I'm sure this has been discussed before, but seems like it merits a repeat. How do you keep all the wildlife out of your chicken coop? Today I glanced out and saw a squirrel, chipmunk and rat taking turns at the feeder--all at the same time. They were very polite, each letting the other have a turn. The only thing missing was the birds--guess they were full today.
The pen is chicken wire and is covered. The coop area is welded wire and the coop wooden and raised. Even if I keep the door to the pen closed, eliminating birds, the chipmunks and rats burrow in. Not sure how the squirrels manage, but they do. Don't really care except for the transmission of disease. What else can I do?
My chicken coop is a zoo...
You seem to be taking it so well!! You must be special.LOL I'm sorry but the way you put it just made me laugh. I have two large cats and they spend time with the chickens, and I think that keeps my coop's pretty much free of any rodents including rabbits. Have a great day, and good luck. Hay
Well, I do admit, I find them entertaining, as I love all wildlife, but I think the rat puts me at my limit! Its kinda've like how I like mice as pets, but kill them if they are in my living space! I've got a cat, and every spring she brings me chipmunks and such. She is starting to age and sleeping more--maybe that's why I'm having this problem now? I don't know if she'd tangle with a rat--she's pretty small, though tough, as she was feral. Anyone found a place to put feed that is off-limits? I can't think of a place a rat couldn't reach, climb or burrow.
OH NO!!! Mice as pets??? I don't think so. There great for target practice tho. I like most animals but no rodents of any kind. YUK!!! Have a great day. Cool Name (Yotedog). Hay
Haystack, you think like my hubby. He saw the rat and went for his BB gun (which he fills with a larger caliber shot than BBs). I blocked his way, partly because I feared for my chickens, but partly because I feared a horrific, lingering death for the rat. Guess I'm just a softie that way. Have no problem with killing animals if you need the food, but I strongly believe it should be a humane, respectful death. Even for a rat, dang it! I don't think one shot would have done it with this huge guy, and I doubt you'd get a second shot...setting out the traps, though. A quick "snap" is humane is humane, in my book!!!!
yotedog, what kind of chickens do you have?
Ours are not beyond killing mice and eating them.
And we had 4 leghorn hens that ran around the yard playing tag, with a chipmunk leg. No idea where they got it from, either, but they sure wanted it.
We don't feed ours in their coops, we feed them in their runs.
I have chipmunks skunks and squirrels, but they generally leave everything alone until winter. Well, the steal veggies the other three seasons. I put 3' hardware cloth - small metal screen on the bottom 2 feet of the coop and bent over and buried the last foot. So far this year nothing has been seen in there. maybe your cat would like a kitten around to take up the duties.
-joe-
big air tight rubbermade garbage cans for feed. had a horrid time with mice/field rats (which are just mice on steroids) one year.. its the only thing they couldn't get into. I actually got so tired of mouse traps that I left the lid off the can of corn for a few nights.. they'd fall in.. & couldn't climb back out of the garbage can. The next day.. I collected lil fat mice & tossed them in with the chickens.. chickens took care of the problem real well. I just learned to not watch. But those cans are the only thing the field mice can't get into that I've found around here.
I've got bantams--they won't take on a rat, at least mine don't--not like a full size hen. Brahma crosses, great temperament, very peaceful--great for the flock, not so good for rodent killing! They aren't getting into stored food--that's in a different (rodent-proof) location, just eating what I feed the girls. I feed them in the pen where their coop is, not in the coop. The coop pen is made of welded wire, but has a wooden base (like a wooden frame covered with wire)--I've lined it with rock, which has discouraged larger predators, but the chipmunks and rats just squeeze through the rocks, then burrow under the wood frame. I have a door that can be raised to give the chickens access to the run. The squirrels discovered that when the door is raised, there is the slightest gap between the door and the frame where the wood warped a bit. Its a hoot watching them squeeze and shimmy their way in. Birds get in via the chicken wire on the run. Pretty impossible to keep everything out, I guess.
Nice try, jjconcepts--bet you've got some (take your pick) barn cats, feral cats, mama cats, just plain too many cats, huh? My cat would ruin a kitten anyway--she's a devoted mother (though now spayed) who will mother anything to the point where its completely spoiled and worthless. And she would make it nap with her all day long....she found the good life, and is enjoying it immensely in her older age!
if you change your mind.. ..
You did bring up a good point. I am interested in the disease or little ugly buggy question. mostly though - the chickens will probably get worms from eating the droppings. Do you bring yours in for an annual bloodwork? do you hang your feeder? you have an awful lot of critters - or I have more than I think. The only thing I can think of is bird netting. The kind you put over berries, I use it to keep chipmunks squirrels and birds out of a 20 x30 corn and squash field. I am sure you can get it big enough to twist tie to the coop.
-joe-
or more cats
I go along with getting more cats :)
I almost did get another cat this weekend, but decided getting a creature that needed at least 15 years of care didn't make sense to get rid of today's "critters." What do you think about me getting some full sized chickens? If I got a docile breed like, say, Orpingtons, would they pick on my bantams, too? But, most importantly, would they go after rats etc?
So far i have no trouble with my Buff Orpingtons picking on the bantams.. i have a bantam roo that picks on the buffs tho.. he is going to be rehomed.. i feel sorry for him tho, raccoons got his girl & now he's lonely..only reason he picks on them. I have yet to see them eat mice, rats or anything else.. they won't even eat worms here.. unless the worm is in my hand. but i have cats.. lots of cats.. the cats even go hang out in the chicken coop during the day.. so far i haven't seen any mice except for the one my cat brought from the field next door to show me. My RIR's ate mice & rats.. but they tended to pick on lil chickens.. sorry.. not much help.. but thats what I do know from my little crew of chickens.
Orpingtons are very docile--but not necessarily with other chickens. I think the most docile chickens I had were "Giant" Blue Cochins. They were like big, fluffy Persian cats. Very laid back.
o Catscan did u have to describe them... now i want "giant" blue Cochins.... they are blue.. they are like cats.. they are fluffy.. whats not to love!
Yeah, greykyttyn, but DO THEY HATE RATS??? Hee hee Hee....
my cats, the buffs or the RIR's? :)
The Cochins (you will soon have), greykyttyn. The Cochins!
ah.. idk Catscan.. do they hate rats & mice? :)
Probably not--they like everyone:0)