DS2 has wanted chickens for ages. We are working towards making this a possibility and waiting for life to settle down with a newish puppy dog.
However, a friend has just warned me that where there are chickens AND water - there'll be a major rat problem. Friends live near a river. But we have a natural swimming pond in the garden and it would destroy the ecobalance of the pond if we suddenly had rats in there and bring Weil's disease to this unchlorinated water. So it's really imporntant that we don't attract rats, although of course you're never far away from the nearest rat. Never seen one and never seen any sign of one.
If we get chickens (not going to allow freeranging in garden but would have a large-ish walk in run in one area of the garden, permanently) will we be invaded by rats? Friend says that just the smell and any small amounts of chicken feed around are like a magnet to rats and they're now getting in the 'rat man' and thinking of no longer keeping chickens.
So can experienced owners tell me - will the combination of a water source (looks like a small lake) plus chickens inevitably mean rats??