amroche Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Would rats stress out my girls so they wouldnt lay? Bought POL hens over 12 weeks ago (free range in a grass paddock during day, locked in at night in their arc), Still no eggs!! Have wormed them, put in an egg to remind them, really well fed, look fine, cant think of anything else. All last year we had hens and lots of eggs no problem until Mr Fox arrived one night (forgot to close them in ...I know...I know..) Live on a farm and we have a large rat problem at the moment, would seeing rats during the day trying to share their food, and hearing them at night while they are upstairs asleep stress them out enough so they wouldnt lay? I've seen rats in an around their arc from time to time, wouldnt have thought it should as there is plenty of food for all (sorry to be so blase about the rodents), and they have mixed with sheep before who I would have thought a lot more scary than a rat, if you are a hen that is?? Aisling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJChick Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I think perhaps the rats might be stealing the eggs. We live a on farm too and now and again have had rats that we have thought have taken eggs! We always try to poison the rats asap, mice we can live with and the girls chase them anyway but rats are sly, horrible things - yuck!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 I would agree with the above post, that the rats may be stealing the eggs. How often are you checking for eggs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amroche Posted August 19, 2010 Author Share Posted August 19, 2010 Thats possible but would rats steal an average of five to six eggs every day, get them down the stairs of the arc without a trace ever? I check twice a day for eggs...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coco Posted August 19, 2010 Share Posted August 19, 2010 Possibly yes. Many years ago we used to live by a river and we would get huge water rats in the garden and lots of them. We had rabbits and chickens at the time, the chickens stopped laying but were well in themselves but all the rabbits got ill and died. We presumed at the time that it was down to rats, they even faced up to a German Shepherd. Horrible creatures rats. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amroche Posted August 21, 2010 Author Share Posted August 21, 2010 Started poisioning the rats Thursday morning have had one egg (not a lot out of 6 hens) every second day, probably coincidence but...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
majuka Posted August 21, 2010 Share Posted August 21, 2010 It does sound a lot for them to take but I guess it depends how many rats there are, once they know there is a food source they will be back... As for getting them out undamaged, they are quite clever but if an egg breaks it could be your girls have cleaned up the evidence, I know on the odd occasion we dropped an egg in the enclosure, the girls have devoured it straight away. Glad you are getting on top of the rat problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
