Run floor and rodents

[KimbosKluckers]

We have a lot of field mice and rats here in the country and I’m curious what you all do to prevent them in the run. We are putting up the new coop and run soon (waiting for decent weather) and I plan to do hardware cloth on the outside as an apron. I feel this will not deter rodents getting under and I’m seeing horror stories on here about rats. I thought of using the wire on the run floor but I don’t feel it’s safe for the chicken feet? Any suggestions? I’d like to do what’s necessary as we build it and not after. Thanks!

 

[Shadrach]

We have a lot of field mice and rats here in the country and I’m curious what you all do to prevent them in the run. We are putting up the new coop and run soon (waiting for decent weather) and I plan to do hardware cloth on the outside as an apron. I feel this will not deter rodents getting under and I’m seeing horror stories on here about rats. I thought of using the wire on the run floor but I don’t feel it’s safe for the chicken feet? Any suggestions? I’d like to do what’s necessary as we build it and not after. Thanks!

A hardware cloth apron 18 inches wide is about as good as it gets unless you are prepared to dig in concrete footings around the run.
If you build the coop and run so the coop is off the ground a couple of foot and the coop doesn't touch the run perimeter fence at any point that will give a better level of security. Think a rectangle inside a rectangle with the inner rectangle not touching the outer one at any point.

 

[Al Gerhart]

First, stop feeding them and they have to leave. A natural territory will support only a few rodents and natural predators will keep them thinned out IF they are forced to eat natural foods and hustle to find it.

Do a forum search for Howard E. and rats or rodents. He had some of the best posts on the subject.

But his advice was one of three methods, Sanitation, exclusion, or elimination.

Sanitation is bulk feed in metal cans, a treadle feeder that is actually rat proof, most aren't, and cleaning up the area so there are fewer places for rodents to hide and travel to and from food to their burrows. Force them out into the open so the natural predators can get to them. This is the cheapest and most effective way of eliminating rats in a coop.

Exclusion is the harder and more expensive option, a fort knox coop. Hardware cloth, very tight seams at any openings, has to be metal or wire to stop them. No free range of course.

Elimination is poisons and traps. More expensive in the long run and both become less effective as the rodents wise up.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

A hardware cloth apron 18 inches wide is about as good as it gets unless you are prepared to dig in concrete footings around the run.
If you build the coop and run so the coop is off the ground a couple of foot and the coop doesn't touch the run perimeter fence at any point that will give a better level of security. Think a rectangle inside a rectangle with the inner rectangle not touching the outer one at any point.

Thank you.

First, stop feeding them and they have to leave. A natural territory will support only a few rodents and natural predators will keep them thinned out IF they are forced to eat natural foods and hustle to find it.

Do a forum search for Howard E. and rats or rodents. He had some of the best posts on the subject.

But his advice was one of three methods, Sanitation, exclusion, or elimination.

Sanitation is bulk feed in metal cans, a treadle feeder that is actually rat proof, most aren't, and cleaning up the area so there are fewer places for rodents to hide and travel to and from food to their burrows. Force them out into the open so the natural predators can get to them. This is the cheapest and most effective way of eliminating rats in a coop.

Exclusion is the harder and more expensive option, a fort knox coop. Hardware cloth, very tight seams at any openings, has to be metal or wire to stop them. No free range of course.

Elimination is poisons and traps. More expensive in the long run and both become less effective as the rodents wise up.

Thanks for that info!!

 

[Penpal]

Along your hardware cloth perimeter you can put down chili powder, cayenne powder, or other detergents. They won't try to dig apart the hardware cloth because their nasal passages are irritated. You have to put down more deterrent after a rain, but it is easier to make them go away than to suffer the damage.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Ditto on the Howard E. read since you've said you want to do it right. It's a long read but the basics are easy to lift out. I don't even burden myself with making my Run predator proof. My chickens are locked up at night in my coop which is predator proof and I give rodents no good reason to be here. There is no food, no shelter and I have feral cat's on patrol. I had an issue years ago when I bought the property and it's been resolved.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

Along your hardware cloth perimeter you can put down chili powder, cayenne powder, or other detergents. They won't try to dig apart the hardware cloth because their nasal passages are irritated. You have to put down more deterrent after a rain, but it is easier to make them go away than to suffer the damage.

Thank you…And that doesn’t bother the chickens?

Ditto on the Howard E. read since you've said you want to do it right. It's a long read but the basics are easy to lift out. I don't even burden myself with making my Run predator proof. My chickens are locked up at night in my coop which is predator proof and I give rodents no good reason to be here. There is no food, no shelter and I have feral cat's on patrol. I had an issue years ago when I bought the property and it's been resolved.

They will be locked up at night in a predator proof coop but the food will be outside. I guess I can pick it up at night but that seems like a hassle and also there will be days I’m not home. There’s also feral cats here but they don’t catch them all, unfortunately. Thank you.

 

[Penpal]

Chickens aren't bothered by spicy things.

 

[Loganchickenchapel]

Do I need hardware cloth over the ground in my run before putting in sand?

 

[Al Gerhart]

Only if you choose to feed the rats by using bad feeders. Control the feed, control the vermin.