Something Digging in the Coop and it's Not the Chickens!

[conny63malies]

Groundhog???

 

[Chickenaddict]

Moles or voles maybe? I had a bad infestation of moles this past summer, they dug tunnels into the run to get to the feed but never bothered the chickens.

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
No, four inches is way too small for a groundhog.

 

[Sylvie]

Quote:
My first thought as well. I have seen many groundhog holes started that were 4". Younger ones from late in the year will start a lot of holes. And they love it under structures!

 

[moduckman]

Rats. Get a rat terrier!!! They are great for them. Cats actually hate rats. While rats never got my big birds, they were heck on the young birds. Get rid of that problem now before the numbers increase!

 

[jvls1942]

rat S you never have just one..

the tunnels are close to the surface? as opposed to going down into the ground (like a ground hog)

get rid of them. you can get small live traps about 14 inches long. then shoot the rat after you catch him..

I had rats kill fryer sized chickens quick as any fox..

poison works too. but the rats sometimes choose to die where you cannot reach them and you will never forget that smell..

 

[The Chicken Lady]

This is my rat solution: Fill in all the holes you can find but one. Shove a garden hose down this hole, and pack dirt around it. Turn the hose on and LEAVE IT ON for at least an hour. You will drown the rats in their tunnels and also collapse their tunnels underground. We've used this method and it WORKS, plus, it doesn't use poison so no other animals will be harmed.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Thats rats. I had a hole like that near my coop. I set out poison under box, and some rat traps, and I killed 7.

 

[Cats Critters]

This is my rat solution: Fill in all the holes you can find but one. Shove a garden hose down this hole, and pack dirt around it. Turn the hose on and LEAVE IT ON for at least an hour. You will drown the rats in their tunnels and also collapse their tunnels underground. We've used this method and it WORKS, plus, it doesn't use poison so no other animals will be harmed.

I would try this but 1. I'm using the deep litter method and it would flood my coop 2. The coops to far away from the house to get a hose to.

wrote jvls1942 :
you can get small live traps about 14 inches long. then shoot the rat after you catch him..

that I can try, now I need to pick up a trap at tractor supply.​

 

[millebantam]

99 out of 100 cats will run the other way when encountering a rat. Cats are pretty good at whoopin up on mice, baby rabbits, and songbirds, but they're basically all cowards when a real challenge is starin' them in the face. There are a few old tough tom cats that will tackle a squirrel or adult rabbit though.