How to Keep Rats Out of the Chicken Coop
Throughout history, rats have been known for their disease-carrying characteristics. These pests get into everything, including chicken coops, where they continue to spread diseases and eat the young. So, how do you keep them out of coops?
The primary way to keep rats out of chicken coops is to make the coops unattractive by removing free access to food and water. This includes chicken feed, eggs, chicks, and the waterer. Keeping these out of the rats’ reach will deter them from entering the coop.
This article will discuss why rats are attracted to chicken coops and how to keep them out. It will also cover stopping them from digging underneath your chicken coop. Read on for everything you need to know about keeping rats out of your chicken coop.
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Can Rats Hurt Chickens?
Rats are very dangerous for your chickens and can cause significant harm. Because of this it’s essential to get rid of them. The reasons why you need to eliminate rats from your chicken coop include the following:
Rats attack and eat chicks
Rats carry diseases harmful to chickens
Rats steal eggs
Rats may chew on hens’ feet when they are asleep
Rats carry fleas
For a chemical-free method of rat removal in your chicken coop, you can watch this video:
Are Rats Attracted to Chicken Coops?
There are several reasons why rats are attracted to chicken coops, and they may not be the reasons you’re thinking of. It’s not the actual chickens themselves that are drawing in these pesky rodents but instead, various other factors.
A Warm, Dry Place To Rest and Eat
One significant factor attracting rats to chicken coops is its warm, dry shelter. Because of this, they’re quite comfortable inside the coop, relaxing or eating what food they can find.
Often, the coop is easily accessible to a rat because of its structure and the rodent’s physical characteristics. They can easily burrow beneath them, as they are great diggers, or they can use their strong teeth to snap chicken wire to allow themselves to fit through.
Plenty of Food To Eat
If you feed your chickens in the coop, you’re providing a major attractant for rats. They love to eat chicken feed. If you notice there is a significant increase in the amount of food being consumed, you likely have a rodent problem.
This is a very serious problem because of the diseases rats carry. When they eat, they often defecate, which contaminates the food for the chickens. When the chickens consume it, they will likely contract whatever diseases the rats carry.
Young Chickens and Eggs
While this is more gruesome than many want to consider, rats are also attracted to chicken coops for eggs and chicks. Any eggs or chicks left unattended in the coop overnight will likely be eaten if you have a rat problem.
They will consume both. While it is very rare for a fully grown chicken to be eaten, if your infestation is bad enough, it is also possible. However, rats are known for eating the toes off hens’ feet in the coop.
Free Water Access
Rats are attracted to water sources, especially the traditional waterers that are often used in chicken coops. Like with the food, they can easily contaminate the water, spreading their diseases to your flock.
How Do I Keep Rats Out of My Chicken Coop and Run?
If you’ve ever had a problem with rodents before, you know how difficult it can be to keep them out of a place once they find it. A chicken coop can be very desirable for all it offers–shelter, food, and water. However, if you take those things away, the rats will go.
It won’t be an immediate response. Several other methods are also available but they do pose risks to other animals. You’ll need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each one before deciding on which course of action you take.
Eliminate Food Sources
One of the best ways to keep rats out of your chicken coop is to stop feeding the chickens in the coop. It is the primary attractant of rodents to the coop and a significant source of sharing diseases between species.
If you cannot stop feeding the chickens in the coop, consider alternative means of handling feeding. Some feeders require the weight of the chicken to open them, which rats would not be able to access.
When selecting your chicken feed, choose pellets instead of crumbles. The crumbles are much more difficult to clean up than pellets when they fall outside the feeder. Crumbles are also more difficult for the birds to cleanly eat.
You’ll need to clean up any loose or dropped feed each evening before nightfall and cover all feeders. This will reduce the attractiveness of the coop to the nearby rats.
It’s a best practice not to spread food scraps on the coop floor as these are strong rat attractants. They can also be difficult to clean, leaving a residual mess that continually signals to the rat population that food is available.
All feed should be stored in a sturdy, galvanized container. Alternatives are easy to chew through, allowing them quick access to your feed stores. It’s also best to store the feed away from your coop.
It’s important not to leave eggs in the coop overnight when the hens aren’t brooding. Your food source is even more attractive to rats. Any young chicks should also be kept in a location where rats cannot access them.
Remove Water Sources
To prevent contamination of the chickens’ water source and reduce the attractiveness of your coop, you’ll need to remove traditional waterers at night. Providing fresh, clean water is essential to the health and well-being of your chickens.
