What is this?? (Pictures)

[geoff40]

The picture of the hole I think leaves little doubt that it is a mouse (a vole is another name for a common field mouse). A mole would leave a small mound of dirt around that hole.

 

[CountryKitty]

While mice and moles are themselves harmless, the snakes which prey on them are not. A snake might well enter a mouse hole looking for a rodent, but it WON'T pass up a chick as an easy meal. Pack that dirt good!

 

[highpointfarm]

I have no idea if weasels dig, but If so, they that might be a consideration as well...

 

[PamelaTX]

Reading this post has made me think....I haven't built my coop yet but I am very concerned about predators. Seeing this post makes me wonder. Do you guys think it would be worth, rather than trying to bury hardware cloth deeply enough, just having the entire bottom of the run lined with burried hardware cloth laying flat on the ground and then covered with sod? Our ranch is crawling with what we refer to genrally as "mophers" (moles and gophers). We also have snakes and racoons, and all kinds of other hungry wildlife. Also, the soil here is very sandy and very easy to dig through. Thoughts?

 

[highpointfarm]

ummmm I think that having a floor would be safest but the problem is hardware cloth runs very expensive...... also You would need to cover it with around 2 feet of dirt.. just because chickens like to dig, and dustbathe, and scratch, and dig some more... Lol

 

[Achickenwrangler#1]

It would be sooo expensive and prob not worth it for the run. My only daytime predator is hawks, so you'll want netting over the run. The coop is the fortress, spare no expense there, wrap it in wire. (Just kidding) but if its on the ground you should bury the ratwire 2 feet down, add rocks and chunks of concrete too, in sandy soil it won't be hard to dig. Where I am forget it, my coop is clad in rough poplar, and even so have seen gnawing spots. Rule of thumb, if you can push a hotdog through a hole or space its not safe. As for that hole in the photo, it doesn't,t look like a predator, at least not used recently, there's no trail, but I'm thinking that you have a dog between 30 to 40 lbs maybe. Looks like a print off to the left.,it's washed away pretty good.
Actually it looks more like a cave in from soil settle.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

maybe a mole. Our ground looked like that last year. The little suckers had torn the ground all to pieces on one side of the yard but our dog or cat took care of them!

 

[jjak2001]

Thanks everyone for your comments.. I pushed the dirt down with my feet and haven't seen any sign of attempted break ins since.. I suspect it was either earth settling, or a chipmunk. Whatever it was, nothing got in the run so I'm a happy camper!

 

[Gallus Sapien]

Dirt settling.

 

[Gallus Sapien]

Reading this post has made me think....I haven't built my coop yet but I am very concerned about predators. Seeing this post makes me wonder. Do you guys think it would be worth, rather than trying to bury hardware cloth deeply enough, just having the entire bottom of the run lined with burried hardware cloth laying flat on the ground and then covered with sod? Our ranch is crawling with what we refer to genrally as "mophers" (moles and gophers). We also have snakes and racoons, and all kinds of other hungry wildlife. Also, the soil here is very sandy and very easy to dig through. Thoughts?

Unless your birds free range all the time they will scratch to that wire in time. You do not want to treat feet probs in case of injury.