Help! Something is burrowing holes in my chicken pen

[Messipaw]

Please help. Something is making burrowing holes from under the ground into my chicken pen. What ever it is getting into the coop and eating the chicken feed because I am finding little pellet poops in the nesting box. I'm not sure what it is - I'm assuming it's a rat, mouse, mole or vole. We put a mouse trap out and mint sacks in the nesting boxes. Any other suggestions. I also read to use cedar chips in the outside pen to try and keep them away. I'm nervous. I clean the nesting boxes daily now and fill the holes. I layered DE everywhere! I'm afraid of sickness and mites and lice. What should I do?

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

Can you bury Hardware Cloth that is attached to the house and going out into the yard at least 12", 24 is even better? It does not have to be buried deep. A few inches should discourage diggers and not interfer with lawn maintenance...JJ

 

[Messipaw]

Can you bury Hardware Cloth that is attached to the house and going out into the yard at least 12", 24 is even better? It does not have to be buried deep. A few inches should discourage diggers and not interfer with lawn maintenance...JJ

I'm going to look into this. Thank you

 

[Chef JimmyJ]

You are most welcome...JJ

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Agree with hardware cloth....sounds like rats...which are a very persistent menace and will eat you out of house and home, chicken feed wise, especially during winter when there is less forage.

And if they can't go under, they will go over, through or between.

You may consider setting some rat traps. Place under a milk crate so the chickens can't get into them. I've had smaller game birds actually killed by a rat trap. Larger breed injured.

Stay on top of it...the more they know you've got goodies, the more come, and produce more, that creates this incredible population explosion that is hard to get under control if you get behind it.

LofMc