Will rats kill chicks under broody mom?

[BLaBauve]

My hen is sitting on 8, day old chicks tonight. Once in awhile a rat will get into the coop. I don't keep food in the coop because it attracts rats in there. I had feed in the coop today for the chicks, but took it out before dark. I put hardware cloth in front of the broodies nest box to keep chicks from wandering out over night. A rat could still climb up and over the side of the nest box if it wanted to though. I shut the windows directly above the broody because I know they go in that way sometimes. Will they kill/eat chicks under a broody?????

 

[Chickiemama1010]

you better believe a rat will kill a chick. And eat the eggs too. Yes they will. get a trap or something for the rat.

The broody mama may attempt to kill the rat, and she just may succeed. Ive seen my chickens kill and eat mice in the barn. But in her tiff with the rat theres the possibility she loses track of one of the babes and the rat gets it, or she may step on one of the babes and kill it.

bottom line, rat=bad. get rid of the rats

 

[Ibicella]

Yup. If they can find the opportunity, they will take it. They can also organize hunts like a pack of wolves or a pride of lines.

 

[BLaBauve]

Well I'm going to hope it doesn't happen tonight. Tomorrow we can put hardware cloth up on the windows. We have had rats for years, I don't think we'll ever be rid of them.

 

[gcmitchell7]

I don't see this posted anywhere, but we live in San Dimas CA and have a HUGE problem with Rats! They are the Norway Roof Rats and they are meat eaters. We have had them break into the chicken coop, then open up a bird cage (with sliding doors), and take a baby peacock not only out of the bird cage, but then out of the chicken coop. The amount of cooperation that would have had to be involved in making this happen is crazy as it would take at least 2 rats to keep sliding metal doors open, etc… We had a giant cage with full grown Indian Ringneck Parrots (about 1 1/2 feet tall) and one of the sliding doors was not fastened securely enough (we have learned that each door has to have a ring or be wired shut) and in one night the rats broke in and killed and started eating the parrots (ate their feet and started with their chest). We have tried multiple types of traps and as much as I hate it, even poison. The only solution that has ever worked for us is when we rescued more cats. We also started cementing the aviary floors (we are an animal sanctuary and have 11 aviaries), but it takes a lot of time and is expensive. We have learned that any area where the rats can get their head in they can collapse their rib cage to enter through. They have chewed through any wooden doors so we have to be monitoring that always. I would love to know if anyone else has this kind of problem and what they have done. Thanks!