I just went to lock up the chickens and i saw a RAT. It's not the first time we've had rats around, but it's the first time I've had chickens AND rats.
Made a call to the exterminator. Hopefully he can get over here and start on this issue tomorrow. They are smallish roof rats and I didn't see anything in the shed that was indicative of harm or disruption to the chickens. The chickens are in a pen inside of a shed, but it's a chicken wire pen, not hardware cloth. Time to get working on something better, I think. I'm going to sleep fitfully tonight. I'm afraid of rats, and now I"m going to just be afraid to go out back, in general. ugh. ugh! ugh!!! I left the light on in the shed and I think if anything disturbed them, they will make a lot of noise and scare off the rodent. they usually wake right up when i go out and check on them at night. I've read too many horror stories. I"m worried the rats will chew their faces off.
Made a call to the exterminator. Hopefully he can get over here and start on this issue tomorrow. They are smallish roof rats and I didn't see anything in the shed that was indicative of harm or disruption to the chickens. The chickens are in a pen inside of a shed, but it's a chicken wire pen, not hardware cloth. Time to get working on something better, I think. I'm going to sleep fitfully tonight. I'm afraid of rats, and now I"m going to just be afraid to go out back, in general. ugh. ugh! ugh!!! I left the light on in the shed and I think if anything disturbed them, they will make a lot of noise and scare off the rodent. they usually wake right up when i go out and check on them at night. I've read too many horror stories. I"m worried the rats will chew their faces off.
