Rats/Mice problem

[Okaythen]

My girls have a light in their coop because of daylight savings and every night I go outside to turn it off. Today I went out and saw 3 rats/mice running along a gutter pipe that connects to my roof and fence, and maybe 1 more hidden behind tools next to my shed. I use traps but can barley use them as I let my girls free range everyday and they always get into the smallest of places. Is there a natural repellent that won’t harm my girls but will also be very effective? (I guess I have no choice but to postpone free ranging and set up the traps if I want this to end!)

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi,

They are obviously coming there because there's food. You can try figure out where they are getting in and use 1/2" hardware cloth to patch any cracks or holes.

Where we live surrounded by fields and forests, we deter them rather than kill as we'd be killing until we're blue in the face. It's only mice here though. We've got two cats that sure help!

Here's an excellent thread on how to get rid of rats.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/rat-control-the-video-series.1337456/

We also used to use the Fresh Cab botanical pouches in the loft and other areas where chickens couldn't get at them. Those work but get expensive, so I learned how to DIY and wrote an article on how to make them. We use those in the motor area of our vehicles in the winter too.

 

[kattabelly]

It's totally possible to use snap traps in areas you have adult chickens in - you just need the traps to be covered in a way that means the chickens can't get to them, and to secure the traps to prevent a rat managing to move one without setting it off. Screwing the trap to a heavy board and then either building a wooden box tunnel over that (long enough that chickens can't poke their heads in deep enough to reach the trap), or setting something like a wire shopping basket over it and weighting it down, are both easy ways to do that.