An alternative is to use a nipple watering device that eliminates the ability of rats to access the water. With this device, there is no way for contamination to occur, keeping your chickens safe from diseases.
Secure the Coop
You’ll need a hardware cloth to secure the outside of the coop. This works infinitely better than chicken wire, which easily allows rats to slip through. When purchasing the cloth, choose either a quarter-inch or half-inch cloth.
When installing it, bury it at least 12 inches all the way around the coop. This will deter burrowing underneath the coop.
This is an essential step, as chicken wire is very limited in its ability to control rat activity. They can squeeze their bodies into a space that’s as small as the diameter of a quarter and their teeth are so sharp they can bite through the wire, making it ineffective at keeping them out.
Using Poison
Rats are coming to your coop for food, and one of the most effective ways to get rid of them is by using poison, which they will readily consume. Many different kinds are available with different effects and ingredients.
However, you may find that you cannot safely place poison without potentially risking your own animals’ health. Plus, once the rat dies, it’s body will be contaminated with poison, which another animal, such as a dog, can consume.
Poison is highly effective, but you must weigh the pros and cons to determine if it’s the right course of action for you and your coop.
Using Traps
If you’ve decided that poison is unsafe, traps are an alternative. They can be used without chemicals and placed in an area out of the way so that your chickens are not injured. The only downside is that traps take care of just one rat at a time.
If you have small children, traps may not be the best idea because of the potential for injury. There are humane traps that do not pose this risk. However, you will be left with a live rat to remove from the premises.
Keep a Cat
Cats are fantastic at reducing the rat population on a property. However, you’ll have to take care when you have small chicks. While a cat won’t contend with a fully grown chicken, it will eat a chick.
The scent of a predator is often enough to deter rats from coming around. This is one reason why it’s so common to see cats on farms. Using a cat is an all-natural way to control the rodent population.
Depending on where you live, you may have to be concerned about other predators that will hunt your cat. If the risk isn’t too great, this may be the more beneficial way for you to manage your rat problem.
Does Chicken Poop Attract Rats?
Rats are attracted to the scent of chicken droppings. They are just as attracted to these droppings as they are to the feed, so if your coop is not kept clean, you will likely have a rat problem.
You can help reduce this risk by cleaning the coop daily. Installing a dropping tray under the coop’s roosts will help make this process easier. By removing the attractive scents, you’ll have fewer rat problems.
How to Stop Rats Digging Under Chicken Coop
Unfortunately, there is no way to stop a rat from digging. The only thing you can do is place as many barriers as possible between the rat and the interior of your chicken coop. They’ll be less inclined to try when you make entering harder, as there are easier food options.
One of the best ways to do this is by using hardware cloth. As we mentioned, burying it at least 12 inches around the entire coop will deter burrowing. However, you can also place this cloth on the floor of the coop if it’s solid to prevent them from chewing through.
If you’re just starting out and haven’t built your coop yet, there are a few things you can do to make the floor impenetrable. The first option is to build the coop at least a foot off the ground. This will make it infinitely harder for rats to access the coop.
The second option is to make the floor out of poured concrete. With this choice, they won’t be able to dig their way through. You may also find this flooring easier to clean than a regular dirt floor.
If they have made holes, fill them. Place steel wool inside the holes, fill them with dirt, and cover them with hardware cloth or steel mesh. You’ll need to do this every day they make a new hole to discourage the behavior and convince them they need to move on.
It’s important to note that if a rat cannot dig through the floor, it may try to climb. They are excellent climbers and jumpers, making the top of your chicken coop fair game.
Because of this, you’ll need to ensure your chicken coop is covered and secured at the tops of the walls. Rats are more likely to enter at corners, which is where the walls meet the roof, so you’ll need to ensure the integrity of the coop is good.
Final Thoughts
Having rats in your chicken coop can be a serious problem because they spread diseases and can eat the young. You’ll need to deter them from entering your coop at all costs. Removing the food sources is the primary way to keep them from intruding in your coop.
Not feeding your chickens in the coop, cleaning up all loose food, covering feeders, and storing feed in a galvanized container are all ways in which you can keep the food stores safe from rats. You’ll also need to protect the water. Rats can contaminate both with their diseases.
Exterior deterrence is a great way to prevent rats from entering the coop. You’ll need to add hardware cloth to the outside of your coop, burying it at least 12 inches deep to prevent digging. It does what chicken wire can’t do, protecting your chicken coop from these rodents.
Want to learn more about raising chickens? Be sure to check out these articles!
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