Rats and Chickens: How to Rat-Proof Your Coop, Run and Feed Storage

Rats and chickens go together more often than most new keepers expect, and there are specific, practical steps you can take to stop rats getting into your chicken coop, run and feed store. The key is understanding what draws rats in, where they enter and what works against them.

Rats are not attracted to your hens. They are attracted to the food. Remove the food source and most rat problems become more manageable. What makes chicken keeping a particular draw is the combination of accessible grain, open feeders, warm bedding and a sheltered structure, and a rat will exploit all of these if you give it the chance. The solution is to close down those opportunities one by one.

Why Do Chickens Attract Rats?

Feed is the primary reason rats move in near a chicken coop. An open gravity feeder left out overnight is a reliable food source. Grain spilled on the ground and left until morning is just as attractive. Wild birds perching on or around a feeder scatter feed further and add to the problem.

In autumn and winter, the coop itself becomes part of the draw. Rats are looking for warmth and shelter as the temperature drops, and a dry coop with deep bedding is exactly what they are after. During colder months, rat activity near chicken coops tends to increase noticeably.

The specific attractants to be aware of:

• Open feeders left out overnight. Any feeder a rat can access freely is a regular food source.
• Spilled grain on the floor of the run or around the coop base. Even a small amount is enough to bring rats in if left overnight.
• Wild bird access to feeders. Wild birds scatter grain and draw rats even when your own hens are locked up.
• Feed stored in the coop or in permeable containers. Plastic bags and some plastic bins can be chewed through.
• Warm, dry bedding in autumn and winter, which makes the coop attractive as a nesting site.

Address these and you reduce the appeal of your setup considerably.

How Do Rats Enter the Coop and Run?

Rats can squeeze through a gap as small as 13mm, roughly the diameter of a standard pen. That is much smaller than most people expect, and a mature rat can compress its body through any gap its skull can fit through.

Wooden coop panels. A wooden coop that has been standing for a few years can develop small gaps and soft spots at the base. Rats will find and exploit these. Check the base of the panels annually, particularly where they meet the ground or a floor board. Gnaw marks on the wood are a sign they have already been trying.

Ground access under the run. If your run sits directly on soil with no physical barrier, rats can burrow under it and access the run from below. This is one of the most common entry points.

Standard chicken wire. This is where many keepers get caught out. Hexagonal chicken wire has apertures of 25mm to 50mm, which is large enough for a young rat to pass through. It also has relatively thin wire that a rat can chew through over time. Standard chicken wire is not rat-proof.

Gaps around doors, pop holes and joins in panels. These develop through natural movement and weathering. Fixing them with hardware cloth and staples is a quick job that makes a real difference.

What Wire Gauge and Aperture Actually Work Against Rats?

The terms "chicken wire" and "wire mesh" get used interchangeably, but they describe very different products. For rat exclusion, the specification matters.

Standard hexagonal chicken wire is designed to keep hens in, not predators out. It will not stop rats. The apertures are too large, the wire is too thin and it can be chewed through.

Hardware cloth (also called welded wire mesh) is what rat-proofing requires. The key specification is:

• Aperture: 13mm (half-inch). This is small enough that rats cannot pass through.
• Gauge: 19-gauge as a minimum for rat exclusion. Lighter gauges can be chewed through over time. If you are in a high-pressure area with an established rat population, 16-gauge is more durable.

The 38mm box section frame on our metal chicken runs is built to a heavier standard than most wooden-framed runs, with galvanised heavy-gauge mesh that is more resistant to both chewing and burrowing pressure. If you are replacing or upgrading a run and rat-proofing is a concern, the frame and mesh quality of the run itself matters as much as anything you add to it.

For patching gaps or adding a buried skirt to an existing run, rolls of 13mm welded mesh are the material to use.

Are Treadle Feeders the Most Effective Everyday Measure?

The single most practical thing most keepers can do to reduce rat activity is switch to a treadle feeder. A treadle feeder is a gravity-fed hopper with a foot-operated mechanism: a bird steps onto the platform, the lid opens, the bird eats, and the lid closes when the bird steps off. Rats cannot trigger the mechanism, and wild birds cannot either.

This matters because the feeder is usually the easiest food source available to a rat. Remove it and you remove the primary reason rats visit the coop in the first place.

Keepers who switch to a treadle feeder often notice a reduction in rat activity within a few weeks. It is not a guarantee, particularly if there are other food sources nearby, but it removes the easiest draw. Hens typically take one to two weeks to learn the mechanism, and most keepers find the change well worth it.

Full guidance on choosing the right feeder for your flock is in our chicken feeders and drinkers guide, which covers treadle feeders alongside other options.

How Should You Store Feed to Deter Rats?

How and where you store feed makes a considerable difference.

Use sealed metal bins. Plastic feed sacks and most plastic bins can be chewed through by a determined rat. A metal dustbin or a purpose-made metal feed container is what you need. The lid should close fully and not leave a gap.

Do not store feed in the coop. A bag of layers pellets in the corner of a coop is an invitation. Store feed in a separate building or at a distance from the coop if possible.

Do not leave spilled feed overnight. Sweep up any grain or pellets from the run and around the coop base each evening. This is a small habit that reduces the food available to any rats in the area.

