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[moniquinin]

Hi!

 

I was wondering (and I've googled this and unbelievably could not find the answer) what is the daily food intake (pellets mixed with corn) of a full-grown hen.

 

I am looking for a solution to my increasingly serious rat problem I have.

 

A couple of years ago I realised that during the winter, along with our hens we were feeding rats. We live in a town that's more country than anything else, and we were told that rats do come in closer to home during this time of the year - apparently in the spring/summer they're more out in the fields - and recommended rat bait to get rid of them. This of course, ended up being an expensive losing battle since there are always more rats to replace the ones that die, plus it's horrifying, the way they die and I don't want to continue doing this.

 

However, this morning I counted over ten rats eating out of the food thingy I have for my three hens - a whole family! There were at least four HUGE ones and several mid-size to tiny ones, and I'm sure that they eat as much if not more than the hens. I've noticed we have to go more often to the feed store - by a whole month - and I don't want to continue feeding them!

 

So, unless someone can suggest something else, I figure that every morning I should leave just enough food for Paxo, Bisto and Oxo, and not fill the thingy all the way to the top, which ends up being all eaten up anyway these days by the next morning. Before the rats, one filling used to last about three days. This way, they'll eat what they need and the rats get squat.

 

So, does anyone know what amount of food I should leave out per hen?

 

Thanks!

[jomaxsmith]

Do you bring the feeder in at night? I did over the winter when I had a rat problem. At least the hens will keep them away from the food during the day.

 

Jo

[Egluntyne]

They take in between 100 and 120g of food when laying.

[clucking mad]

how do the rats get in, do they dig under the run?

[Tiggy]

rats like mice can squeeze into very small spaces

[Egluntyne]

They can dig under the run, but there would be obvious signs of tunnelling.

[BarbaraJ]

Don't leave the food out after the hens go to bed , mine goes away when the chickens go to bed and goes back out in the morn. I'm not aware of rats yet, hopefully they haven't discovered the chickens yet, mice could probably get through my 1/2'' x 1'' weld mesh but i doubt a rat could, theres nowhere else for them to get through.

[SLK69]

Hi

 

I've read that hens eat about 100 - 120gr of food per day each too - sorry to hear about your rats pesky things, can you not buy a humane rat track sounds like it would be cheaper than feeding them.

 

Susie

[ajm200]

The problem with humane traps is that you end up with an angry, disease ridden, trapped animal to deal with. No-one will appreciate you releasing it elsewhere.

 

You could try contacting your local council as some will deal with a vermin problem FOC

[superjules]

Isn't it also illegal to release a rat?

[moniquinin]

Ok - thanks for the replies...let me answer the questions - it probably would have been better for me to be more specific.

 

I have an eglu which I leave open all the time - my hens free range in a closed off area about 15-20 feet squared. They put themselves to bed in the evenings

 

I don't use the peanut thingie that came with the eglu because I wanted something I could fill up once a week and not worry about it (this was before the rats) and easier to deal with than the peanut thingy, so it's this round thing that you can fill from the top and the feed lowers to a circular tray thing. We used to put it away at night but I had an accident and could barely walk for two years so we got lazy about that.

 

In answer to someone else's question - my hens could give a "Ooops, word censored!" about another animal eating their food. Today I went out AT NOON and this is when I saw the dozen rats having a buffet. Where were the hens? Hanging out at their favourite spot underneath a mulberry bush just ignoring them. Oh, and before we free-ranged them, there was obvious tunneling under the run which we just couldn't get a handle on, so we decided to just forget it.

 

So....thanks for the help. If no one else can suggest otherwise or tells me this is a bad idea, I guess what I will do is every morning leave out a measured 360 g of food. Hopefully this will be enough for them and the rats will have to look elsewhere. Now, would they eat this all at once or should I leave half in the morning and then another half in the afternoon?

[TAJ]

The problem will be if the rats get it before the chickens. This is why the peanut feeder was designed, because it is off the floue and more difficult for rats. If you want to carry on with a big feeder many are made that you hang up, which makes it more difficult for rats to get at - particularly if they have the cone rain lid op top.

 

Key things with rats is to try to avoid food on the ground.

 

Tracy

[moniquinin]

Ah, but I tried that - hanging the feeder. We hung it as high as the hens could reach and the rats just jumped up to get at the food - I actually witnessed this myself in disbelief.

