what would cause this damage

[oggy]

That looks like wood that has peeled out along the line of the grain

your right, it's peeled with the grain

 

[mrcharly]

Are any of your kids teething?

 

[nic.]

Just because you have rats doesn't mean they did it ( doesn't mean they didn't either though)
We have had rats chewing into our chicken coops and they are much, much neater than that. they come up through the floor so it may be worth looking underneath to see if they have done any damage. It is a mystery as to why they bother getting into the coops, theres no food there, never lost any eggs or chickens.

 

[bojit]

I still reacon Mr Fox did it in the garden with a candlestick !

Craig...............

 

[nic.]

Yeah, I'd go with Fox- looks like it was done by something relatively blunt, lead piping maybe?

 

[WeThePeoplexfbm]

looks like a dog like animal attack ^^

 

[duncwilson]

Probably a fox or dog - same thing happened to our hutch last year and it turned out to be a fox - I got up early one morning and surprised it.

 

[lannyman8]

12g should sort it......