Poorly chicken

[Emily and Nick]

Hello

 

I think we may have rats, we live in inner city Manchester so comes as no great surprise, but I've had chickens for six years and never seen any sign of them before, however I think I saw one scuttle off in the run the other day and there are scratch marks on the feeder.

 

I know the advice is to eliminate them, but are there rat proof feeders available as well?

 

Does anyone have any advice?

 

Thanks

Emily

[Luvachicken]

I haven't got one but I think a Grandpa's feeder is what you're after.

 

Quite expensive but the weight of the chicken opens it up for them to get the food and the rats can't get it open.

[Hippie Chick]

I have a galvanised treadle feeder and that's supposed to be rat proof. The rats aren't heavy enough to trip the treadle part.

[Beantree]

We have treadle feeders but so far haven't used them as they are difficult to balance up and must be in a covered run because the training process involves them being left open for several weeks. We built a trigger feeder last year which has been very successful against sparrows. Basically the chickens hit the trigger, which is at head level, to release pellets. One point about rats is that they need water with pellet feed, so if that is removed at night and there are no other water sources around they should leave.

[Mars]

I use treadle feeders and trigger happy chicken feeder. both worked, trigger happy chicken feeder is better and much cheaper and the hens use it more.

I have robin in the garden who learned how to use trigger feeder by flying against it. but It only used it in winter.