![]() ![]() “Remove feeders and waterers each night and replace them in the morning. “Don't create conditions that attract rodents, raccoons or skunks to your yard,” he said. Rats are also great burrowers and can enter a coop or run from below. If they are around, you may be able to spot chewing damage on coops. Messmer said it’s possible that rats won’t be seen unless there is a severe problem, as they are shy and generally come out only at night. ![]() ![]() Parts of the chicken’s body may be eaten, and the corpses may be pulled into burrows or other concealed locations for feeding.” Rats kill by biting the head or neck of their prey. Rats generally only prey on chicks and eggs, but if you have a serious infestation and food is scarce, they will raid coops at night and attack juvenile and adult birds. “They readily capitalize on new opportunities for food, cover and water. “Rodents are prolific breeders,” he said. Messmer said a review of the current scenario suggests factors that have created a “perfect rodent storm.” Factors include sanitation, exclusion and control – or the lack thereof, on the part of backyard chicken ranchers. They also grant city employees the authority to make inspections and issue notices of violation. Such ordinances require the rancher to rodent-proof chicken coops and outbuildings that contain food, and they prohibit ranchers from storing garbage unless it is stored in rodent-proof containers. In trying to understand why there was an increase in rat populations but not in the diseases they carry, Messmer said most cities have ordinances designed to prohibit conditions that attract rodents. However, surprisingly, over this same time period, there were no increased reports of infectious diseases that can be traced to rats, including bubonic plague, hantavirus, leptosporosis and rat-bite fever.Īccording to Terry Messmer, Utah State University Extension wildlife specialist, humans can get these diseases if they are bitten by an infected rat or if they inhale or ingest microorganisms in the rat’s feces or urine. Pest control companies in the area also reported a brisk spike in business. Residents there reported seeing more rats, and in areas where they haven’t been before. In a story by the Associated Press last December, a link was shown between an explosion in the rat population in Eugene, Oregon, and the growth in backyard chicken ranching. Several cities along the Wasatch Front have recently passed ordinances allowing urban residents to raise backyard chickens. Is There a Correlation between Backyard Chickens and Increased Rodent Populations? ![]()
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