what is making a home under my coop?

[nuthinfancey]

recently built a 8x8 coop, used 1/4" hardware cloth for the floor, so no predator can come up from underneath. now i have a varmint that is digging all the way around the edge of the coop and making hugh mounds of dirt inside the coop. there are 2 entry tunnels on the outside of the coop. don't have any idea of what it can be. one thing i thought might be unusual, is that the dirt is made into balls about the size of a nickle or quarter, all of it. there isn't any dirt that is just result of digging, it is all balled??? any idea of what it might be? i don't want to use poison, b/c have 3 dogs that run loose at times. but this thing has got to go. thank you in advance for any help.

 

[tcstoehr]

I doubt anyone can tell you what it is beyond that it is a digging rodent. Unfortunately, there are many that love to find shelter underneath surfaces that we conveniently provide for them. It's rodent heaven under there. Could be a rat, ground squirrel, mole, vole, you name it. I foolishly made my coop with a plywood floor just a couple inches off the ground. Perfect rodent habitat under there. I'm considering digging a 12" trench all around the coop and installing a strip of hardware underground.

 

[Hail The Quail]

I can't tell exactly what it is but I have found plenty of voles under my quail coop and chicken coop

 

[Farmer Brian]

Are they 1'' holes or 10" holes, or something in between? Post a pic if you can and I may be able to ID it for you. Also what part of country are you at, that may make a difference too.
In the northeast, the diggers are woodchucks, skunks, rats, moles. It's not chipmunks because they carry the dirt away.

 

[nuthinfancey]

found him, a norway rat, flooded him out. thanks for your help