They no longer have the luxury of picking away at a giant container full of food whenever they want. They are docile enough that I can get my tree loppers around their necks (do snakes have necks? How To Care For Your Potted Christmas Tree. As I am home all day, I spend a lot of time with the girls and this was the first time I’d noticed it so it had been getting fed elsewhere first. Rats will feel less safe when they don’t have places to hide. It was important to get rid of these rats. My tunnels now have a bag stuffed well down and covered with rocks so the spaniel can’t get at them, and a trap baited with chocolate/peanut butter is in the compost bin. Here we are describing some common methods of keeping rats out of chicken coop. Really getting rid of any access to food was the only thing that worked for us, I hope you can get rid of yours! Weasels don’t usually attach chickens as their first choice. I sent you an email with my response to your problem as it was too long to put in here, and I wanted to make sure you got it. To deter digging predators, dig a 12″ trench all the way around the … Does it work to put the compost in steel trash cans? So getting rid of rats is very important. Poisoning rats puts the wildlife in your area at risk too, as owls and cats will readily eat a slowly moving poisoned rodent. Rats are attracted more so to your chickens food, water and eggs but will sometimes also prey on smaller birds, choosing to attack at night, leaving you with an unwelcome surprise come morning. Then installed a chicken wire roof to the run, painstakingly wrapping the wire around every branch of our trumpet vine. If nothing is working for you, you may have to resort to poisons or calling an exterminator. We set the treated boards on top of the cinderblocks and leveled everything with the help of pea gravel. I hate using poisons, but apparently this worked. Posted on Published: August 19, 2019 - Last updated: June 8, 2020 Categories Chickens, Home » Homesteading » Chickens » How To Keep Rats Out Of Your Chicken Coop. Rats have been known to steel young chicks right out from under the mother hen. We found this was the only way that would work. The rat decided the chicken run was the next best thing. Don’t leave feed bags of chicken feed and grain laying around. Use A Concrete Floor, Thick Wood Or Wire, Ways To Get Rid Of A Rat Problem In Your Chicken Coop, Tomatoes Splitting: Why Tomatoes Split And How To Stop It, How To Keep Outdoor Christmas Trees From Blowing Over. I was so excited to get it all set up and watch my brilliant birds use their new feeder. Thanks muchly for the great tip! they have even eaten the wiring INSIDE the lid of my stove so the oven won’t light and did an exterminator really work long term? We bought one of those as well. Here’s the other article: http://www.backyardchickenproject.com/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-the-chicken-coop-the-definitive-guide/ Hopefully you’ll find something that works for you! The two main things in a chicken run which attracts rats are chicken feed as well as chicken droppings. Well we take in wwoofers (willing workers on organic farms) and the one we had staying with us at the time was an environmental control officer – she said that the mice can get in a hole that is pencil thin and the rats thru one not much bigger – hence why the chicken netting didn’t work. As promised, the weight of the bird opened the feeder door, but she was too scared to stick her head in, so her flock-mate, Little Carl did. No idea how they were getting away with it! Coop Design. I was too scared the rats would die in the coop and then our chickens would eat them and get poisoned as well. To make them less inviting you can line the top, bottom, and wides with a fine-meshed wire that they can’t fit through. I’ve never looked for them in trees, only see our abundance of squirrels up there (and what’s the difference, really?). It was then we noticed our neighbour’s who regularly feed the birds were on holiday so of course the bird feeders were empty and we put two and two together. We had to resort to one of those traps where the rat goes in and eats a poison cake-like thingy and then goes back to their nest to die. We tried everything in the book and finally found something that works. Hands down, my favorite way of keeping animals from digging under my chicken coop and run is definitely the coop apron. Hi all. IT WAS THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE, THIS MORNING I WAS A CHICK & NOW I AM A WHAT? Ours ended up killing a squirrel and I felt so bad I never used it again. We have young cats, dogs hawks and owls it takes up to 24 hours for the rats to die! Store all chicken feed in a secure container. She was happily eating out of the side of the feeder when Dee Dee decided she wanted to eat of the side of the feeder too, and jumped off, resulting in the feeder door crashing down on Little Carl’s head. Make a Solid Floor A solid floor will keep any burrowing invaders like rats or raccoons from … I LAID AN EGG!!! The lid is made of plastic so if comes down, it won’t hurt them, but heavy enough to stay down and keep out rats and wild birds. Make sure to run the wire all the way to the … Our vet has started inoculatjng the dogs with a new vaccine for snake bite-vipers mainly. Please write back soon. If you didn’t receive it, please let me know and I can re-send it. They are quite small and I have just discovered a rat hole in thirt coop. The downside to using rat poison is that they often will die in walls, attics, etc. No joke. Cleaning up any spilled feed in your coop is one of the easiest things you can do to deter rats. Very very disgusting. Easy ways you can keep rats out of your chicken coop and keep your hens safe from these sneaky rodents! Cheers! I am in the UK but wherever you are rats is rats or at least that is what I had thought. Our spaniel is driven mad by the possibility of actually catching something and it sickens me to think that i shall need to resort to professional strength poison unless you can think of anything else to try. A feeder properly installed will eliminate the rats as long