Help please. Don’t know what’s going on

[D100putz88]

Ok so I was changing water tonight and the girls were out and about. I looked at the feeder and saw what is in the pics. I didnt see any obvious scat around where the feeder was. The feeder was in a fenced in area of the run under the coop. No sign of breaking in or scratching. I found pieces of the plastic in the food. What do y’all think? The grown chickens (18 weeks) are pecking at it or do I have an issue. I personally think something was chewing on the side of it.

many thanks!

 

[Jenessa_096]

Huh, do you let your birds free range?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Looks like rats

 

[Jenessa_096]

Looks like rats

Yeah....

 

[Geena]

Rats and squirrels will chew through plastic like that trying to gain access to feed. Kinda puzzling though, since it looks like they could get to it very easily.

 

[D100putz88]

Yeah they free range but are kept in the run during the day when my wife and I are at work. At night they are locked up in the coop. There is 2x4 welded fencing that is everywhere. Plus chicken wire. The feeder is hung off the ground.

 

[D100putz88]

Huh, do you let your birds free range?

Yeah when I get home. They are in the run other wise.

 

[Jenessa_096]

Yeah when I get home. They are in the run other wise.

I agree it looks like mice or squirrels

 

[cmom]

Looks like rats or squirrels. I had a rat infested coop. The rats ate through a stud to get to the other side of the wall. I took all of the walls out and found several nests. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

I had a bucket with sunflower seeds in it. A squirrel chewed a hole to get to the seeds.