[CattinJ]

Our neighbours have mentioned thier concern with a few rats we have seen around. 

We keep our 3 chooks in a large fruit cage with L shped mesh at the bottom.  They are kept in with the door locked all day Monday-Thursday when I'm at work and are let out to free range  Friday-Sunday.  When they free range we keep 1 food container in the cage an the door open so they know where to find it.

Their food is taken in every night and stored in the garage. There is no evidence of rats getting to the food  at night but I have seen a rat in their cage eating from their food container when the door was open and the chickens are out and about.

As I dont get home until 7-7.30pm it's diffucult to clean up spilled wet food from their run after the chooks are in bed.

Is there anything I'm doing wrong to encourage the rats?  We have the council coming over on Friday but I'm worried that they use baited poisen - I'll need to talk to them about making it chicken proof or try an alternative method!

[raeburg]

If they use bait boxes the birds won't be able to get to the poison.  There is a rat poison that is not harmful to birds called eradibait (i think)

[beulah59]

They will have been around before you had your hens, but perhaps something is bringing them out into the open now?

Hope you get it sorted easily.

[marygall]

I had a rat problem for a while and eventually got poison. I was very careful to put the bait in pipes weighed down with stones up fast to the base of the garden walls. I checked them regularly and got rid of any bait that wasn't completely taken. The hens were fine and the rats have gone. I think that if you're careful, and no doubt the council will be, your hens will be ok.

[Roughlee Handled]

If you do not want to use poison try fen traps. 
http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=21798.0