how to get rid of rats and mice from my chicken coop?

Question

i don't know how they are coming into my chicken coop, but they do and they steal my eggs! How do i get rid of them without harming my chickens or using any poison?

Answer 1

Are you sure its rats eating the eggs?  I find crows are the main culprit. We have rats occasionally in our chicken run but they just eat left over chicken food not the eggs themselves.

A rat would struggle to crack a chicken egg and a mouse would not even try, they are attracted to the chicken food primarily. Keep you chicken food in metal rodent proof bins. Do not put down more food than the chickens will eat in the day .Night times are when rats are most active.

If you have rats either put down rat poison in special tubes at strategic places around the coop, shoot them with an airgun or place rat traps (the snap shut type) but you can only put there where chickens cannot eat the food so maybe not such a good idea. I accidentally killed a robin in one once, very sad.

Answer 2

The best way is make it "easier" for them. But one of those small squirrel traps (you can buy the small ones and the chickens shouldn't be able to fit inside) So check like e bay and buy the smallest one you can buy. Probably it will say for chipmunks and rats. Then put an egg in and just relocate them or kill.

Answer 3

ferrets prey on mice and rats, and get the job done better than cats. i dont think they would harm the chickens. but they might steal the eggs? lol

the smell of ferrets is supposed to be enough to keep the smaller rodent prey away. so if you dont want to let them free to hunt, maybe just get them to pee everywhere. lol