Remove uneaten food at dusk. If you supplement your hens' diet with treats or wet mash, clear what is not eaten before you lock the coop for the night. Wet feed left in a run overnight draws rats quickly.

What Are the Signs of Rat Activity Near Your Coop?

Spotting rat activity early gives you more options.

• Droppings. Rat droppings are dark brown, cylindrical and approximately 10-20mm long, tapered at one or both ends. They are larger than mouse droppings. You are most likely to find them along the base of the coop, inside the run and near the feeder.
• Burrow entrance holes. A rat burrow entrance is typically 50-80mm in diameter, smooth-edged and often partially concealed by vegetation. Look around the base of the run and under any structure near the coop.
• Gnaw marks. Fresh gnaw marks on wooden panels are a clear sign of recent activity. Pay particular attention to the base of doors and panels, and to the edges of any pop hole.
• Missing feed overnight. If your feeder is noticeably lighter in the morning than it should be, something other than your hens is eating from it.
• Rat runs. Flattened, smooth paths through grass or vegetation near the coop are a sign of regular rat movement. Rats tend to use the same routes and follow the base of walls or structures.

If you see any of these signs, act immediately. A pair of rats can produce a significant local population in a matter of months.

For a broader overview of what to check around your coop, our pest prevention and control guide covers the full range of common coop pests.

How Do You Bury a Hardware Cloth Skirt Around a Chicken Run?

If rats are burrowing under your run, the most effective permanent solution is a buried apron of hardware cloth. This is a straightforward job that you do once and it protects the run indefinitely.

There are two approaches:

Buried apron (most effective). Dig a trench 30cm deep around the perimeter of the run. Attach a strip of 13mm welded mesh to the base of the run frame and bend it outward at a 90-degree angle so it extends 30cm into the trench horizontally. Backfill with soil. A rat that starts digging at the base of the run hits the horizontal section of mesh and typically gives up. They will not dig down and then back under.

L-shaped surface apron (easier to install). If you cannot dig down, lay a 60cm-wide strip of 13mm welded mesh flat on the ground around the run perimeter, with one edge attached to the base of the run frame. Fold it outward so it lies on the surface, then cover it with soil, turf or paving slabs. Rats will encounter the mesh before they reach the run base and generally move on.

For new builds, burying the apron at the time of installation is easier than retrofitting it later.

When Should You Call Pest Control?

Setting your own snap traps is a reasonable first step for a small number of rats. Place traps along the base of walls, along the sides of structures and in sheltered spots near the coop. Rats travel along edges and rarely cross open ground, so a trap placed in the middle of the run will rarely catch anything. Bait with chocolate, peanut butter or a small piece of bread. Check and reset daily.

If you have an established population, or if trapping is not bringing numbers down, professional pest control is the right call. A pest controller can assess the extent of the problem, locate burrows and apply treatments that are more effective at a population level than individual snap traps.

The disease risk is a real reason to act promptly. Rats carry leptospirosis (Weil's disease) and salmonella. Leptospirosis is spread through rat urine contaminating water sources and feed. Salmonella can contaminate feed and the coop environment. Both are risks to you and your family, not just your hens. This is not a reason to panic, but it is a reason to take rat activity near a chicken coop seriously rather than leaving it.

For guidance on keeping your coop environment free from pathogens more broadly, our biosecurity measures guide is worth reading alongside this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do rats attack chickens?

Rats are not a significant predator risk to adult hens under normal circumstances. The attraction is the feed, not the birds. However, rats will prey on eggs and can injure or kill very young chicks. A rat that has taken up residence inside a coop may also bite hens that disturb it while roosting. Removing the rat population from the area is always the right course of action.

What is the best way to stop rats getting into a chicken run?

The most effective combination is: switch to a treadle feeder to remove the food source, secure all feed storage in sealed metal containers, check and repair any gaps in the coop and run with 13mm welded mesh, and install a buried or surface hardware cloth apron around the run perimeter if rats are burrowing underneath. No single measure is a complete solution on its own. Rat-proofing works as a system.

What gauge wire mesh keeps rats out?

19-gauge welded mesh with 13mm (half-inch) apertures is the standard specification for rat exclusion. Standard hexagonal chicken wire is not effective against rats. The apertures are too large and the wire is thin enough to be chewed through. For a run in a high-pressure area, 16-gauge mesh is a more durable option. Our metal chicken runs are built with a heavy-gauge galvanised mesh on a 38mm box section frame, which offers more resistance than standard wooden-framed runs.

How do I know if I have rats near my chicken coop?

Look for dark cylindrical droppings (10-20mm, tapered at the ends) near the coop base and feeder. Check for burrow entrances around the run perimeter, typically 50-80mm in diameter. Look for gnaw marks on wooden panels and doors, particularly at the base. Watch whether your feeder is going down faster than it should overnight. Flattened paths through grass running along the base of the coop or run are also a strong indicator.

Next Steps

If you are concerned about the run itself, our metal chicken runs are built to a heavier specification than most wooden-framed alternatives and are a practical first line of defence. For the feeder switch that makes the biggest everyday difference, browse our chicken feeders and drinkers collection, which includes the treadle feeders that most keepers find the most effective change they can make.