Getting rid of rats with poison. Store Feed Security. Fewer vermin equals fewer potential meals for snakes, and so a less attractive hunting ground for snakes. And chicken coops can provide a very convenient food source for rodents. An effective means of extermination, but not a long-term solution. Rats multiply very quickly. Rodents are attracted to chicken coops and surrounding areas mostly by the chicken feed and during the winter months by the warmth. It is often so much easier to just ignore them and let them live among the chickens than trying to control the situation.

1. You have to fence all the enclosures to make the coop rat proof. Don’t Leave Spilled Feed On The Ground Overnight. Rodent proofing: make the coop less attractive to mice and rats. I needed to use rat poison because the rodent infestation had grown so large by the time I recognised it that any other, longer-term way would have been potentially putting my chickens at risk of disease. All chicken coops I have known have needed cats and traps to remain rodent-free. It is often so much easier to just ignore them and let them live among the chickens than trying to control the situation. Tunnels had been dug right underneath our fencing and into the chicken run where we kept an endless supply of delightful chicken feed … Rodents may cause several problems if they get into a chicken coop. Necessary things for keeping rats from slipping into your chicken coops are wire fencing with small openings or hardware mesh. However this is not recommended as rodents can be hazardous to your chickens. Don’t leave feed bags of chicken feed and grain laying around. Rodents are attracted to chicken coops and surrounding areas mostly by the chicken feed and during the winter months by the warmth. Step 2: Take Away Their Home Clean up clutter. If you are in an area with a large rodent population you may need to make sure the entire coop is rodent-proof … Rats love to live and hide in cluttered areas. If your chicken coops have windows which allow the chickens to go outdoors then fence it properly. If you have piles of tools, bricks, wood, or junk on... Rat-proof the chicken coop. Clearly, poisons and most traps are far too dangerous to use around chickens, but rodents can be eliminated naturally by employing a good barn cat around the coop and run. “If it’s not properly constructed and rodent-proof, it can actually cause rodent activity during the day.” These are so easy for rats … Store chicken feed in rodent-proof containers, and consider a treadle feeder that the chickens have to step on to access food. Preventing Rats in the Chicken Coop. Fill and cover holes. Preventing Rats In Your Chicken Coop 1. This item PestOff Rat Proof Chicken Feeder kit - Rat Proof Poultry Feeder – Weather Proof - 8lbs Capacity - NEW PRODUCT Chicken Feeder-Holds 20 Pounds-Pellets-Crumbles-Grain in Bucket - for 21st Century Chicken Owners - Inside or Outside of Coop - Use with Nipple Waterer 4 Ways To Rodent Proof Your Chicken Coop.

Let me start by saying this is incredibly hard to do. An old-fashioned mixture of equal parts cornmeal and plaster of Paris kills rodents without toxic chemicals, but would need to be placed where chickens cannot eat it. Cleaning up any spilled feed in your coop is one of the easiest... 2. “A chicken coop can be a big problem depending on how it’s kept,” said DiMaggio. Where there are rodents, they are usually engaging in three main activities: eating, leaving behind waste, and producing offspring. We saw the first rat around our coop about a week after we moved our teenaged birds into it. Do you have a chicken coop rodent problem? When it is cold outside, rodents get desperate for a warm place to live and a steady supply of food—which in turn makes you desperate for a way to get rid of them!