Enclosed coop to prevent feeding rats?

[chris24e]

Hi,

We would really like to have backyard chickens. Our neighborhood has rats and I don't want to feed them. Has anyone tried a chicken coop and run that is enclosed on all sides including the bottom with 1/4" welded mesh or similar? My thinking is that the floor mesh would be a few inches below the actual ground so the run would appear to have a natural bottom.

Any thoughts on this or other ideas to prevent supporting our local rats?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[marianne7]

Hi,

We would really like to have backyard chickens. Our neighborhood has rats and I don't want to feed them. Has anyone tried a chicken coop and run that is enclosed on all sides including the bottom with 1/4" welded mesh or similar? My thinking is that the floor mesh would be a few inches below the actual ground so the run would appear to have a natural bottom.

Any thoughts on this or other ideas to prevent supporting our local rats?

Thanks,

Chris

Yes I'm from the UK, we have an enclosed pen, we love it, it keeps all predators out including rats, (although we don't have as many predators as you guys in the USA) -we also have a fox proof mesh all the way round the coop, it is quite a big pen.. but we love it...

 

[Baxter-Shamo]

Hi Chris24e,

Rats especially will get in anywhere they want to get in. I've had rats chew threw my coops to get inside, And they wont think twice about chewing through a bit of chicken wire.

The key to keeping them away is a clean, tidy chicken run, coop and garden, That means, no excess corn laying about, Clean Garden, Waste needs to be disposed of properly, e.g burning or dumping legally, Putting on a compost heap near your run is a no no, nothing for them to run, hide under especially the sides of your garden, as rats only run down sides.

The fact is, If theres no food available, Theres nowhere for them to live, And theres no cover for them leaving them exposed to predators, They wont live there.

Good luck!

 

[RWD]

Hang your feeders and water from the ceiling with wire, about 7"-10" off the groung. Rats can easily chew through wire. but they cant climb down a long wire.

 

[Mavrik]

The problem with buried hardware cloth in a run is one, even galvanized hardware cloth will rust away, two, chickens dig holes to take dirt baths. Sheet metal and concrete would be the only way to stop rats.

Keep in mind, rats can jump. Depending on the breed, rats can jump vertically around 3 feet high.