Tunnels?

[TurtleFeathers]

I *REALLY* hope you're right!!!

I usually get good results using peanut butter with mice - but it was completely untouched out there, 3 nights in a row, hence, my confusion!

Ah well... I'll just keep trying and see what happens! Thanks so much!

 

[anthonyk]

I *REALLY* hope you're right!!!

I usually get good results using peanut butter with mice - but it was completely untouched out there, 3 nights in a row, hence, my confusion!

Ah well... I'll just keep trying and see what happens! Thanks so much!

Hi, I know this is an old post. But just checking, did you ever find out what animal was making tunnels under your coop?
I am facing similar issue, I also tried moving the coop, but new tunnels started forming under it again.
Let me know if you remember about it. Thank You

 

[Sara Ranch]

@anthonyk - you can laid down hardware cloth UNDER the coop (and have it extend several feet around the border of the coop) to prevent/to discourage burrowing under the coop.

If you can post pics that would also help.

 

[anthonyk]

Okay, but do you remember what was making tunnel under your coop then?

 

[Sara Ranch]

@anthonyk - I didn't post the original post - I was just responding to your question.

It's mostly like "varmints" - rats, mice, voles - that sorta thing.

Yes, you should discourage them for being anywhere near your chickens! They carry disease. They will eat the chicken food. They will drink the chicken water. They will eat the chicken eggs. They will nibble on the chickens while they sleep. They will reproduce. They can often be destructive to chicken housing.

And they poop too! Not fun to clean up. Their pee is even worse!

 

[Howard E]

AnthonyK

Do the tunnels look like these? If so......be thinking rats.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/strange-tunnels.1220785/

 

[anthonyk]

Yeah somewhat like that , wherever I move the coop inside the pen, it keeps happening

 

[anthonyk]

@anthonyk - I didn't post the original post - I was just responding to your question.

It's mostly like "varmints" - rats, mice, voles - that sorta thing.

Yes, you should discourage them for being anywhere near your chickens! They carry disease. They will eat the chicken food. They will drink the chicken water. They will eat the chicken eggs. They will nibble on the chickens while they sleep. They will reproduce. They can often be destructive to chicken housing.

And they poop too! Not fun to clean up. Their pee is even worse!

Sorry I thought the actual author of the thread had replied initially

 

[Sara Ranch]

I have quite a few animals here.

What I do -- which is working well for me --

1. No food or water in the animal houses. There are VERY few exceptions to that. Like the other day when the winds were 70+ mph. My neighbor says 100+ mph. I live on top of a mountain. We don't have "hurricanes" here. I will keep the animals in when under a wind warning, with winds predicted to be so fast.

2. Cleaning. I try to clean the animal houses daily. The waste either goes into a closed composting bin OR far away from the animal houses.

3. Sand. I use sand in the animal houses and the nesting boxes. Nothing is piling up and composting in place. It's easy and quick to clean the animal houses.

4. Eggs. I collect eggs often during the day. Say, 2-5x a day. No set schedule for varmints to predict or to set their internal clock by.

5. Health. Any animal that appears to be having health issues, even a "I don't feel good" energy is removed from the general population and moved to the chicken clinic or the ER.

6. Feed. I try to do the fermented feed served in rubber bowls. The bowls get "licked" clean by the animals. Then the bowls are brought in the house or turned upside down outside. I also move the bowls locations around.

7. Move things. I move things around often in the pastures. I don't want animals (i.e. varmints) to set up house.

8. Visitors. I am the main visitor and I visit my animals several times a day.

9. Sheets and stuffs. I hang stuff in/around the fences/pastures. The flapping keeps some things away.

10. Maintenance. I try to check everything daily and make immediate repairs. Even if it's with duct tape. Lol - and yes, I have used duct tape in urgent situations!