Advice on rats and building a new coop?

[McChooky]

What do you do with the cinder blocks?

The cinder blocks are on top of the hardware cloth and filled with dirt and rock to keep diggers from moving them.

 

[saysfaa]

... I have come up with a drawing of what I think would work for us just as a general coop/run layout. No real details for how it will be built, just the general idea. I mainly need to think about how I want the inside of the coop to be setup, and what predator proofing ideas to implement. For under the roosts, I’m wanting to do the floor screen idea where the poop falls through and below the coop. That seems to be the most efficient way to do it, not much cleanup involved. But does anyone know if that method would attract rats or if the screening could be a weak point? I think it would be fine as long as it’s watered in or scooped up, but want to hear other opinions.


We’re in northern Florida. ...

Could you attach pictures of your plan for the new build?

Poop doesn't fall through wire. It catches on it, slumps part of the way through and becomes very difficult to clean. Better is to make your walls and roof rat-proof with hardware cloth or metal lath securely attached to the frame and at the seams. Then keep the rats from going under the walls with an extra wide apron. Rats, in particular, will tunnel more than most species, so make the apron wider than the minimum and cover it with dirt enough that they can't see the edge or feel it when walking over it.

You may not need the hardware cloth or lath across the solid part of the walls, depending on what you use to make the walls. In your climate, I wouldn't have enough solid wall to bother with stopping the hardware/lath for it.... I'd just make a wire box with an open bottom and the apron and solid roof, then add some wind break around the roosts. This based on research (mainly Prince T Woods' open air coops for warm climates, and this website) - not based on my own experience with your climate.

If you can't build all of your runs this way because of palm trees or prices, you might consider building as much as you can this way. Then put a door or pop door between the secure run and the larger run. Put food and water in the secure part and make the door to the less secure part as unattractive as possible. Things like: furthest from any kind of shelter for the rats, raised above ground level, baffled with something like squirrel guards.

 

[3KillerBs]

What did you do with them??

I crushed them in my food processor then, using gloves to protect my hands, heavily dusted the problem areas, being sure to get it down the tunnels as well as on/around the plants.

You may not need the hardware cloth or lath across the solid part of the walls, depending on what you use to make the walls. In your climate, I wouldn't have enough solid wall to bother with stopping the hardware/lath for it.... I'd just make a wire box with an open bottom and the apron and solid roof, then add some wind break around the roosts. This based on research (mainly Prince T Woods' open air coops for warm climates, and this website) - not based on experience with your climate.

This is how my coop was built -- a big wire box with a weather shelter made from fence boards on one end.

 

[Devorah]

I crushed them in my food processor then, using gloves to protect my hands, heavily dusted the problem areas, being sure to get it down the tunnels as well as on/around the plants.



This is how my coop was built -- a big wire box with a weather shelter made from fence boards on one end.

That’s very interesting! So you also scatter the crushed peppers generally around your run? The chickens tolerate the spice?!

 

[3KillerBs]

That’s very interesting! So you also scatter the crushed peppers generally around your run? The chickens tolerate the spice?!

I haven't done it with the chicken area, just in the garden.

But chickens don't have the receptors for capsaicin -- they don't know that spice exists.

This is why people recommend hot pepper flakes to keep squirrels out of bird feeders.

 

[Devorah]

I haven't done it with the chicken area, just in the garden.

But chickens don't have the receptors for capsaicin -- they don't know that spice exists.

This is why people recommend hot pepper flakes to keep squirrels out of bird feeders.

Thanks. I appreciate this information! Are there other predators that react negatively to it?

 

[Devorah]

The cinder blocks are on top of the hardware cloth and filled with dirt and rock to keep diggers from moving them.

@3KillerBs what is the difference between the granite and cinder blocks? Is it because the cinder blocks are buried in the ground?

 

[3KillerBs]

Thanks. I appreciate this information! Are there other predators that react negatively to it?

I don't have experience with hot peppers against predators, only vermin.

@3KillerBs what is the difference between the granite and cinder blocks? Is it because the cinder blocks are buried in the ground?

Anything that covers the wire apron makes it less effective.

The digging predators will back up and start their dig at the edge of any barrier that they can see.

 

[aart]

Anything that covers the wire apron makes it less effective.

The digging predators will back up and start their dig at the edge of any barrier that they can see.

Ditto Dat.

 

[Devorah]

I don't have experience with hot peppers against predators, only vermin.



Anything that covers the wire apron makes it less effective.

The digging predators will back up and start their dig at the edge of any barrier that they can see.

Got it. Thanks so much!