[gracie]

In the last week or so I noticed some soil activity in the chicken run. I pushed it back and again the next day whatever is coming from underneath has come up again. The whole run has over a foot of concrete as a boundary edge, its a bricks width wide. The end I first noticed is totally slabbed and whatever it is has about a 2 inch width between the edge of the run and the slabs but it is definitely coming from under the slabs. Today at the far end of the run I have noticed other ridge which is a hollow at the end, it appears to be a ridge rather than a round hole. I can't see any sign of any droppings and I'm not having to fill the food any more often, if anything as its winter its going down slower than the summer,

Fortunately I am now moving the run away from its current situ and hopefully theres a chance it will move tomorrow weather permitting as the ground for the new place is now ready, how good is that for timing, so I guess we will be able to lift the slabs and check tomorrow but just curious today, wondering what it could be

[New shoot]

Most likely it is rats   

Wear gloves when you are moving those slabs and wash your hands well afterwards. 

[gracie]

Thank you, fortunately I have a man coming in to do it.  Think i may not stand around and watch when he does it

[pekinpete]

Gracie can you see any holes on the outside of run as they need a way to get under slabs have you through it could be a mole??

[gracie]

Must admit I was hoping it would be a mole but the end of the run where they dust bath doesn't have a mound just soil pushed away from the hole. I've found what I think is a tunnel on the outside so I've dug into it and blocked the way with slabs. Hopefully if the girls hotel gets moved tomorrow we can tackle the problem head on. Thanks for your replies

[pekinpete]

gracie i would say once birds are moved to put down rat bait boxes i find them good, dogs or cats can't get into them

[grinling]

Rats are easier to catch than moles!!!!

Get a spring trap and bait with cheap chocolate, but if there are mice the bait goes without springing.  Use gloved hands at all times as they can have weils disease.

moles will produce a molehill and normally there are more than one.

If rat  check compost bins..smell and make sure chook food in metal container if kept outdoors. I hang my feeders higher than the mouse population can jump.

[gracie]

I do hang my feeder but think i will have it a bit higher when they move. My compost bins have all been moved this week as the chickens garden is all being changed for their new home. Even though I've had them nearly 5 years and guess their time will be limited now, so taking into account everything i have learnt its all getting modified before I get new ones. Dreading that happening as the original girls will not be happy with new tenants. My new set up is being done so i can easily keep them apart for a while.

[Prod]

Hi  if it is rats then the only way to eradicate them is with poison.  You need to find where their 'routes' are and if you have any use some short lengths of plastic piping and lay them along the routes with the bait/poison inside. If they take it, and you will obviously notice, it means they have taken it back to their 'larders' to eat there and that is where they should die.  Even when you think the problem has gone keep putting bait down and checking every few days.  I live in rural Wales surrounded by farmland and never had a problem until this summer when the barn opposite became infested and of course they were crossing the road into my field.  I am lucky that the farmer gave me some bait which is normally only for professional use (I will try and find out the name) and very much stronger than normal. The rats were visible during the day and so it was easy to recognise the problem and to detect their routes. After about 3 - 4 weeks I stopped seeing them but carried on putting down the bait and after a further 2 weeks it was not being taken. I have, touch wood, never seen them again.  Fortunately rats are normally only after food although they will take small chicks. If it is a stoat or a mink then they will definitely kill the chickens so you may need to speak with a pest controller to try and establish exactly what problem you have.

[joyfull]

if you go down the rat poison route please be careful. One of my dogs caught a rat that had just eaten rat poison earlier this year. Luckily she was one of the big dogs (a Newfoundland rather than my staffy x or my Bull Terrier) because she had a bigger body mass, however it was touch and go and we nearly lost her.

[pekinpete]

joyful i always use proper rat bait boxes and as to date not had any trouble i find rat runs and put boxes down there i always check to see if any dead rats about before i let dogs out but most die in holes

[joyfull]

I use proper bait boxes too but it was a rat with freshly eaten bait inside it, the rat must have been on it's way back to it's nest. My girl came in still eating the rat so we knew what she had done.

[gracie]

When we lifted the run to move it and picked the slabs up we found a tunnel full of feathers, leaves and the top of a cabbage, it was really fresh and dry. The area was dug over well and now the area is clear there is no sign of the rat/s since. I could be naive but I'm hoping we unsettled them when the new area was prepared for the chicken run to be moved to and now we have unsettled them again. The food will be higher and any treats will be given in the open now rather than in the run. There is hard crush under the soil end of the run and slabs the other with no spaces this time so fingers crossed they have moved their tunnels again.
If we see them again we may consider the bait box/poison method. thankfully we are on a busy narrow lane so there are never any dogs loose so that shouldn't be an issue.
Thank you for your comments, I thinks its important that we get the different scenarios of methods to use for problems so we can make an informed  decision on the best route for each individual

[Sassy]

I would still bait. Those rats will still be around and it will prevent a build up.