What age can feeding be scheduled instead of free? (rat problem)

[Jastorm]

I've got a little flock of five Red Production Layers, just over 3 months old. They have always had food available at all times. I've been keeping it in the coop so rats don't get at it. The hens are free to go in and out all day long. However, I have discovered that rats are indeed finding their way into the feed during the day. They brazenly march right up the ramp in broad daylight, ignoring the hens who have accepted their presence. If we were allowed to have a rooster, I would get one!
It is a losing battle to get the run completely rat proof, however when the coop is locked up at night, the rats cannot get in.
I am thinking of having the food available only when the hens are locked inside, and then removing it when the coop is open. Is it OK to do this at this age?

How do others deal with rats?
Thanks!

 

[Ebony Rose]

Seeing rodents in the daytime means that your problem is profound. When I moved into this house, there was a rather large rodent population. I taught my flock to consider mice and rats as free meat.
I put snap traps in to catch the mice & rats by placing the snapper towards the wall with a bit of grain stuck to the trap with peanut butter used as glue. Place this where vermin can get to it but cats, dogs, kids, and your flock cannot. Each morning as you prepare to let your flock out to stretch their legs, gather your nightly catch and toss them one by one to your birds. Make this a morning ritual with them, as the meat will still be fresh. The object is for them to play keep-away with their mates... after a week or two, you should see a significant reduction of your rodent population and you should notice that your birds have started hunting them for themselves.
Mice have either moved off of the property here, or they've become extinct. Either way, I'm happy with the results.

 

[Jastorm]

Wow! I love that idea but I fear that neighbours are putting out poison. I will try your bait method, since the bait for snap traps I'm using is ineffective. The buggers have also figured out how to spring the traps without getting caught. Very frustrating.

 

[RojoMarz]

Ratproof Feeder - I got one as we have chipmunks. Works great to stop the chipmunks from eating the feed. I do remove the feeder at night (due to bears) and it stays in the run during the day.

 

[Mosey2003]

Definitely get a treadle feeder. Then it can be out in the run and wild birds won't be able to get in it either.

Also work on reducing the rat population, that's not good...

 

[Al Gerhart]

RojoMarz already gave the best answer. It is near impossible to trap or poison your way out of a rodent problem and fencing them out is usually futile. Restricting their feed slows their growth, fewer eggs, unhappy chickens. But our rat proof chicken feeder stops rats, mice, wild birds, ground squirrels, and usually squirrels unless there is a horde of them.

 

[NatJ]

If you want to offer food only while the birds are locked in the coop, then put them inside well before dark--and with enough light inside the coop to see by--so they can eat a good meal before bed. And in the morning, be sure they have food and enough light, but do not let them out for the first few hours, so they have time to eat a good morning meal.

You could also go out in the middle of the day and put out the feed, then stand there and watch them eat until they get full and stop. (I am assuming the rats will not eat when you are standing there and the chickens are actively eating. I could be wrong.) Then you could take the food in again when they are done eating.

How much food they need each day will increase as they grow, and increase again when they start laying eggs. You need to make sure they can get enough.

It can be hard for chickens to eat a lot of feed when it is dry. Getting it wet with water can help (but then you want to avoid leftovers, because it can spoil. Which makes it more complicated to be sure they get enough.)

 

[JaeG]

It's important to eliminate rats because they can be carriers of red mites which you do not want to have to deal with. Poison is very effective if there's a large population/infestation, whereas trapping won't put a big enough dent in their numbers. But make sure you remove any dead bodies before letting your birds out each morning.

Our chickens free range and we have some young ones in the group. I do what @NatJ suggested. They are put in the coop early (everyone is hungry enough to be obliging) and they are able to fill up before bed. The littlies have a separate area so they get their fair share. They get a good meal in the morning and then they get a couple of snacks during the day while I stand there keeping the sparrows away.