Rats are highly adaptable, generalist omnivores, consuming a wide array of food sources, including both plant matter and animal protein. Because of this broad dietary range, the answer to whether rats consume chicken is definitively yes, regardless of whether the meat is raw, cooked, or part of a live animal. This behavior is a direct result of their evolutionary success, which favors flexibility over specialized feeding habits.
Rats as Opportunistic Meat Eaters
Rats are drawn to chicken and other meat scraps due to the high concentration of protein and fat, which are dense sources of energy necessary for their rapid metabolism. When rats encounter discarded chicken, such as kitchen scraps or improperly stored butcher waste, they readily consume it as a form of scavenging. Wild rats generally prefer sources that are easy to access.
They possess an acute sense of smell that quickly directs them to accessible, nutrient-rich food sources, often leading them to human habitation and food waste areas. While they can consume raw chicken, they are equally attracted to cooked meat, which is often safer for them, as it reduces the risk of consuming bacteria like Salmonella. Consuming carrion or scavenged meat scraps is a common behavior, especially in urban or farm settings. This scavenging behavior differs significantly from the deliberate predatory action taken against live poultry.
Threat to Live Chickens and Eggs
When food becomes scarce, or when presented with a vulnerable target, rats will shift from scavenging to active predation within a poultry environment. The most common targets are chicken eggs, which represent a perfect, immobile, high-protein, and high-fat food source. Rats are capable of breaking the shells and consuming the contents, leaving behind telltale signs of their presence.
Newly hatched chicks are also at high risk, as they are small and defenseless against a determined adult rat. Rats will attack and consume these young birds for a necessary protein meal. Although an attack on a healthy, adult chicken is a less frequent occurrence, rats may target sick, injured, or smaller adult birds. Beyond direct predation, rats pose a risk by acting as vectors for diseases like Salmonellosis, which can easily spread through a flock via droppings left in feed or water sources.
Securing Food Sources and Poultry
Preventing rats from accessing chicken is achieved by eliminating the attractants and fortifying the coop structure. All chicken feed should be stored in metal containers with tight-fitting lids, as rats can easily gnaw through plastic bins and feed bags. Implementing a treadle feeder helps stop rats from eating spilled feed, especially at night when they are most active.
To secure the physical structure of a coop, all entry points, including ventilation areas, must be covered with galvanized hardware cloth, specifically a mesh size of 1/4-inch (6mm) or 1/2-inch (13mm). This material is too tough for rats to chew through and has openings too small for them to squeeze through. Additionally, burying a skirt of hardware cloth 12 inches deep around the perimeter of the coop run prevents rats from burrowing underneath the structure. Removing water and any uneaten chicken scraps from the coop every evening also eliminates primary attractants for nocturnal rodents.