Are rats dangerous to chickens?

[The Zoo]

I just saw one in the pen trying to carry off a piece of watermelon rind. I've had hens for over a year now and no problems but this is the first time I've seen a rat. If it's not dangerous to the hens I'll just leave it alone.
I haven't ever seen rat droppings in the coop itself, I don't have chicks and the eggs get collected quite often.

 

[Chicks R Friends NOT Food]

I've heard stories of rats chewing off chicks feet and other parts when in raised cages, however a lot of grown chickens will eat mice.

 

[Hilltopper46]

When I was a kid on the farm we had a theory that for every rat you saw you has an additional 39. If it was on my place we'd try to do something about the rats.

 

[EweSheep]

Ive had rats in the past year and they dont bother the older birds but if given opporunity they will attack or take brooding eggs and chicks that dont move fast enough.

I just take the rat poison outside of the coop and shoved them down the holes, had dead rats everywhere and none popped up so far. But they will be back once the poison is gone.

 

[hinkjc]

Rats and all other rodents are the vectors for most diseases that affect poultry. I would say now that you've seen one, you have a major problem. If the infestation is mild, you won't typically see them, but when it's gets overloaded, they become visible. Any interaction with your chickens and the foodstuff puts them at risk.

 

[rizq]

All I know is that we have a rat problem at the moment (working on it with poison) and I have recently lost A LOT of chicks ... just disappeared without a trace. No evidence of coop or run compromise. I did have one chick I found in a wire crate (the chicks could fit through, adults could not) where the older chickens could not reach it ... it was dead and plucked completely naked and slightly nibbled ... WEIRD). Only things that could have gotten in would be rats, weasels, and snakes. Never seen weasels around here. Have snakes because of the rats. Have rats because we live in the woods and lots of chicken food readily available, lol.

I have also had rats chew the toes off caged chicks before I even knew we had a rodent problem.

I think the rats have been stealing my chicks, but they do not seem to bother the older birds. Our eggs are collected several times a day, so I don't think I have a problem with them stealing eggs.

 

[gumpsgirl]

Not only will they cause disease, they will kill your chickens. Yes, full grown chickens.

If rats move in, it's best to evict them A.S.A.P.

 

[The Zoo]

Interesting.
How can a rat kill a full grown chicken?

I do NOT have chicks or brooding hens - I have a small flock of 3 hens and a rooster in my backyard.

My chickens freerange during the day when I'm home and have a large pen for when I'm gone.

Of course I don't want to start keeping pet rats but I'm not going to use poison either. We have dogs, cats etc and I do NOT want them getting into it by accident.

This is going to be a problem. Hmmm.

Time to pick up the watermelon rinds before the rats get them!

 

[rizq]

They have pet safe bait stations and traps that are fully enclosed. I would strongly advise doing something sooner rather than later. We waited when saw the occasional rat and heard squeaking at night figuring we lived in the woods, it was not unusual for there to be a rodent or two ... more like two million now. We see them everywhere, all the time. It is getting better with poison, slowly but surely. At its peak you could hardly walk anywhere without a rat crossing your path ... sometimes right over the top of your foot! Don't ignore the problem, it will only get worse ... trust me! I wish we had acted at the first sign of rats and we would probably be maintaining now instead of still fighting them and spending a royal fortune on poison ... I swear those things cost more to "feed" than the chickens!

 

[TipsyDog]

Rats are dangerous to many things as they are disease carriers. They will take over your property very quickly. I would kill/trap them immediately. If you saw one, then there are many, many more. They will kill small chicks and contaminate feed. Rats are usually flea infested and parasitic. If you have dogs or cats you need to act ASAP. They are also a health risk to you and your home. They are capable of chewing through almost anything if hungry enough, including 2x4's. I would already be killing them if it was me! Good Luck!