What is digging into my run?

[Matzwd]

I noticed a couple of days ago that there was a small hole just outside the run. I dug it up to see if I could find anything and filled it back in yesterday. This morning the hole was back. It's small, nickel-sized.

I had noticed last night that the feeder was low on chick starter, so I filled it this morning and noticed that the area underneath it didn't look quite right. I lifted the feeder off the ground and saw that the whole corner of the run was dug out underneath. In the pic, I had already filled it back in a bit.

The boards you see are 2x12 and are buried all the way around the run, so something is going down and around the board. It also seems that it's only interested in the feed so far. Is it possible it hasn't noticed the chickens yet? They are locked in the coop at night, but the slider chicken door isn't locked. We're installing a hardware cloth bottom in the next day or two. What would be doing this? Mice? Snake?

 

[Aapomp831]

Those are mouse holes. The mice are attracted to the chicken feed, which will attract snakes because of the mice. I put out traps every night (and take them out before I let my chickens in the morning). But those are definitely mouse holes.

 

[Matzwd]

Those are mouse holes. The mice are attracted to the chicken feed, which will attract snakes because of the mice. I put out traps every night (and take them out before I let my chickens in the morning). But those are definitely mouse holes.

Thank you! Will go with mouse traps for sure until we get the hardware cloth installed to deter them.

 

[Aapomp831]

Thank you! Will go with mouse traps for sure until we get the hardware cloth installed to deter them.

You’re welcome. Mice won’t intentionally harm your chickens but they will eat your feed and leave dropping’s everywhere... gross and spreads disease!! Last week a mouse ran out of one of those holes and my chickens attacked and killed it! Even they don’t want mice in their run lol