How to quickly get rid of weasel in a chicken coop and rules for dealing with predators
Weasel seems like a cute and cute animal, but farmers know that it is a dangerous and cruel predator. Having got into the habit of visiting a chicken coop, he is able to deal with all the poultry in a short time. But there are many simple and effective methods on how to get rid of weasel and other weasels in a chicken coop. Some methods are radical, others are humane, involving the use of deterrents.
Content
Can a weasel kill a chicken?
The appearance of the weasel is cute, but deceiving. It is an aggressive and voracious predator that eats chickens, ducks and even geese. Despite its small size, the animal pounces on the victim, strangles it, then tears off parts of the carcass. The weasel has sharp fangs and a muscular body, and a caught chicken has no chance of survival.
A small oblong body and brown coat color allow the animal to remain unnoticed in its natural environment, so it is difficult to shoot it. The animal near human habitation feeds mainly on rodents, it attacks chickens infrequently, only during the hungry period. There have been cases when a starving weasel attacked cats and small dogs.
After a night out of the predator, the farmer finds several (sometimes more than a dozen) carcasses of killed chickens in the hen house.
How can a weasel get into a chicken coop?
Weasel is a nimble, active animal. Thanks to its slender elongated body, it is able to get into the chicken coop through any hole of more or less suitable size. The entry point can be:
- chipped foundation;
- mouse slit;
- rotten and crumbling wooden walls;
- ventilation system.
Even a small, unsuitable hole for weasel is often not a problem. The animal has sharp teeth and strong claws, easily expands the hole to the required size, if the material from which the chicken coop is built allows. The predator easily crawls through the mouse tunnels, digs underground paths on its own, gnaws holes in rotten damp boards that make up the walls of the poultry house.
Therefore, a farmer, who decides to get rid of weasel, must take care not only of means of destruction or deterrence, but also of strengthening the structure of the chicken coop, as well as the fight against mice and rats in the backyard.
Signs of appearance
If a poultry farmer noticed predators of the weasel family near the farm, then he can be sure that he will soon have to count the carcasses of dead chickens.
If a weasel came out of the forest, approached human habitation, then she outlined her victims.
It is difficult to see the animal, because, like any skillful hunter, he knows how to carefully camouflage himself, perfectly orientates himself on the terrain, and gets to the place of feeding unnoticed. Therefore, poultry farmers have to use tactics not attack, but defense.
After snow falls, it becomes easier to notice signs of affection: specific paw marks remain on the snow cover. Hunters call them "two points". Members of the weasel family move by jumping, and pairwise dents remain in the snow.
If the farmer noticed such traces on his site, then you need to measure the distance between the pairs of dents with a ruler. From this distance, you can understand which representative of the weasel got into the habit of ruining the chicken coop:
- weasel makes jumps of 20-30 cm;
- marten - 30-40 cm;
- ferret - 50-60 cm.
How to deal with weasel in a chicken coop?
It is not difficult to cope with a forest predator. The main thing is to take into account his weaknesses and habits. Farmers have invented a large number of means of control. They use mechanical, electrical devices, folk remedies, even other pets.
DIY capture
This option is tricky. Since weasels are nocturnal hunters, the owner of the hen house will have to spend a sleepless night. You need to hide in a secluded place, wait for the appearance of a forest enemy. When the weasel approaches the chicken coop, jump out of the shelter, throw a blanket or tarp over it, press it to the ground, not allowing it to twist and scratch the covering fabric. Next, grab the scruff of the neck, place in a previously prepared cage.
A farmer who decides to catch a weasel must definitely wear rubberized work gloves, since the animal, trying to escape, will bite and scratch. To prevent bites, you can pinch your nose with your fingers so that the animal opens its mouth, and then stick a gag or a wooden block in its mouth.
If the priority is a humane attitude to wildlife, you don't want to kill the animal, then you should take the cage to the forest closest to the backyard and release the animal there.
Homemade devices
You can catch a weasel not only with your bare hands, but also using simple traps:
- A wooden box or a metal bucket is placed upside down on a support near the chicken coop. Meat is placed under the structure as bait. The predator, trying to get to the meat, breaks the structure. The support falls, the animal is trapped.
- They acquire or construct a cage in which the door falls down when a living creature enters. A delicacy is placed inside the cell.
These traps are not always effective. A weasel can get to the delicacy neatly without touching the support, or it can completely ignore the bait, heading straight into the chicken coop.
The farmer must be on duty, hiding near the trap. After all, even when tempted by the bait, the predator will try to get out of the trap.
Large mousetraps
Weasels are small animals. Therefore, they are often caught using large mousetraps, also called rat traps. They look like a wooden box or a box made of metal mesh, inside which there is a hanging block connecting the aisles.
A treat is placed in the center of the trap. The animal seduced by the bait runs along the block, falls into the chamber, from which it cannot get out.
Rat traps are sold at specialized points of sale. Some farmers design them themselves.
Scarers
If the poultry farmer does not want to destroy small predators, but seeks to drive them away from the hen house, then he can use scarers. There are the following devices:
- An electronic device that produces low-frequency sounds that are not captured by human hearing organs, but in small animals that cause fear and a desire to escape.
- A lighting device with a motion sensor that turns on when a living creature approaches. Bright lights and sound signals scare away the intruder. Usually such a device is hung directly on the wall of the chicken coop.
Traditional methods
Of the folk methods, poultry farmers most often use:
- Tar. They smear the walls of the chicken coop. The substance gives off an odor that is unpleasant for animals. But such a remedy is useless if the animal sneaks into the building through the roof or mouse holes.
- Goat skins. They are hung on the walls of the hen house. Their action against predators also lies in the emitted unpleasant odor.
Setting traps
An effective but radical method of combating weasel is to set traps on the site near the chicken coop. But it must be borne in mind that a cautious animal will not come close to an object that smells like a person, therefore, before placing the traps, they are treated with manure, coniferous broth or slaked lime. The lubricated device is opened and secured with rubber or cloth gloves.
The installed trap must be firmly fixed in the chosen place, since often sinewy and nimble animals run away with the device.
If a weasel enters the chicken coop through an underground tunnel, then a trap is placed near the starting and ending point of the path. Pieces of meat, chicken feathers are used as bait.
Helping pets
It is good if, in addition to chickens, geese and turkeys live in the poultry house. These birds, having noticed a predator, begin to scream heart-rendingly. And the large size of their body does not allow the weasel to quickly kill them.
Pets scare off a forest predator just as well as electronic devices. If a cat knows how to deal with rats, then it will cope with affection. The main thing is to provide her with free access to the chicken coop.
In order for the dog to scare away uninvited guests, the booth must be built next to the chicken coop. Alternatively, attach a long chain to the collar that allows you to reach the house. But you should not let the dog into the chicken coop itself. Barking and running for weasel, it can scare and injure birds.
Prevention of penetration of predators
The farmer must carefully inspect the hen house and the surrounding area, if necessary, carry out the following work:
- caulk all holes, cracks, cracks, even small ones;
- replace rotten, damp parts of a wooden structure with new ones;
- strengthen the floor covering with metal plates;
- put the poultry house on piles;
- protect the chicken coop with a netting;
- clear the area of debris, heaps of fallen leaves and other things that can become a place of shelter for a predator.
It is advisable to make the floor of the chicken coop concrete, put a solid roof. If the building is in a deplorable state, then it is easier to build a new one.
