Chicken wire is a great protection from large predators, but if you have a rat problem, you will need more than just wire to stop them. Steel is about the only thing rats cannot chew through. In addition to chewing through chicken wire they can chew through wood, cinder blocks, and plastic.
Wire mesh can be used to stop Rats from entering vents, but you need to be aware of the size of each hole within the mesh. Wire mesh with very small gaps is an excellent way of sealing a vent. Will mice eat through steel wool ?
Is it okay to let rats hang around your chicken coop?
However, that does not mean it is okay to let rats hang around your chicken coop. Rats will attack and eat baby chickens, and if desperate enough, they will attack adult chickens. They are more likely to eat chicken feed than to attack adult chickens, as that requires more effort and rats are opportunists.
Will chicken wire stop raccoons?
Chicken wire does well against chickens themselves and larger predators who will be stopped by the presence of a fence, but a raccoon can reach its hands through and tear at the opening until it’s large enough to slip through. Instead, try using small-mesh fencing material.
Raccoons are destructive animals. If they get into a coop, they usually kill a lot of chickens. Typically, they will eat the undigested food in the chickens’ crops, and maybe a little of their meat.
If your coop is not adequately proofed against raccoons, they may tunnel underneath the walls of the coop and enter through this new opening. To proof against any dedicated diggers, make sure the walls of your coop extend at least a foot below the surface of the earth.
How do you stop rats from digging holes in your yard?
Place 1/4-inch wire landscaping mesh approximately 1/2 to 1 inch under the mulch around plants the rats are digging up. Rats may start eating bulbs or root systems. Placing the mesh under the mulch will prevent them from digging. Seal any openings larger than a dime on the exterior of your home with the wire mesh.