Pardon my ignorance, but I had some questions before I get going with my flock. There is a lot of coop information on here, specifically about keeping it very open for ventilation, with heat being more of a problem than the cold here in Phoenix.
I have also read about building a coop off the ground to keep rats and predators from getting inside. So my question is, are rats an issue for the chickens? I have roof rats in my area, and I understand they are mostly after fruit, but should I be concerned? Would they be after only the feed, or would they kill chicks or even full grown chickens?
If I do need to worry about this, how does the open coop design play into that?
Also, has anyone had any predatory bird problems? I heard about some hawks nearby, but I don't know if they're big enough to cause a threat.
Thanks!!
Replies
Karis and Sheri have covered it pretty well. I did have a pair of Harris Hawks trying to get at my girls when I had them some years ago. The Harris and Red Tails along with Owls are perfectly capable of killing and even taking away an adult chicken (or even a pet cat or small dog). You would defintely benefit taking Rachel's class.
We've had issues with owls and coyotes. One owl in particular hung out for about a week until it decided it wasn't going to get any chicken dinner. The Coyote went after our turkey and plucked her a bit before we got him away. That was on Thanksgiving, oddly enough. There were actually 4 coyotes; they roam in packs.
But the worst predators we've had to deal are the domestic dogs running free. Our chickens aren't fenced in, so we have to keep an eye out for that. If you're birds are clipped and in a backyard, your biggest threats are owls & hawks, and that's mostly when the chickens are small.
Rats are more after the chicken's feed then chickens...might go after chicks, but you probably won't be brooding them outside this time of year anyway. They need like 100 degrees consistently for the first couple weeks. Full sized chickens can kill and eat rats, not the other way around. Keeping the feed in sealed bins will help mitigate a rat problem. I have heard of people with irrigation building their coops up off the ground so that their chickens can be up and away from the water when it comes in.
Predators you need to be concerned about are owls, hawks, bobcats (depending on where in the valley you are), coyotes and dogs. Cats don't really seem to want to go after a full sized chicken...at least not more then once...chickens are scrappers!
If you haven't already, you might think about taking one of the Chicken Keeping classes that Rachael offers through the VPA.