Rat or mole getting into coop area.

[flash5153]

I have a large area, fenced in, with a coop inside it . I do not lock coop at night,chickens can go into fenced in area as they want.

There is something digging under leaving a golf ball size tunnel. I did find a dead mole in fenced area days ago, a very small one. Chickens killed it.
Im ,not sure what is doing this or how to stop it. Might be a rat wanting chicken food. Will a rat leave this type tunnel? and will they do any other harm,,,like hurting chickens or eggs??? Got my first egg today,,BTW.

Have chicken wire buried at about 6" all the way around.

If a rat,,,how can I stop this???

 

[CMV]

Rats/chipmunks will leave small tunnels like you described. Snap traps work to catch both, but you will need to keep the trap out of your chickens' reach. I put a milk crate over mine. I would strongly recommend you rethink leaving your coop open at night. Runs can be breached fairly easily especially if they are chicken wire like yours. Chicken wire keeps chickens in and nothing out. A raccoon will use that chicken wire as dental floss to pick the pieces of your chickens out of its teeth when its done eating them.

Good luck.