Rat prob

[Vamvakas]

I have around 3 months old chicks in a smaller coop for my chicks and doves and the rats came back!

Back in the summer before I had these chicks it was only the doves living in cages inside the coop. There were a few rat holes on the ground and they would go inside the cages and eat some parts of the doves like there feet or head. Soon my dad put rat traps and poison and killed many rats then they disappeared for awhile. Now they came back, I have baby chicks living in there Im afraid that they may eat them... They just made a new fresh hole inside the coop so there around.

I cant move the chicks to another location beacuse I cant put them any where else so im asking you what should I do? I cant put traps or posion inside the coop cause I dont wana kill my chicks..

Help!

 

[mikki717]

If the coop is not too laarge, what about sand? They can't tunnel through sand.

 

[Hunter0704]

The floor and any openings in the coop should be secured with hardware cloth nailed down, caulked but not enough to where the birds will pick on it, etc. There should be no way any predator can access the inside of your coop and whatever you have to do to accomplish this, is up to you. It sounds like the floor of your coop is maybe dirt?? Other than pouring concrete over it, I don't know what else to tell you. Maybe other BYCers can give you some ideas. Good luck in whatever you do!!!

 

[Yessur Ebob]

If you're chicks are big enough, put some rat poison inside a closed box with 2 to 3 inch diameter holes in it.