What got into my coop last night?

[RaesChicks]

Something got into my coop last night, it’s around 8 when it get dark now and after I did all the household chores I fell asleep without closing the coop. When I went out this morning the eggs that were in the nesting box were thrown everywhere like something had tried to cart them all out. It was dark still so we didn’t get a good look until I got home today. By that time one egg had a smallish puncture mark in the middle about the size of a finger. There were dig tracks leading up to the coop. Could this have been a rat? My hens were untouched. We have feral and pet cats that prowl the area, raccoons that a neighbor down the street feeds, and all kinds of wildlife in the woods down the street ranging from coyotes to who knows what. I included pictures. My hens were untouched, even my silkie that sleeps on the board that separates the nesting box from the coop floor. I don’t know if I’m hoping it’s a raccoon/ possum or a rat. I feel terrible that I left them vulnerable. If that last picture looks like rat droppings and not chicken do I need to sanitize the whole coop? I had just gotten done cleaning the feed and water containers and putting in new bedding yesterday evening.

 

[SilverBirds]

So glad your hens are okay! I'm going to say it was rats. Anything else would have taken your chickens.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Definitely not a cat. A cat would have chosen your chickens over eggs. A raccoon would have eaten the eggs and probably went for the chickens. The poop does appear to be a rat's poop. Maybe the rats were trying to get nesting material and the eggs got in the way so they kicked them out.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Rat is possible according to the hole size, Possums love eggs also in case you didn't know. Leaving the birds untouched like that, them 2 would be my first guess.
Rats will go after chickens toes when hungry enough and I've heard Possums to kill younger birds and chicks, but generally go after eggs. I've never had a Possum kill any of my birds but my coops are locked up tight.

Close call for sure, glad it ended well considering.

 

[RaesChicks]

Rat is possible according to the hole size, Possums love eggs also in case you didn't know. Leaving the birds untouched like that, them 2 would be my first guess.
Rats will go after chickens toes when hungry enough and I've heard Possums to kill younger birds and chicks, but generally go after eggs. I've never had a Possum kill any of my birds but my coops are locked up tight.

Close call for sure, glad it ended well considering.

Should I do a deep clean on my coop and sanitize and spray everything just to be safe? The idea of rats freaks me out.

 

[GlicksChicks]

Should I do a deep clean on my coop and sanitize and spray everything just to be safe? The idea of rats freaks me out.

"Rats carry many diseases such as salmonellosis and leptospirosis that can be transferred to your chickens. They can also carry mites and fleas into the coop, which can then infest your entire flock."

It wouldn't hurt to do a deep clean. It is much better to be safe than sorry. Rats are gross little creatures.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

I also think rats. Rats will attempt to roll eggs into their nests for later consumption, which is another reason the eggs may have been scattered. If possible, i would place a game camera inside your coop/facing the nest boxes to try to determine what's going on. Can rats easily access your coop? If a rat(s) or opposum is the culprit, a deep cleaning is a good idea if you can keep them out, but will be a waste of your time if they continue to return.

 

[wrathsfarm]

Can rats easily access your coop? If a rat(s) or opposum is the culprit, a deep cleaning is a good idea if you can keep them out, but will be a waste of your time if they continue to return.

This is true... Keeping them out of the coop and then eliminating the rats is your biggest concern.

 

[RaesChicks]

They cannot easily access the coop generally. I just forgot to close the coop that evening. I had adopted the deep litter method in my run which is full of hay right now. My nesting boxes are hay and my coop floor is pelletized horse bedding. The nesting boxes, nests, and coop ledges are all sprinkled with DE. I had no time to address the coop yesterday and it’s 90 degrees today. I plan to remove the hay tomorrow and I guess go ahead and scrape out the coop, I just did this last week, I could cry. I bought a sprayer so I could spray out the coop with bleach water in the morning and let it dry through the day. But I don’t know how to go about the run. I have a whole hay bale in one corner and the ground is hay and mulch. My run is only 4 feet tall but 12’ x 10’ with a post in the middle. I used to clean it out twice a week when I only had dirt but I have no idea how long it would take me to clean out the run as is. My coop is usually open to the run 24/7. Last night I it as well for added security.

I knew raising a flock was a huge commitment and a ton of work, but it seems like every week there’s something else to deal with. I don’t know how other people with full time jobs make poultry raising sound so much easier than it is. I spend all my time on these birds and so much more money than seems reasonable. To the detriment of my kids, work, and dogs. It feels like there’s no getting ahead, something is always going wrong. This mistake was from sheer exhaustion, and it’s getting overwhelming.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

If it feels that overwhelming to deal with right now, I honestly wouldn't worry about it. Yes rats, oppossums and other critters can carry diseases and parasites, and it's always best to keep a coop as clean as possible. But odds are higher than not that nothing bad will result from your night visitor's intrusion. Aiming for perfection is great, but sometimes we are forced to settle for good enough. If your coop and run were totally rat-infested, that would be a different story, but I think your current situation will be ok. By far the most important thing is to make sure the critter(s) don't gain access again.