Are rats a real issue?

[Kentmum84]

We are debating getting hens. We have the space, children love them at friends houses and we can finance a good coop etc.

However, I am absolutely terrified of rats and a friend said they always go hand in hand. Is this true? Or is there a way to have hens with no rat issue (happy to invest if so). I couldn't cope with a long term pest management plan.

I'm honestly surprised!

20 years of urban hens and rats haven't been a big issue. There are a few, sure, but mostly in the the neighbour's compost bin because they put cooked food in it. We do have a remarkable ratter of a cat, though. He racks them up at the back step so maybe I have a better experience than some

We have an Eglu Cube with an extended run plus a 2m x 8m covered* run to play in.

*because of bird flu

Our rat problem was awful when we had chickens,there was just no way of keeping them out of the food no matter what we tried,and we have a Collie who would kill the rats as best he could.they were huge and in our house.soon as the chickens died the rats moved on and il only get chickens with a cat now and keep them far from the house.you do totally need to keep chickens free range,the little cages aren't fair except for short term like settling in and moving a cage around won't help as rats are very mobile.they bite through plastic easily,even our metal food bins were destroyed by them.chickens are amazing though and still worth it despite the rats,but I think you have to accept the rats and keep them far from the house.

I kept my feed in a galvanised bin. I also used bait boxes around the feed store and the chicken sheds/runs. You need to raise the housing off the ground and hang the feeders. I had sheds built on platforms a couple of foot off the ground. This also gave the birds a bit of cover and they would use it as a dirt bath.

I also had a couple of barn cats which lived outside all year round. They had a bed in the feed store. One was a rabbiter and the other a ratter. I got them from one of the vet staff at the large animal practice who had stables. Highly recommend barn cats if you have the space and are in the country.

I don't want to jinx it, but I've had chickens for 5 years, and not had any rats.

Magpies and crows I have to shoo away because they were eating all the feed, but no rats.

I do have cats, but they're not in any way rufty-tufty enough to deal with rats!

Even if you store the food in metal bins, rats are attracted to the partially digested grain in the chicken faeces. Had to get rid eventually, it was awful.