Tracks in the snow in the run

[swadle]

I just noticed after it snowed tracks in my run. I was wondering what it was. Is it a rat or chipmunk

 

[Frazzemrat1]

Chipmunk, rat or mouse, would be my guess.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

Or sparrow. I close my run every night, but birds creep in from a small opening in the top, to peck at the feed.They leave pretty big tracks even though they have such tiny toes

 

[swadle]

I have hardware cloth over the top below the roof. When I lived in town I had a rat and its pretty gross. So here I buried the hardware cloth about 8-10 inches and then bent it so it went out away from the run 8-10 inches. I will need to redo this this summer. I thought I had proofed this run. Whatever it is it has a hole. I put a couple of traps out and covered them with milk crates so the chickens cant get in them. Nothing last night. I don't know where a rat would come from. We live in the country away from farms with livestock. I do have chipmunks and field mice.

 

[Gray Farms]

Looks like mouse tracks to me

 

[swadle]

I like the idea of mice better then rats!

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I like the idea of mice better then rats!

Mice can lead to rats. Both are everywhere, even (especially) in the country. It happened with me, and the rats just expanded the mice holes.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chipmunks i think hibernate so they should be sawing logs right now, mice and rats not usually.

The upside is that usually if you have rats they will keep the mice population in check by eating those cute fuzzy baby mice.

 

[3riverschick]

Seriously, they have been in business for over 30 years.
www.predatorpee.com.
Best,
Karen

 

[drumstick diva]

I imagine you would have to reapply often in snowy or wet weather.