Hmm wonder if there is such thing as coop kitties lol just have a big ol cat in the coop to discourge the rats and mice
Rats and mice unfortantly are extreamly good survivalist and much smarter then something with a brain the size of a pea should be. I love them actually rats being my favorit animal hands down. I cant help much with the loose feed in the coop all I know is you have to do what you can to limit there acess to food and comfy nesting spots wich is easyer said then done.
I kind of have coop kitties. My chicken run is an extended version of what I originally built to be a "catio." (Patio for cats). When my cats were young and wily, they'd roam if I let them out. But they were rescued as feral kittens and longed for the fresh air. I put a cat door in a window and used chain link panels to form an open air area that would keep them contained.
The run is now significantly bigger, but the cat door remains and my mouser often goes into the run at night to look for mice. One week he caught five! Being a generous cat, he of course had to bring them into the house.
One of my daughter's classmates recently got one of those step-on chicken feeders because they were having rat problems. If you can take the word of a 9 year old, it's working well for them.
Thanks for jumping right in there to help these girls out DonaldFan.
