Rats / Other Rodents Burrowing Underneath Our Coop

[ds329]

Hello.

We have a problem with rodents from the neighbor's yard burrowing under our chicken coop and breaking open the eggs. It's also unfortunate because these rodents killed 2 of the original 3 chickens a year or so ago when they were first moved from inside to their coop. I would like to get another chick but don't want to go through all of that again until I know animals can't sneak into their home.

So, right now the floor of the coop is just the earth. I was reading on this board that hardware cloth can help keep rodents out (something I hadn't thought of) but it seems like it would be somewhat difficult to clean.

Would the hardware cloth be the best way to go? Originally I was thinking of laying down a concrete floor and covering it with dirt / straw. I'm assuming with a concrete floor the coop will have to be cleaned more often but how frequently? Also, are there any other cons to a concrete floor I may not be thinking about?

I would greatly appreciate anyone's take. What may be the pros and cons of hardware cloth vs. concrete in this situation?

Thanks.

 

[realmofthewoodsranch]

You can bury the hardware cloth under the soil if you don't want to go with concrete (which can be spendy). I wish I could give you advice on it, but I don't know... We don't have rats here. Good luck and welcom to BYC!

 

[C-Dub]

We went with 1/2 inch hardware cloth buried under the coop/run.

It's a little expensive, but I'm hoping it will work. (Chicks only 1 1/2 weeks old.)