rats
4 stories filed under rats on Alektorophobia. The newest of them: “Double Hen Duty: Can Two Mamas Share One Coop Without Fowl Play?”, “My chickens are on a hunger strike and honestly? Same”, and “Saddle-sized rats raiding your run? I feel your fowl pain”. Two mamas, one 4-foot cage, and a whole lot of clucking chaos. There's something deeply humbling about being outsmarted by a bird with a brain the size of a walnut. Chickens. Everything there is to know about chickens and the fear of them. The list below is every rats story on Alektorophobia, newest first.
Double Hen Duty: Can Two Mamas Share One Coop Without Fowl Play?
Two mamas, one 4-foot cage, and a whole lot of clucking chaos. You've got a month-old crew already bunking with their mum, and now a fresh hatch of three or four just appeared in the nesting box tonight. Rats are the real villains here, snatching eggs and chicks after dark, so moving everyone into the grow-up cage makes perfect sense. Will the two hens squabble over shared quarters? Probably some ruffled feathers at first, but hens are surprisingly adaptable when chicks are involved. The space is tight, but for overnight safety, it beats playing rat roulette. Just watch for any fowl play and separate them if things get too peckish.
My chickens are on a hunger strike and honestly? Same
There's something deeply humbling about being outsmarted by a bird with a brain the size of a walnut. This chicken keeper built a gutter feeder with a lip, got it working, and then the rats moved in like they'd been handed a dinner invitation. Move it to a table? No rats, but also no feed. The chickens just look at it like it's a modern art installation. I get it. I've tried the waste pipe DIY route too, and my girls gave it the same silent treatment. It's enough to make you question who's really running this coop. For anyone who's ever felt personally victimized by a picky hen, this is your people.
Saddle-sized rats raiding your run? I feel your fowl pain
Oh, I feel this in my very soul. There's nothing quite like the sinking dread of spotting a rat so plump you could slap a saddle on it and ride it into battle. You're out here trying to be a chicken whisperer, but the real battle is against these chupacabra-sized feed thieves. It's a cluck-tastic nightmare, honestly. The irony isn't lost on me, I can hatch an egg with my eyes closed, but keeping the feed secure? Apparently, that's where my expertise flies the coop. Maybe check the hardware cloth gaps? Or embrace the madness and name the biggest one. Speaking of unexpected arrivals, our story about the "One-Eyed Stranger Shows Up on a Porch" proves chickens find us when we least expect it.
Suzie's Feeling Fowl: Is Our Queen Chickening Out?
Oh, Suzie. Our girl's having a rough day, and honestly, I feel for her, and for you. Seeing your usually sprightly queen looking a bit *off* is enough to make any chicken parent's heart do a little fowl-flip. You've painted a cluck-tastic picture of a hen who's just not herself: the longer-than-usual egg-laying, the ruffled feathers, and the solo time away from the flock. Given your history, mites, raccoons, and now a persistent rat problem, it's no wonder you're on high alert. That opossum sighting on camera? Yeah, I'd be watching the coop like a hawk, too. Your gut instinct to ask for advice is spot-on. We've seen similar stories with our own flock, and sometimes it's just a quirky phase.