Backyard Chickens, Compost and Feeders: Keeping Rats Away.

A coop supplies grain, eggs, water and a warm, sheltered building. Rats will take all of it. They gnaw through bags of feed, dig under the floor and squeeze through gaps in the wire. Mice do the same on a smaller scale.

Start with the feed. Store it in a metal bin with a tight lid, such as a galvanized can, since rats chew through plastic. Feed in the morning and take away what the birds do not eat, rather than leaving a full feeder overnight. Spilled grain around the run is the biggest draw, so sweep it up daily.

Next, the coop. Use hardware cloth with half-inch or smaller openings rather than chicken wire, which rats can chew and tear. Bury the mesh or lay an apron of it on the ground around the run to stop digging. Raise the coop floor off the ground or build on a slab so rats cannot nest beneath.

• Metal feed bins with tight lids.
• Hardware cloth with openings of half an inch or less.
• A mesh apron or buried edge to stop digging.
• A coop raised off the ground, with no hiding places beneath.
• Egg collection every day.
• Water containers emptied or covered at night.

Compost is useful and attracts rodents when it contains food scraps. Open piles are the worst, because rats can tunnel in and nest in the warm center. Cooked food, meat, dairy and oils are the biggest attractants, so keep them out.

Use a closed bin with a solid base or a layer of mesh beneath it. Bury fresh scraps in the center of the pile, and turn it regularly, since disturbed piles are less appealing. Place the bin away from the house and fences, not against them.

Birdseed is food, and the seed that falls to the ground is the part rats take. A feeder over a lawn can drop pounds of seed over a season. Rodents come at night, long after the birds have gone.

Use a tray or a catcher beneath the feeder. Fill it with small amounts, and bring it in at night if you see activity. Move feeders at least a few yards from the house, and keep the ground beneath them clear. If you see burrows near the feeder, take it down for a few weeks.

Check the yard weekly. Look for burrows near the coop, the compost bin and the feeder. Look for gnaw marks on feed bags and bins, droppings around the run and eggs that go missing. Notice any rustling at dusk.

If you spot a problem early, a few habit changes may solve it. If activity continues, a visit helps. We walk the yard, identify what draws animals and set traps in covered stations, so chickens, pets and wildlife stay safe. See backyard and outdoor rodent control.

A yard full of rodents sooner or later reaches the house. Sealing the gaps in the foundation, vents and roof edge keeps them from moving in when the weather turns. Our rodent exclusion page explains how, and our rat control page covers the plan if rats are already inside.

Avoid loose poison near a coop. Poisoned rats can be eaten by pets and wildlife, and the poison can pass along. Trapping in covered stations is the safer approach.

Rats are hungriest in the cold, and a coop with a full feeder is a draw all winter. Feed smaller amounts at set times, and check the run each morning. If you see tracks in mud or snow near the coop, take that as an early warning.

Heated waterers and warm bedding also attract. Use bedding that is changed often, and keep spare bales in a closed shed or bin, not stacked against the coop.

• Sweep spilled feed at the end of each day.
• Remove old eggs and broken shells promptly.
• Keep the ground around the coop clear of weeds and debris.
• Fix any digging or gaps in the mesh as soon as you see them.
• Store spare feed in metal bins away from the coop.

These tasks take minutes and make a coop far less attractive to rodents.

None of these changes is difficult, and together they can cut rodent pressure noticeably. If the problem persists, call and we will help you work out what is left.