What animal is tunneling under our coop? Photos

[77horses]

Could it be a groundhog, by chance, or have they already gone into hibernation?

Good question. I figured a groundhog would be too big. The tunnel width was about the size of a baseball.

 

[shineandrise]

Ok, that looks like a small hole, I would guess a Chipmunk or Weasel. Like you said, sorry I can't give you more help! So you said you hadn't lost any birds, that makes me think a Chipmunk. Hope you can get this fixed!

 

[LateBirdFarms]

Those look a heck of a lot like rat holes. I get ton of extra unwanted visitors every year when they harvest the grain fields close to the house, and they particularly like the cement slab under my coop too.

 

[77horses]

Those look a heck of a lot like rat holes. I get ton of extra unwanted visitors every year when they harvest the grain fields close to the house, and they particularly like the cement slab under my coop too.

It’s crazy because we’ve lived here almost 3 years now and this is the first time they’ve ever showed up, if they are indeed rats. These holes appeared over a span of two days so far.

 

[shineandrise]

Ok, so guessing chipmunks?

Do weasels ever hunt during the day?
We haven’t had anything get into the coop, which is closed up entirely at night. Even if something gets into the run at night , as it has, there’s no way into the coop- unless it can chew through a metal-plated door!
So the only way a weasel would be able to get to the flock would be during the day

 

[cmom]

I would guess rats. Hopefully you can get a camera up and solve the mystery. I love my cameras. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

I had a coop that was infested with rats and there were tunnels around the coops. I did put rat bait stations in our barn which is behind or coops because I had seen rats in there too. I put the bait stations where only the rats could get to them. My bait stations have a little window above the bait so I can check them daily. I haven't seen any activity in quite awhile and the baits haven't been touched. I didn't find any dead rats laying around so I think they went into their tunnels and died. Again, good luck...

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Chipmunks or rats.

 

[SlimPickens74]

Looks to be a rat. We are trapping them as we speak, using the Ratanator. Where there are chickens and feed there will be rodents. We have holes just like that. I would start taking care of the issue, or soon be overran.Good luck. Rats are very wary of new things. Maybe bait the trap without setting it a night or two... They will get to trust it. Then , well.

 

[77horses]

Well, the mystery continues. I went out this morning to find that the new mesh wire was successful last night (so far). There were no signs of digging, no new tunnels, on the outside of the coop or run.
But...somehow, someway, there were STILL a couple new holes on the INSIDE of the run. ???? I walked around and inspected the entire exterior border of the run and coop- no signs of tunnels. But on the inside, there’s two new holes that don’t seem to reach to the outside. And there’s no new tunnels under the coop either, now that it’s entirely blocked off, so it’s not like there’s anything living under there. Unless there’s some secret underground tunnel that starts further out in the woods and connects to a tunnel inside the run that I’m somehow not seeing, I have no clue how they’re getting in at this point.
I have two stumps and a tire in the run that I lifted and inspected to see if anything has been living underneath this whole time. Nothing.