Chews through chicken wire?

[JPadronMiami]

i have had these chicken runs for about 5 years, they are the typical metal, chicken wire variety, other than occasionally having to backfill couple holes here and there from what i believe are possibly field rats, or small dogs. What could possibly chew threw wire chicken mesh? what ever it is its even trying to chew threw the the roof of the runs as well, where the canvas is not covering. have not lost any poultry or eggs this far, i did notice these huge rats from the surrounding acreages coming in to eat whats left of the feed in the containers, i have stopped feeding the chickens after 4:30pm to make sure there's nothing left for the rats in the evening, the fact that they are there is a threat to my hens, i feel its only a matter of time b4 they turn on the hens, or make them sick since they carry all manner of bacteria or pathogens on their body. I dislike killing them however lately I been considering using the bow and arrow on them. ANY SUGGESTIONS FOLKS?

 

[WingItRanch]

Chicken wire is meant to keep chickens in, not keep predators out. Consider hardware cloth, maybe?

 

[FunClucks]

Almost everything can eat through chicken wire. If you don't reinforce with 1/2" hardware cloth soon, you will be losing chickens shortly. If you need more structural support put welded wire up along with the hardware cloth. Chicken wire is useless for keeping predators out, it is only good for keeping chickens in. Without additional predator protection (dogs, hotwire, hardware cloth, etc), sooner or later something will come through it and eat your birds.

 

[FrostRanger]

Agreed, chicken wire is only good for keeping chickens in, it won't keep much of anything out, there's no telling what chewed through your run

 

[tlcmurphy]

The only thing that can’t chew through chicken wire is chickens.

 

[FunClucks]

The only thing that can’t chew through chicken wire is chickens.

Too true!

 

[JPadronMiami]

ok, understood, guess I'd better get my backside in gear before my luck totally runs out, thank you much folks.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Rats have to chew or die, literally. Their teeth will grow into a curve back into their skulls if they don't constantly chew to keep the teeth worn down. Sheet metal? Probably not, can't get a bite on it except from the edge. Chicken wire? It can happen. Concrete? It is common knowledge that rats can chew through a concrete slab.

Removing the feed before nightfall doesn't stop the rats from feeding. Not many chickens will take on a full size rat.

The solution is bulk feed in metal drums with tight fitting lids, a rat proof treadle feeder (most are not), and cleaning up the pathways the rats are using to come to the coop so the natural predators can thin their numbers down.

Or building a Fort Knox coop which will cost you twenty times the cost of a decent treadle feeder.

But it really is this simple, stop feeding the rats and they have to leave to forage for natural food.

Search this forum for Howard E. and rats. He had some of the best advice on the forum for a good five or six years.

 

[McChooky]

"But it really is this simple, stop feeding the rats and they have to leave to forage for natural food"

I agree 100%! I starve them out with hwcloth and don't leave any food laying around they might eat.Some people control rats by keeping a black snake around but I kinda hate snakes so nope!

 

[JPadronMiami]

"But it really is this simple, stop feeding the rats and they have to leave to forage for natural food"

I agree 100%! I starve them out with hwcloth and don't leave any food laying around they might eat.Some people control rats by keeping a black snake around but I kinda hate snakes so nope!

I dont mind snakes as long as they are grass snakes or eat vermin, we have some pretty large black snakes here that have a yellow ring around their necks, the locals call them Indigo's they look like they can take on some of the larger field rats.