[judrop]

  Oh Spanna that is a wonderful cage ! If someone could replicate it, ( at a reasonable cost ) a fortune could be made ! All us chicken lovers would snatch their hand off LOL !Even me who used to keep rats as pets , and found them infinately interesting 
Best to remove food from the run at night, for all the reasons above.
Goosebusters OH YUCK !I am sure its true but I cant bear the thought, I know my girls chase small ish birds,seems so out of character !
XX Ju XX

[grinling]

We have rats at the allotment, so wire mesh compost bins. One of the guys uses  squirrel metal traps and his dog is good too. Local cat excellent. 6 Of us have chickens. Rats tunnel into 4 of these as thye are simply boarded. I copied a lady who has had chickens for many years and dug down about a foot and out 2 feet for doubled over chicken wire. My enclosure is roofed and surrounded by wire, The other lady has about 7foot high wire meshed, unroofed, chicken house undercover. This has kept out rats and the local fox.
Also have 2 metal dustbins for storing food.