What makes a chicken coop easy to live with?

[mand and family]

Hi everyone

 

Just a question about rats/vermin

 

I'm thinking of building a new permanent walk in run in the spring/summer.

 

I was thinking of using paving slabs on the bottom and leaving a space in the middle for a dust bath.(or is this not a good idea)

 

But I was wondering about rats. There seems to be a problem with them were we live and I was wanting to make my run vermin proof has anyone got any ideas.

 

I may need suggestions about the sides aswell! do I need to use a wire with a certain size of hole so they can't get in?

[Yolky]

I have mesh on my walk in run which is one inch by half an inch and I have been told that it is adult rat proof. I think you would have to have teeennyy holes to be baby rat/mouse proof.

[Egluntyne]

I would put slabs all over the base if I were you, and provide a shallow tubtrug for dust bathing purposes. A determined rat can tunnel quite a way, and might pop up in the middle of your suggested dust bathing area.

 

My walk in run is on cobbles, and my girls have a tub trug as a dust bath. They love it.

[mand and family]

Hi everyone

 

Thanks for your replies!

 

I have decided on a permanent walk in run, thats large enough for my chucks to rome around in all day. I'm at work most of the day so I don't let them out.

 

I think I will opt for the full floor in slabs, as the rats are a bit of a problem round here.