 

Now this might be a stupid question but could someone help me figure out what 120 g is in cups and ounces? Not quite sure how I should convert this - I use a measuring cup to serve out their food which I guess in a volume measurement and I take it when someone put down 120 g that was weight?

 

Thanks!

[Gamebird]

120g is about 4ozs

[ajm200]

If you chickens are like ours, they like to graze at the pellets throughout the day and it sounds like the brazen rat pack are going to get the food before the chickens have eaten their fill.

 

What about getting a rat proof feeder with a treadle that only allows access to the food when a chicken is standing on it. They are expensive but possibly cheaper than keeping a whole rat family fed for a year.

 

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/poultry_feeders5.htm?gclid=COLr3aLTgpMCFQw6QgodBXIXDw

[moniquinin]

Hmmm....food for thought. I guess when I feel rich, I'll buy it (which is not today)

 

Do you think chickens can be "trained" to eat all their food in one sitting? I mean, if they're used to grazing because they had access to food through out the day and now they only have access to food at a certain time of day only, could they "learn" this and hence change their eating habits?

[Snowy]

Wouldn't it be cheaper to deal with the rats? As long as there is food there they will multiply. I know if you get rid of them more will eventually move in but they are then in smaller, more manageable numbers. Also, I think you have a legal responsibility to control vermin on your premises

We had a family of five move under our shed last week, after not having seen any since before christmas. We've topped up the bait boxes and so far we have caught Dad and three babies in traps. Only mum to go now. I know it's not nice, but it's either them or the chickens - if the neighbours thought I was just leaving the rats to it, they would not be happy (even though they seem to prefer the food that OH puts out for the birds, it just has to be the chickens fault )

[moniquinin]

Except, Snowy, the rats don't actually live on our premises, but our next-door neighbors'. The situation is this: The owners are two OAPs who have retired to France and rent out their old home. It has ALWAYS been a hassle to have them deal with things they have a legal responsibility to because they're not around and last time they sent someone to deal with something, I mentioned the rats (this was last summer) and the guy just nodded and told me basically to suck it up - rats were inevitable in the country. The renters don't want to deal, obviously and the problem is that our terrace has super long gardens - much longer than houses have nowadays, and where we (who own our homes ind live in them) make use of almost all our back garden, this house next door has it all basically abandoned, again, because the renters don't want to deal - they use maybe the first 15-20 square feet for BBQs, etc in the summer, and that's about all that's maintained. The rest of it including the back where my hens live on my side, is absolutely abandoned, and has been for some time. They've got two dilapidated buildings (shed, greenhouse) totally falling apart, grass and weeds and all sorts of brush taller than I am. THIS is where the rats live - they just come over for the buffet.

 

And it's getting quite absurd. I was just out there and I saw my three hens, a wood pigeon and FOUR rats eating out of the feeder AT THE SAME TIME! The thing about the rat bait is that it's so inhumane - they suffer so much, but I guess they are vermin.

 

Can my hens catch any disease from these rats?

[Snowy]

Oh dear, that is a pain isn't it Not sure about passing disease onto chickens, but they can certainly pass on disease to humans - weils disease being the main one. I once nursed a man in his early 20s who was paralysed and on a ventilator for months after contracting weils. Not pleasant. I would definitely contact environmental health if the rats are coming from your neighbours side. Good luck with them.

[Egluntyne]

Rats are vermin and carry disease. I would sincerely urge you to put down poison and get rid of them.

 

There is an excellent Defra guide **here**.

[Gallina]

Most council pest control departments have the powers to go and deal with rats on private property if the owners won't deal with them themselves.

 

Have you contacted the council?

[Westie]

Poor you.

 

I would get on to environmental health as already suggested. If your neighbours have a letting agent then they will have a responsibility to deal with the issue, but let environmental health sort it out.

 

Phone your local council and get advice pronto. Speaking from my own experience, our council is very good at dealing with these issues. They used to do it for free but now it is contracted out but the price was very reasonable. However, if they are on someone elses land they should foot the bill or at least share it. Again the council will sort out this.

 

Best of luck

 

Westie

[moniquinin]

Thanks, all of you for all your advice. I guess I was hoping that if there wasn't any food, they'd just go away in search of it elsewhere.

 

I just wish there was a better way to deal with it. Back where I'm from we never had such a problem because we had a little terrier-like mutt who'd take care of them - no problem....