a weasel got Dragon, one of my roos....right in front of me! Now I'm sure it will be back. It cornered him inside the coop. I think it got in threw the open coop door but I'm not 100% sure. Would my other chickens be safer locked inside the coop, or outside where they can run??
thanks
weasel
That gives me chills.. I'm always afraid I"ll come up on the coop & one's found my chickens. They are vicious creatures. Neighbor made me promise to run if I saw one, no trying to save my chickens, just run & call him. I always carry my cell phone to the coop just in case. So far I'm good.. they stay about a half mile down the road for now. Are you going to set a live trap for it?
I am so sorry for the loss of you roo. Dragon is an interesting name. Did you have a theme going or just ended up with that name?
o.. our weasels strike at dusk so I couldn't tell you.. my chickens are going to bed at that time or already sleep. Tho i do now know that the creature sleeping behind my coop is a nice, semi sweet (doesn't' growl at me) stray cat. Just what I needed. Another mouth to feed.
I did set out a live trap...baited it with sandwich meat. the weasel (who won't leave my coop alone and has been back at least 20 times already) sniffed the trap than made strait for the coop. Any ideas what I could bait it with that he would like better??
My kids name all our chickens. usually they get supper hero or my little pony names....I'm not sure why that one was named Dragon
How did you happen to see this take place? and what was the reaction of the weasel to you?
The weasel much like mice can get in through the smallest of cracks or holes. I would inspect the coop for any possible entrances and seal up any I thought might be accessed by one. Make sure the doors of the coop shut tight leaving no gaps. Sure am sorry about your loss, it can be very upsetting wondering who's next. I don't think leaving the door open so the chickens can escape will solve the problem. Possibly a well placed trap is the best defence and the scrutiny of how it get in. Good luck to you. Howie
If the weasel is coming for chicken--I'd bait the trap with chicken. Staring with raw scraps or necks or something.
I saw a show where they were trying to trap an unknown chicken predator in a live trap....they put a live rooster in a strong cage inside a cage and then set trap up against it, so that it looked like an entrance.
I've also had very good luck trapping feral cats with old salmon...it is very smelly.
I was feeding them...one minute everything was fine, the next, the nasty little bugger had Dragon by the neck. I didn't see the attack or the weasel come in. I had my back to the coop door, which was open. I kicked at him as hard as I could but he didn't seem the least bit bothered. I ran in to get my husband, a crow bar, and my pitbull mix. Its the dog that managed to scare the thing away...I cleaned up the mess, and came back in...I didn't even have time to close the front door before he was back. It seems he can't get in with the door closed tho. I've been watching threw the window and sending the dog out after it every time he comes too close.
I think I would just shoot that weasel, but if you want to trap him, how about sardines?
I'll try that, thanks Porkpal! (and I would shoot him too if I had something to shoot him with) ;-)
still haven't caught it but it seems my weasel is actually a mink...
Not much difference unless you're a furrier.
Porkpal is excatly right, Weasel, Mink, Ferret, their all one and the same except sometimes in size. Hey Batflower, there is a 410 shotgun, and it's called the snake charmer. You should invest in one, they are cheap and so are the shells and they are only about 18 to 22 inches long. I carry one around here all the time cause you don't need to be a good shot to hit what you want...LOL They are very handy. Check them out. Hay
Mink are larger than your ordinary weasle and tend to eat more of what they kill. Classic weasle attacks, the heads are bitten off and the blood drunk. They can wipe out a coop in one night. Mink tend to eat more of the meat and will not kill everything at once. That's an advantage here. If the mink is trying to get into the coop , I'd set some traps around the outside where it tries to get in. As much as I dislike leg holds or killing traps, it would be the best thing right now. Moving it elsewhere in the middle of winter would probably condemn it to a death by starvation in the new area. Large rat traps may work. You'll have to keep the dog in the house while they are set or cover them to keep him from stepping in them (I use pieces of hog pannels). Mink hunt during daylight hours, especially at dawn and dusk, but normaly sleep at night.
So sorry about the loss of your roo. I hope you get the little bugger.
Mink are also at the start of they're breeding period right now. They live right by water and only venture away from it to look for a mate. Which means its only passing threw and not a permanent resident. So if I'm lucky, that means it won't stay long and after it goes it hopefully won't come back.