Something's living in my coop.

[Tracyree]

So I've been suspecting for a while now that something other than chickens is living in my coop, but now I'm sure. Went out after dark to it and all the girls sleeping in the run, thought that was weird so I look around. The run is secure, all 1/4" hardware cloth, so I'm letting them stay, maybe they just like sleeping there, but maybe something scared them??

We have a "window" in the coop that leads to the run that I covered with that plastic chicken wire (just plastic hex fence). Since the run is secure, the plastic fence was just to keep the girls from roosting in the window. Tonight I notice there is a large section been cut out, about 8x8 I'd say.

So, a mouse would have just walked through it, it has 1" openings. A rat maybe? What else would it be that hasn't harmed chicken or stolen eggs (yet)

Help!!

UPDATE: just saw him. It's a rat.

 

[Judy]

A cat, maybe?

 

[Tracyree]

Well, it would have to be something that could get in a very small opening. The entire thing is done in 1/4" hardware cloth, the plastic fence is just on the interior window, so something would have to be in the run to have gotten to it.

There a few Quarter sized gaps up near the roof?

 

[Malibu99]

A snake?

 

[Tracyree]

A snake chew through plastic??

 

[Malibu99]

Ohh. I missed that part... Sorry. I don't know what t could be

 

[Tracyree]

I'm guessing either rat or squirrel. I can't imagine any other possibilities. Really, squirrel would be more likely as there have been no missing eggs. Maybe a game camera in order ....

 

[Tracyree]

Just went up there to investigate again and saw a rat. It was peeking out at me as I approached coop from between where the wall meets the metal roof. Chased him off and saw where it had gone through where 2 pieces of hardware cloth overlapped, it had pushed a tunnel through. Going to secure those pieces together tomorrow and figure out a way to add hardware cloth to the gap between wall and roof.

 

[schrunk11]

Rats can tunnel, if the coop's on the ground.