Tonight I went outside and saw a rat wandering around in the run.

[Sonya9]

You have chicken coop wire on the ground in the run? Is it buried or...?

 

[colette04]

have you ever tried the hot pepper trick or the cat trick

This is new to me. Just saw the rat this evening. I will start by removing food in the evening, and putting the feeder back in at morning. Maybe it wont come back if theres nothing to eat lol

 

[colette04]

You have chicken coop wire on the ground in the run? Is it buried or...?

Its flat on the grass and on top of that is mats, then pine, grass clippings and wood chips.

 

[colette04]

Its flat on the grass and on top of that is mats, then pine, grass clippings and wood chips.

Its attached to 2x4s . I will post a picture.

 

[Flockincrazy]

This is new to me. Just saw the rat this evening. I will start by removing food in the evening, and putting the feeder back in at morning. Maybe it wont come back if theres nothing to eat lol

Take the hottest peppers you can get your hands on and crush them especially the seeds put it around your coop and run it will denture rats snakes and any other predators or get a female cat 4-5mths old it will grow up thinking the chickens are normal part of your family and not bother them i have 4 cats and they protect my flock and play with the ducks no joke they chase each other its so funny to watch

 

[Sonya9]

Its flat on the grass and on top of that is mats, then pine, grass clippings and wood chips.

Okay so there is no way their feet can touch it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Rats can almost fit into a 1/2" gap (I've actually found a dead one with it's head wedged into a 1/2" opening). You need to have everything bigger than 1/2" covered with 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth.

Taking in feed at night will also help discourage rodents, as they have no real reason to go in if there's no food available.

 

[colette04]

Okay so there is no way their feet can touch it.

No, feet are not touching wire.

 

[colette04]

Rats can almost fit into a 1/2" gap (I've actually found a dead one with it's head wedged into a 1/2" opening). You need to have everything bigger than 1/2" covered with 1/2" or 1/4" hardware cloth.

Taking in feed at night will also help discourage rodents, as they have no real reason to go in if there's no food available.

I am seriously going to take everything out of that run and put in 1/4 hardware cloth, including the bottom floor....arghhh! Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it!

 

[Sonya9]

View attachment 2275865

No, feet are not touching wire.

Yeah the chicken wire is the problem with regard to rats getting in. Its a shame chicken wire was used instead of hardware cloth or another sturdier fencing especially since a lot of effort went into building that coop.

If there is no food in the run at night it will discourage rats, otherwise you will end up with a little rat family/colony living in and around the coop. I am in a rural area and the coop has its own small colony, they don't harm anything and the snakes eat them but in a suburban area it may be more of an issue.