[cissie]

Hello,i'm really looking for reassurance but i know you'll be honest, do chickens always bring rats? I would love 3 or 4 birds but live in a terraced house and would hate to bring vermin to my neighbours. I would plan to have a plastic coop with run made from chicken wire and place the coop ect onto slabs with suitable floor covering. I have read the article here on rats but would be afraid to put poison down as i have 4 cats and a dog, is good housekeeping enough to prevent rats? Thanks for any advice, Cissie.

[Sparkyrog]

I wouldn't worry about it ! As I understand it the accepted formula is that on average you are never more than 6 ft from a live rat 

[finleyfreyaseth]

as I tell ppl who ask me is it a chore avin chooks,NO wat I do is everyday I have a glove and bucket and I pick up as much off poo out the shavings on the coop floor and out the nest boxes as I can ,takes me 5 mins,then once every three weeks ill clean floor and nest boxes out takes me ten mins cos it practicaly clean I have a largish run half covered to the elements half not ,the half that's not as straw scattered on the floor gets picked up once a month and replaced takes ten mins,my feeder is hung up so no food on floor to encourage rats and I think cos of cleanliness they not around my coop that ive seen ive got a mouse that scuttles out the nest boxes now and again but not mind a mouse lololl

[cissie]

You make it sound a pleasure and that's what i'm hoping. Only ever seen one rat and that was real dead when one of my cat's left it under the stairs for my breakfast I quite fancy the solway eco loft so it would be off the floor, like you i quite like mice and have rescued more than one

[finleyfreyaseth]

they are a pleasure ,seen ppl give em up because they say they've become achore, but when you ask why its always to do with time it takes to clean them out thouroghly every now and again usually after being left for months,prob very sad but I quite often sit for 10 mins watchin them lolol

[cissie]

I'm retired so time isn't a problem, after my holiday i'm really going to go for this would 3 be a good number to have ?

[finleyfreyaseth]

I think 3 be fine ,remember when you buy ure a coop to get one bigger than you need cos I guarantee once you get 3 youll want more lolol

[cissie]

Thank's for your advice i look forward to joining you as a chicken keeper

[Chrysalis]

We've never seen a rat in or around our coop and run.  The occasional mouse maybe, but not overrun with them at all. 
 We find the dog is a good deterrent to vermin like rats and foxes.

At least three hens is good advice - you'll want more once you have them.  Also, if they're noisy, more hens means more eggs to placate the neighbours! 

Go for it!

[cissie]

Thinking ahead what breed do you recommend i was thinking Bantams but would the eggs be tiny. Plus is there a link on here for the first time keeper giving a list of everything needed.

[splash101]

I've just swapped all of my big chickens for bantams. Its working better for me now. They are less destructive and produce a lot less poop. They are now in a large Walk in run instead of walkin' allover the garden  I do leave the run door open sometimes but they havent plucked up the courage to step over the threshold yet, They are such ....... well, chickens.

Doesnt mean I wont have big chickens again but it suits for now.

The eggs are smaller but i dont think they are that much smaller than supermarket size small eggs.

As to what breed you go for, well that is all down to personal preference (no doubt long list will appear shortly)

Yes, bantams may be prone to broodiness and less eggs, but the number of eggs i was getting with large chickens was becoming a promlem (too many eggs and i dont sell them).
On the other hand, broodiness to the hatch-a-holics amongst us may be a good thing 

[grinling]

Bantams may go broody, hence no eggs, but I have a scots dumpy, bantam size eggs without the broodiness. Baking cakes with bantam eggs you need 4 for 3 egg, but it is slightly richer.

[ANHBUC]

Bantams may go broody, hence no eggs, but I have a scots dumpy, bantam size eggs without the broodiness. Baking cakes with bantam eggs you need 4 for 3 egg, but it is slightly richer.

I hope you haven't jinxed yourself.   

[BobE]

Rats.  If you feed the birds you feed the rats.  Its true, Springwatch recommend bringing birdfood in after dark.  Rats will hang about where food is freely available and bird feeders are a perfect food source.  The only reason you will attract rats is if you allow them to get at food.  If they can't get into the chickens cage then they can't get that food and will not be a problem.

[Sassy]

Absolutely! Keep clean and remove food at night. Go ahead and enjoy