males, we were at first fearful that those big guys would attack or hurt them. But what happened was, when they played, the males would let the babies 'roll' them over where they'd lay there on their backs squeaking and making vague motions with their paws, like "Oh no...you have completely overcome me. Please don't kill me!" It was hysterical to watch them.
The females were always bustling around, "places to go and things to do", but the males would lie in their little hammocks and look out like "hey bro...got a beer?"
I just had to write this, to put in a good word for tame rats. Not all are evil.

 

[Folly's place]

I like domestic rats too, they are the best 'pocket pets' of all. The hooded rats are especially handsome, IMO. It's too bad that people get other rodent pets (like hamsters!) instead.
Mary

 

[Eggscaping]

"]I like domestic rats too, they are the best 'pocket pets' of all. The hooded rats are especially handsome, IMO. It's too bad that people get other rodent pets (like hamsters!) instead."
Well, one thing about hamsters...there has probably never been a case of a hamster killing a chicken.
But I agree. They are lovely pets!