Gophers in coop!

[Beektoven]

Does anybody know if Gophers eat chicken feed? I have had issues with Gophers destroying my lawn, some gopher repellant and noise making sticks have helped little. My Pellet gun has worked best but now these pests are in my chicken coop. I put a plywood floor in and I already don't like it. The shavings go everywhere and I really want my dirt floor back. Does anybody have ideas for keeping gophers out and do you know if they eat the chicken food? I just can't afford to feed the gophers too. Any floor recommendations would be helpful.

Thanks

 

[PD-Riverman]

Does anybody know if Gophers eat chicken feed? I have had issues with Gophers destroying my lawn, some gopher repellant and noise making sticks have helped little. My Pellet gun has worked best but now these pests are in my chicken coop. I put a plywood floor in and I already don't like it. The shavings go everywhere and I really want my dirt floor back. Does anybody have ideas for keeping gophers out and do you know if they eat the chicken food? I just can't afford to feed the gophers too. Any floor recommendations would be helpful.

Thanks

Are you sure its gophers? I have tunnels, slight cave in's under my feet holes under and around things in my chicken coop/yard----Mice, rats what ever---my dog will dig them up if I tell her to---whole beds---a little while back----10 baby rats/mice a few inches under the dirt. the next day I let her dig up more. Never seen a gopher in my chicken yards-----but some around certain area's of my lawn.

 

[eggbert420]

Gophers eat roots of plant grass etc.they also eat under ground stuff like carrots, onions. They rarely are seen above ground eating stuff. Are you sure that mice are not eating your feed.

 

[Beektoven]

I have not seen anybody eating my chicken's food but the gopher holes are popping up in the coop. I know it's gophers because I have shot quite a few of them with my pellet gun in my back yard. The chickens are in the guest house back yard further back on the property. Have not seen any rats or mice around the coop or anywhere really a few good neighborhood cats I suspect.

Thanks

 

[eggbert420]

I don't think they will harm your chickens .

 

[aart]

I have not seen anybody eating my chicken's food but the gopher holes are popping up in the coop. I know it's gophers because I have shot quite a few of them with my pellet gun in my back yard. The chickens are in the guest house back yard further back on the property. Have not seen any rats or mice around the coop or anywhere really a few good neighborhood cats I suspect.

Thanks

So the gophers were popping up, or digging holes up into in the coop before you put the wooden floor in?
..and did you put the floor in to deter the gophers?

Any chance you could post a pic of one of these critters?
They look like this: http://www.victorpest.com/advice/rodent-library/gophers
I ask because around here folks often call ground squirrels gophers.

 

[Beektoven]

Yep, thats them. Gophers. I could see why people call them ground squirrels. I am so sick of them tearing up my lawn. I try to keep some nice lawn for my daughter to play on and its actually nice right now which is saying a lot for southern California but those gophers have it so pitted up with their holes and tunnels, its a sprained ankle waiting to happen.

 

[Beektoven]

Where is southwest Michigan are you, I lived in Kalamazoo from 1994-98. The squirrels in Bronson park are huge and i'm pretty sure could beat up a small child, certainly took food off of picnic tables well.

 

[aart]

Yep, thats them. Gophers. I could see why people call them ground squirrels. I am so sick of them tearing up my lawn. I try to keep some nice lawn for my daughter to play on and its actually nice right now which is saying a lot for southern California but those gophers have it so pitted up with their holes and tunnels, its a sprained ankle waiting to happen.

No, other way around, they call the ground squirrels gophers.
We have lots of moles and voles that tunnel under the grass.


Quote:
Used to live in Kzoo, lots of fox squirrels in the city.
Now I live 30 miles west in the country, not so many squirrels cause fox and coyotes get em.

 

[lolson69]

Hi Beektoven. I sympathize. I too have a huge gopher population on my 5 acres. And yes gophers love chicken feed scratch and crumbles. I’ve seen them come out of their holes under some scratch and just scoop it up with their front legs into their hole. My coop looks like the moon now. Craters and collapsed tunnels everywhere. Because of their holes and tunnels I now have snakes and mice getting into my coop. I used 1/4 “ hardware cloth so they’re not coming in through the wire. I’m thinking about getting a load of sand and filling in the holes and the floor of the coop. I could put a layer of hardware cloth down first and sand on top??
It’s very dangerous walking in there. I’m not young anymore and I’m always afraid I’m going to collapse a tunnel and fall.
Any suggestions from anyone would be greatly appreciated.