as there isn’t other food around for the rats. Grandpa’s Feeders Automatic Chicken Feeder – Sturdy Galvanized Steel Poultry Feeders – No Spill with Weatherproof Lid – Standard Size for 6-12 Chickens 10 Days (20lb Feed). Then one evening my hubby and I were taking a dip in the pool and noticed the silhouette of a rat in our almond tree. About a month ago i walked out to collect thé eggs in my coop and came face to face with a rat. They are adept at creating a tunnel system underground to travel safely between their food sources and nests. Love your writings! I will try the plaster of paris method if this doesn’t work. Rats are smart if it scares them once they won’t go near it again. I’d hate to make the same mistake. You may want to read this other article I wrote for backyard chicken project, it has a few more tips in it. How To Keep Rats Out Of Your Chicken Coop, 1. I’m glad to inform you that I’m not currently bowing down to my rat overlords as I write this. Hands down, my favorite way of keeping raccoons from digging under my chicken coop and run is definitely the coop apron. On this occasion the rat picked on the cockrel which flew out the open door with the rat attached. If you’ve tried everything you can think of and are still having a rat problem then calling in some professional help is a good idea. Place a board leading up to the top edge that the rats can go up. We also have diamond-back rattlesnakes and coral snakes-both of which are deadly. Does it still compost? I also use dry Plaster of Paris mixed with equal amounts of dry corn put it in a sealed sandwich bag & shake so corn is covered keep it dry close to a little water After rats eat this delightful last meal & rat drinks water the mixture sets solid inside the rat killing it with in 10 minutes. Very unusual to have the two at the same time. Their coop is built over dirt, so it’s easy access for a rat hole. Here’s what worked for us, and what didn’t. Slim Jims?!? Bury it or put an Apron on It. I’ve heard of that happening to other people. Suitable, well designed and planned coop plays an important role for keeping rats out of chicken coop. We live out in the countryside so is something we are vigilant about, plus I just hate rodents! The easiest and most effective way of making your coop rat … I’m glad we found another solution and am hoping it lasts! I have killed numerous copperheads. I’m hoping there is only one critter [it has the cheek to pop out of one of its tunnels during the day when the hens are dust bathing] but realise that it probably has a wife and kids at home in next doors’ barn. We filled the holes with rocks and covered them with more chicken wire. Bury fencing at least 6" or put down a wire "apron" around the perimeter of your coop to prevent digging. He covered the entire floor of the run with chicken wire to keep them from burrowing in. Hi, we had both rats & mice in our airing cupboard a few years ago. I will begin giving them the shots every three to six months to build up their antibodies. But this simply isn’t true. If you’re giving rodents a wonderful place to live There are so many of them out here and they just kept coming even though we were killing several a day! Another alternative would be to make a concrete floor in your coop. I made the inner can smaller by cutting it and making a new floor that the girls can reach. Kathy Shea Mormino Wow, Christine, I’m impressed!! And, as those of us near rural areas can attest to, a high rat population soon means a high snake population as the snakes are attracted to all the squeeking going on at your place. Another option is to use a treadle style feeder that is great for keeping pests out. Concrete is my favourite for being easy to clean and predator-proof. We are now down to 7 chicks and a cockrel with a bruised ego. But what’s the process to ferment ghe food? the wire used is thicker and harder to break through than average wire, if you look up DIY rat … Even with all these casualties, it didn’t seem to be making a difference. I was too afraid a little bird or something would wander into the trap and get shocked. Be sure to follow me on social media, so you never miss a post! I just attached a flat piece of wood to the pedal (drilled a hole and attached with a screw) so they would have a bigger step pad. I really regret going with a cheap-o company for my treadle. (They do love sand baths.). We had a rat infestation last year…so bad that tgey were c,imbing up the ivy on the house and cbewed themselves a hole to get in. We had chickens in the big big city and of course we had rats too. Once either one gets a foothold, it’s the beginning of a war. If you don’t know what a coop apron is, you definitely want to check my post on how to keep predators from digging under the chicken coop using a coop … Ehhhh!!! The sikleis have gone extremely broody and would rather sit on eggs or golf balls than lay, but they are good with the kids so we keep them around. I filled a 5 gallon bucket with oats and put a little ramp from the ground to the top to make access easy. They really are the perfect environment for rodents. HOW DARE YOU YOU LAID AN EGG?!? I kept 15 over the winter. Try storing building materials on racks or shelves up off the ground and check them often for signs of rodents. They can be living in your barn for quite a while without you noticing anything. OH. GOD. My floor is dirt, the building is old, the coop top is chicken wire and the rats have burrowed so many times under the sides and floor that it looks like swiss cheese. I did not want to use it in the chicken area of the chicken house though so came up with plan 2. Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | About ImaginAcres. Rats can easily chew through plastic garbage cans and fill themselves up on your trash each night. Good article. This post may contain affiliate links, my full disclosure can be read here. It keeps predators and pests like raccoons and rats from being able to dig under the coop and get to the chickens … Rats just love to have places to hide. Jessica, would it be okay if I reposted this on my blog, http://www.jennifer-wilson.com? They have lots of food, bedding, and are a quite safe place for them to breed and raise litters. There is no food left in the pen or coop and we are considering giving up poultry completely concerned that when we run out of chickens it will pick on our ducks and geese. NOW they’ve gotten under the house and are coming under the furnace to harass our rabbits in the garage. Learn how to keep rats out of chicken coop. Not cheap, but I hate to use bait that poisons. Oh no! Recently, there have been rats moving in around our chicken coop and taking the feed! Bate the traps with peanut butter, meat or chicken feed. We are really looking for any ideas. I would love to know bow to ferment their food. We considered using poisons to get rid of them, but decided against it. If you see/trap one rat, rest assured there are 20 more lying in the shadows. Total cost $15 🙂. I’ve used lemon ammonia in their holes, usedto cat littet, peppermint, and nothing works! thank you sooo much, I was doing all the mistakes, but now I have some hope to get rid of them, thanks to this article. I don't blame you! I saw it is metal. Here’s how to do it: This will keep rats out of your garbage and other scavengers too. So removing the water and feed trays from the coop can be a good way to keep rats away. At first I felt like we were finally going to get rid of them for good, but this war was far from over. For weeks we kept at it, but the number of dead rats didn’t change. Make sure to use a dispenser that keeps other animals out of the trap and only fits rats and mice through. They lived here long before we did, certainly long before we got our first chickens. Discovering rats in your chicken coop is never a good thing. They shake vermin to death quickly rats are sniffed out, found & killed with no mess. I hope you can find some relief soon! (which by the way, helps call the hens in before dark as they’re all hungry, so they come in easily) The chipmunks still enter in the daytime when the coop is open – but there is so little in there they run out and search the yard instead. The wire mesh looks sort of like a bedskirt that surrounds the foundation, under the soil. We’ve had chicks up to 3 months old killed by rats in the coop. Minimise rats in the coop: Use a chicken … )and lop of their heads, paying close attention to where that head winds up. I am getting ready to move it (it’s currently open bin) and was thinking I might have to stop composting. We saw the first rat around our coop about a week after we moved our teenaged birds into it. We feed them on our patio, so food doesn’t get lost in their bedding for their rat friends to find later. The rats will dig right under into the coop and they will kill and eat your chicks. It may be worth stopping composting for a little while until you get the rat situation under control. We either had to find a new way to get rid of the rats, or live with them for the rest of eternity. They really are the nastiest things on Earth short of a rattlesnakle. We were catching between 2-5 rats a night! My husband looked up in ourbedroom hvac vent and saw a snake looking right at him. We are in trying mode now. Subscribe to my newsletter and receive your printable dandelion jelly labels as a free welcome gift! I was seriously concerned there were more than just the one, based on internet research and so we started with cayenne pepper and black pepper, throwing crushed mint leaves everywhere and it didn’t seem perturbed – although I think I heard it sneeze when I chucked black pepper into the bushes. I’ve never had a rat issue in my coop until this year. 5 Tips for Introducing New Chickens to the Flock, How to Get Rid of Flies in the Chicken Coop, Turn Your Chickens into Pets in 5 Easy Steps, http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/06/15-tips-to-control-rodents-around.html, http://ohlardy.com/fermented-chicken-feed/, http://www.backyardchickenproject.com/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-in-the-chicken-coop-the-definitive-guide/. Homestead Acres is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Cover The Run With An Aviary Net. Since the rat population was now obsolete that brought in a weasel. I leave the killing of these to my husband who blasts them with a large air pellet gun. Chicken coops can be a magnet for rats and other rodents. This is what worked for us and, our neighbours returned from holiday and the rat has long gone, never to be seen or heard from again. … Most rats aren’t fond of tunneling and to have to dig under the cloth might deter them. Kudos to you for writing about the rats. The next day they just made more. The best way is to do these easy things to prevent rats from moving in in the first place. Roberts recommends enclosing your entire coop with ¼-inch steel hardware cloth, and sinking or burying that cloth into the ground one foot deep and another foot extending out from the … Subscribe to my newsletter and receive your snowman face template as a free welcome gift! We’ve been battling rats for a couple years now. We also are struggling and will I’m so glad your chickens don’t eat the poisoned rats! Concrete is my favourite for being easy to clean and predator-proof. We decided to try chicken feed as bait, because they obviously like it enough to spend an entire night burrowing two feet into the Earth and chewing through wood planks for it. i thought i was alone in the struggle. The Pros and Cons of Raising Chickens in the City ». It’s so simple and cheap to make! Another old-time way of catching rats is to make homemade traps out of buckets of water. i live next to a park and i think i need traps along my fence. I buried the poison under the shed in the tunnel, where no one else would go (have got a cat, but she doesn't dig) The other option is a poison box which is usually a plastic thing with a key lock on top, that you put poison into, lock it and leave it somewhere tempting for the rats … Thank you very much for sharing your idea as it saved us a lot of stress. I would never think to use those! We bought today a rat trap that uses 4 C batteries to zap and kill them! 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