What is wrong with my chicken feed? Rats?

[GoldieHen]

I feed my chickens pellet food. I've noticed recently that I find swollen looking pellets in the tray in the mornings (due to some kind of moisture). But I can't figure out what's causing it. I live in CA so the feed pellets definitely weren't rained on, there's no dew and there aren't any sprinklers or other water sources in the vicinity. But I keep finding damp, swollen feed pellets and someone told me that it could be from rats?? They said rats pee on stuff, even stuff they're going to eat. That seems kinda gross even for rats. Does anyone have any idea what caused this? See picture.

Thanks for your help fellow chicken people?

 

[lazy gardener]

Could be, or if the dew point is such that there is moisture settling on stuff, that could be what you are seeing. Is there any type of surface overhead that moisture could be settling on, then dripping down? Have you seen any rat feces? You would have to check before chickens come to the area b/c they just might eat those rat poos. How much feed are you going through in a month? For how many birds? Noticed a change in your feed rate? Can rats get into the area? Leaving feed out over night? We do have heavy dew almost every night, and it does drip down on stuff. But, I make sure not to leave feed out over night. Unfortunately, rats have found my yard, even though I use FF, and do not leave feed out at night. Plenty of natural stuff around to attract them, as well as good habitat.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Well it's definitely from moisture. Chickens can get botulism from eating moldy feed so hopefully you clean that stuff up. It definitely could be rodents as they are known to pee a lot to mark stuff and just being gross in general.

What type of feeder are you using? Do you know if the chickens are billing it out? Where are these trays? Is the food being moved?

 

[GoldieHen]

Could be, or if the dew point is such that there is moisture settling on stuff, that could be what you are seeing. Is there any type of surface overhead that moisture could be settling on, then dripping down? Have you seen any rat feces? You would have to check before chickens come to the area b/c they just might eat those rat poos. How much feed are you going through in a month? For how many birds? Noticed a change in your feed rate? Can rats get into the area? Leaving feed out over night? We do have heavy dew almost every night, and it does drip down on stuff. But, I make sure not to leave feed out over night. Unfortunately, rats have found my yard, even though I use FF, and do not leave feed out at night. Plenty of natural stuff around to attract them, as well as good habitat.

Well it's definitely from moisture. Chickens can get botulism from eating moldy feed so hopefully you clean that stuff up. It definitely could be rodents as they are known to pee a lot to mark stuff and just being gross in general.

What type of feeder are you using? Do you know if the chickens are billing it out? Where are these trays? Is the food being moved?

Thanks for your reply! It's not moisture dripping from overhead b/c I checked that. I haven't seen any rat poo but I know they're around. I haven't noticed a change in the quantity of food consumed but I don't really track it carefully enough to tell. I do leave the feeder out overnight which I know I shouldn't. I use a hanging metal tube feeder with the tray underneath to catch the stuff the chickens fling out. I'm looking for the best kind of feeder that's waterproof and also easy to close up at night. Rat proof would be great. I tried the treadle kind that opens when they step on it but my girls wouldn't use it.

 

[Molpet]

red pepper, the spice, is not liked by most mammals, but birds can not taste it.. they sell it to add to wild bird seed to keep the squirrels away.
I had trouble with the dog eating the chicken feed and he is allergic to corn... some red ppered keeps him and the ground squirrels away from the feed.
also it is good for the birds, improve circulation and suppose to make the gut unliked by worms.
1/4 teaspoon per bird per day is the therapeutic dose

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

We get rats every fall. Never see droppings, just holes being dug, and my feed consumption increases. I feed mine in bowls and only put out what they can eat in a day roughly so it's gone by night. It also makes it easy to see if I'm using more feed

You will need to address the rodent problem as it will only get worse. Rats are quite destructive and they sometimes will gnaw on your chickens.