How do you rat/mice proof your coop?

[jonalisa]

I don’t think live near and large rat population but I know there a mice. I believe that chickens will kill and eat mice as they are omnivores.

I have had chickens and this coop/run for just about 10 years. This is my first time with rats.
You don't have to live near rats, they will come to you.

 

[Alex S]

I guess I'm going to need some more HWC so I can make an apron under the run.

 

[jonalisa]

If I place a rat trap, wont the chickens step in it?

Yes we you would have to place it so the chickens can't get to it. Perhaps under a box that was propped up a little on one side.
Look at this photo. If you enlarge it with your fingers, you'll see the rat on bottom right in front of the door. He then jumped up to the sill on the left (under the big picture window) and climbed through the horizontal crack right under the window. That crack is about 1/4 inch.
You can put traps where a mouse can get to it but a chicken can't.

 

[perkolator]

If I place a rat trap, wont the chickens step in it?

Probably. Put the traps inside a box with holes for them to get in

I had an issue with rats in old coop, which is a main reason for building the new one, so used plenty of hardware cloth all the way up the sides and small gaps on doors to keep them out. I don’t want rodents around because they might promote snakes

 

[gtaus]

I have been told by many that chickens attract mice or rats, and I really dont want that to happen. How do I prevent this from happening?

My coop is about 18 inches off the ground. I have yet to see any mice in the coop. We don't have a rat problem where I live, and I have never seen a rat in my yard for the 30+ years I have lived here.

I think the chickens would kill and eat any mouse if it did get into the coop. My 5 gallon bucket feeder with PVC elbows is suspending by a chain, and I don't think a mouse could get to the feed.

I keep all my feed and chicken scratch in garbage cans in the garage. I just use plastic garbage cans, but so far nothing has ever chewed through. If that ever becomes an issue, I then spend a bit more money and buy metal garbage cans.

IF I had a rat problem, I think I would use bait traps outside the coop and/or chicken run. I live on a lake, outside of town, so if I had any rats, chances are they would not be eating human garbage for survival. So I don't know how much disease and illness a "field" rat would spread.

 

[3KillerBs]

I haven't had any issues. The new Chicken Palace will be covered in 1/2" hardware cloth and have an apron.

But the fact that I have mole tunnels everywhere in my yard EXCEPT inside the chicken pen suggests that my tiny dinosaurs are happy to eat rodents.

 

[RojoMarz]

It's important to not feed the rodents. I use a Ratproof Chicken Feeder and remove it from the coop each night.

 

[aart]

If I place a rat trap, wont the chickens step in it?

Mice are easy, I put the traps under a wire basket so the birds can't get at it.

Rats are much harder. Only had them once, due to excavation on adjacent land.
Dog killed the first out in yard and I set a trap inside coop shed along the droppings trail and got 2 more.

My coop is in a large shed, I keep mouse traps set all the time. They seems to come in surges.

 

[SamDeeggman]

Good to know! Do you know what causes rats to come to the coop?

I'm in south Florida and rats are a bit problem. If you were not looking for them, you'd never know they were around. They are everywhere. The rats are after any protein they can find. Chicken poop, chicken food, water, weak chickens and especially chicks.

 

[The Sheperds Wife]

We used to have mice and maybe a rat. We tried many different things to solve the problem. Finally we got 2 kittens and they are fantastic mousers!. They are now 2 years old and the only mice we see now are dead ones!