Rodents and feed

[sloallie10]

My dads question:

Do rats, or mice (rodents) eat chicken food/feed?

 

[silkiechicken]

Oh yeah they do. The love it and it is the #1 attractant of rodents to a coop.

My hamster likes to eat some too if he can get his sticky paws on it... like when they escape and knaw holes in the feed bags in the house. I caught the little guy red handed!

 

[sloallie10]

and how can you prevent that? predator proof?

 

[silkiechicken]

Yep, metal cans to store the feed so nothing can chew into it.

 

[sloallie10]

and how can you make your coop pretador proof?

 

[Dr.Doorlock]

Quote:
There's a small question with a lot of big answers. I guess you just make sure a wild animal can't rip it apart. Any open areas for ventilation must be protected by 1/2 x 1/2 welded hardware cloth, stapled often. Windows should be Plexiglass or high-impact material - or even strong glass.

 

[sloallie10]

so your saying that if you have a predator proof coop you will have no rodents, or at leats no rodents in your coop??

 

[Dawn419]

Quote:
Not always the case, especially with rodents as they'll chew through wood.

We keep our feeders and waterers out in the covered sections of our runs as opposed to the coops (mainly for lack of room). I've noticed alot more dead mice in the main run as the chickens (most of them are almost 2 years old) are doing them in.

They are just killing the mice, not eating them, so I dispose of the bodies elswhere.

We used to keep sunflower seed for the song birds/wild birds in plastic garbage cans...until the squirrels decided to chew through the lids to get to the seeds.

We've used galvanized cans ever since and haven't had a problem.


Dawn

 

[sloallie10]

ok thanks

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I put feed up every night because when it is left out large rats show up. I take the time to check the chickens for mites/injuries etc at that time because they are calm.