Rat problem

[Axalea]

My partner and I think we have a rat/freeloader problem...

Our flock is as follows:

15 laying hens
4 (halfway to laying age hens)
1 rooster
3 ducks
1 peacock

We go through about 250 lbs of feed every 20-25 days

What do yall think

 

[nuthatched]

How are you feeding them and what is it?
Assuming that peacocks and ducks eat similar amounts to chickens, 250lbs to 25 birds is right on the money.

 

[Axalea]

How are you feeding them and what is it?
Assuming that peacocks and ducks eat similar amounts to chickens, 250lbs to 25 birds is right on the money.

that quickly though?

Up until recently we fed them a whole mix of things thinking mixing our own feed would be cheaper it wasn't.

Our last batch of feed we fed them was 2 50 lb bags cracked corn, 2 50 lbs layer feed (crumble), 1 bag scratch grains

As I took advice from other posters we have now switched to 4 50 lbs bags of all flock (pellets) with 1 bag of scratch grains

This is our new feeder I just made and installed today

 

[nuthatched]

that quickly though?

Up until recently we fed them a whole mix of things thinking mixing our own feed would be cheaper it wasn't.

Our last batch of feed we fed them was 2 50 lb bags cracked corn, 2 50 lbs layer feed (crumble), 1 bag scratch grains

As I took advice from other posters we have now switched to 4 50 lbs bags of all flock (pellets) with 1 bag of scratch grains

This is our new feeder I just made and installed today

Nope, that's not quick.
You have 24 birds, your average chicken eats 4 oz a day, I'm assuming peacocks and ducks eat at least that much.
4oz times 24 birds equals about 10lbs a day, 10 lbs times 25 days is 250lbs.

 

[Shadrach]

Have to do this in metric, sry.
250lbs is roughly 94kilos.
Divide 94kilos by 25 (longest period) and one gets 3.75kilos per day.
Divide 3.75 kilos by the number of birds and one gets 150 grams per bird.
I don't know how much a peacock or your ducks get through but I'm going for 200 grams per bird.
Assuming these birds are confined, as in there are no foraged additions then 250lbs in 25 days is about right for laying hens at least.
On the other hand if it's only 20 days it could be a bit short for laying hens eating 120 grams to 150 grams a day.

 

[Axalea]

I

Have to do this in metric, sry.
250lbs is roughly 94kilos.
Divide 94kilos by 25 (longest period) and one gets 3.75kilos per day.
Divide 3.75 kilos by the number of birds and one gets 150 grams per bird.
I don't know how much a peacock or your ducks get through but I'm going for 200 grams per bird.
Assuming these birds are confined, as in there are no foraged additions then 250lbs in 25 days is about right for laying hens at least.
On the other hand if it's only 20 days it could be a bit short for laying hens eating 120 grams to 150 grams a day.

forgot to mention we did have to recently put them in an enclosed run (it has an open roof unfortunately) because a hawk was able to sink its claws into the back of one of our hens while free ranging were on the IN-IL border where it's an average 20° F now and there is NOTHING growing in their run anymore

 

[Shadrach]

I

forgot to mention we did have to recently put them in an enclosed run (it has an open roof unfortunately) because a hawk was able to sink its claws into the back of one of our hens while free ranging were on the IN-IL border where it's an average 20° F now and there is NOTHING growing in their run anymore

Rat problems are usually pretty obvious because once they found a food source they're not shy of turning up with their relatives for dinner. I know. I've had a rat problem for years.

 

[tlcmurphy]

Rat problems are usually pretty obvious because once they found a food source they're not shy of turning up with their relatives for dinner. I know. I've had a rat problem for years.View attachment 4002186

This.
I’ve seen rats and chickens eating side by side in broad daylight. And anything spilled is magically cleaned up overnight.
You know when you have rats!

 

[Axalea]

Rat problems are usually pretty obvious because once they found a food source they're not shy of turning up with their relatives for dinner. I know. I've had a rat problem for years.View attachment 4002186

Is an indicator of a rat problem random holes in the ground opening right back up the night after you close them ? Our coop floor is currently just dirt but there will be random holes appear the next morning even after closing them the night before.

Also up until today we used a hanging feeder (the ole faithful you can get from ANY farm store) and there's always been food on the ground but it's not disappearing it's there for days

 

[Shadrach]

Is an indicator of a rat problem random holes in the ground opening right back up the night after you close them ?

Yes, but other creatures dig into coops, weasels, stoats, mink.