A rat colony living underneath my coop. Help
Our take
Before I start, you need to know that all the photos are different holes and entry points that the rats have been using. They are both around the coop next to it inside the back half where the chickens can go outside, and it’s even gotten to the point where I have found out that they are eating through the wood and making holes in the foundation to get inside. However, that is not my main issue. My main issue is that they have started to go out after my chickens now.
We have a medium size coop that we had built about the size of a large shed. We have about 15 chickens, maybe less but definitely no more than 15. Plus a rooster named Floyd. We have tried cayenne pepper because rats don’t like it. It didn’t work. We have tried mouse and rat traps. They do not seem to be working either. And also, I have tried different poisons I try to stay away from poisons because I don’t want my chickens to accidentally eat them and then end up dead.
But it’s getting to the point where the rats are getting into the coop at night and going after my chickens. I haven’t lost any yet, but I really don’t want to because I use my chickens for eggs. they are strictly egg only birds.
Does anyone know how I could possibly get rid of these rats? I don’t know how many they are. They vary in size from really tiny to probably the size of my dad‘s hand, and I’m scared for my chickens safety.
The only reason why the rats are under the coop in the first place is because they solar field was built behind our house. The rats that we’re living in that area found out about our coop and has since moved under it. If the solar field was never built We wouldn’t have this issue, but of course I live in a shitty town that doesn’t give a damn.
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