 House mice can quickly invade a chicken coop and cause problems in your flock. They breed at a young age, can have 5 to 10 litters in a year, and can breed again within 14 to 24 hours after giving birth. Rats have a similar breeding turnaround time after giving birth, although they only have litters 4 to 6 times a year with an average of 9 babies per litter. Rodents prefer to live in spaces that provide feed and water as well as a safe place to live. Mice eat 10 to 15% of their body weight daily, which translates to 8 pounds a year. Rats eat up to 10% of their body weight daily, which translates to about 18 pounds a year. Eventually, given optimum conditions, rodents may breed and raise their young in coops that allow them to stay. One of the very first things you can do to prevent rodents from coming to your coop is to keep the grass or weeds down around the coop. We do this because rodents do not like to cross into open spaces where they can be seen by both ground and aerial predators. This is one reason why we cut the grass around our homes. As you set up your coop, wherever it is placed on your property, you will need to spray weed controller or an herbicide. This is done regularly to keep the space 3 feet around the coop free from plant material, which may shelter rodents as they try to travel to and from your coop. After you have set up your coop with predator prevention measures, you can then spread rock down around your coop. Spread the rock at least 2 to 3 inches thick and extend it at least 3 feet all the way around your coop. For a coop the size of the one we have used in this video, just one cubic yard of rock was all that was required to get this job done. So there may eventually come a day when you realize you have a rodent problem. You must then choose how you plan to rid your coop of rodents. Snap traps are common and readily available at many store fronts. If you would prefer a non-lethal option to rodent removal, then consider a live trap designed for mice. Live traps can capture several rodents at a time, then they can be released at a location that is far removed from your flock. Another control method is placing rodent bait inside secure bait boxes outside your coop. These boxes are designed to keep pets and other non-rodents out of the bait boxes and can be locked if you wish. Bait boxes have entrances large enough to accommodate both mice and rats. You can place any type of rodent bait you wish, including bait bars, loose pellets, or even small packages of pellets that the rodents can chew open. Switch the type of bait that you use so that it changes every 3 to 6 months. Place the bait box on the ground with the opening for the rodents along the base of the coop to take advantage of a rodent's natural avoidance of open spaces. Clean up any spilled feed immediately. Doing so prevents easy access to feed and rodents will move on. Remove any piles of junk or yard waste from your property. These piles are great places for rodents to take up residence while they make trips to and from your coop for feed and water. If rodents have no place to stay, then they will go elsewhere. Water is much more readily available to rodents than you think. Leaky hoses, saucers beneath flower pots, and open water systems for chickens are all sources of water. Using a closed water system, such as a nipple drinker, is a simple solution in the coop that provides many benefits.