What the heck is doing this?

[ejducharme]

I have been noticing holes around the edges of my coop run lately. As I have a small dog that loves birds, I figured it was him digging into the coop while the girls were inside their box. Today, I find this:

This was after I hoed dirt over it. It was a perfectly formed tunnel into my run area, with the exit here:


And here are the holes around the edges. I guess whatever it is got tired of me putting boards up to cover the holes. The girls are safely locked up at night, so whatever it is can't get at them, and I have a sneaking suspicion whatever it is is going after the feed in the hanging feeder.



But on a nicer note, here's my girls, now 3.5 months old and very happy!

I love them so, and am patiently waiting for eggs to come. lol
Kamikaze and Cleo (EEs)

Chocobo (White EE) and Elizabeth and Isabella, my Wyandottes

So, anyone have any ideas what could be doing this? I live in a pretty urban/suburban area, almost in a subdivision, with only 1/4 acre lots, so it's not like we have a "wilderness" around us.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

Could be a rat. They will tunnel like that and make burrows in the ground. I bet they are eating the chicken's feed at night.

 

[ejducharme]

Possibly. Our storage shed is right next to the coop though, and we keep dog food and the chicken feed in there as well. Wouldn't a rat go into the shed and eat the dog food too? Also, the hole is a good 4-5 inches in diameter. Would a rat dig that big of a hole?

 

[cedar post]

Looks like rat holes to me.