The 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 the chicken coop, he is able to deal with the entire population of poultry in a short time. But there are many simple and effective methods on how to get rid of weasels and other mustelids in a chicken coop. Some methods are radical, others are humane, involving the use of deterrents.
Can a weasel kill a chicken?
The appearance of the weasel is cute, but deceptive. This is an aggressive and voracious predator that eats chickens, ducks and even geese. Despite its small size, the animal attacks the victim, suffocates 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.
The small elongated body and brown coat color allow the animal to remain unnoticed in its natural environment, making it difficult to shoot. The animal near human habitation feeds mainly on rodents; it rarely attacks chickens, only during periods of famine. There have been cases when a hungry weasel attacked cats and small dogs.
After a night attack by a predator, the farmer finds several (sometimes more than a dozen) carcasses of dead chickens in the chicken coop.
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 may be:
- chipped foundation;
- mouse gap;
- rotten and falling apart wooden walls;
- ventilation system.
Even a small, inappropriately sized hole for caressing is often not a problem. The animal has sharp teeth and strong claws, and easily expands the hole to the required size, if the material from which the chicken coop is built allows. The predator easily crawls through mouse tunnels, digs underground paths on its own, and gnaws holes in the 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 repellent, but also of strengthening the structure of the chicken coop, as well as the fight against mice and rats in the garden.
Signs of appearance
If a poultry farmer has noticed predators of the mustelid family near a farm, he can rest assured that he will soon have to count the carcasses of dead chickens.
If a weasel came out of the forest and approached human habitation, then it has identified its victims.
It is difficult to see the animal, because, like any skilled hunter, it knows how to carefully camouflage itself, is perfectly oriented in the area, and approaches the feeding site undetected. Therefore, poultry farmers have to use defense rather than attack tactics.
After the snow falls, it becomes easier to notice signs of weasel: specific paw marks remain on the snow blanket. Hunters call them “two-points.” Representatives of the mustelid family move by jumping, and paired dents are left in the snow.
If a farmer notices such marks on his property, then he needs to measure the distance between pairs of dents with a ruler. From this distance you can understand which particular representative of the mustelidae got into the habit of ruining the chicken coop:
- the weasel makes jumps of 20-30 cm;
- marten - 30-40 cm;
- ferret - 50-60 cm.
How to deal with weasels in the chicken coop?
It is not difficult to deal 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.
Do-it-yourself catching
This option is difficult. Since weasels are nocturnal hunters, the owner of the chicken coop will have to spend a sleepless night. You need to hide in a secluded place and wait for the forest enemy to appear. 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 it by the scruff of the neck and place it in a previously prepared cage.
A farmer who decides to catch a weasel must wear rubberized work gloves, since the animal will bite and scratch, trying to escape. To prevent bites, you can pinch the animal's nose with your fingers so that the animal opens its mouth, and then put a gag or a wooden block in its mouth.
If a humane attitude towards wildlife is a priority and you don’t want to kill an animal, then you should take the cage to the forest closest to your garden plot and release the animal there.
Homemade devices
You can catch a weasel not only with your bare hands, but also with the use of simple traps:
- A wooden box or 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 and the animal is trapped.
- Purchase or construct a cage in which the door falls down when a living creature enters. A treat is placed inside the cage.
These traps are not always effective. The weasel can get to the treat carefully, without hitting the support, or it can completely ignore the bait, heading straight to the chicken coop.
The farmer must stand guard, hiding near the trap. After all, even if tempted by the bait, the predator will try to get out of the trap.
Large mousetraps
Representatives of mustelids are small animals. Therefore, they are often caught using large mousetraps, also called rat traps. They look like a wooden or metal mesh box, inside of which there is a hanging block connecting the passages.
A treat is placed in the center of the rat trap. Seduced by the bait, the animal runs along the block and falls into the chamber, from which it cannot climb out.
Rat traps are sold at specialized points of sale. Some farmers construct them themselves.
Repellers
If a poultry farmer does not want to destroy small predators, but wants to discourage them from the chicken coop, he can use repellers. There are the following devices:
- An electronic device that produces low-frequency sounds that are not picked up by the human hearing system, but cause fear and a desire to run away in small animals.
- A lighting device with a motion sensor that turns on when a living creature approaches. Bright lights and sound signals scare away the uninvited guest. Typically, such a device is hung directly on the wall of the chicken coop.
Traditional methods
Among the traditional methods, poultry farmers most often use:
- Tar. They smear it on the walls of the chicken coop. The substance emits an odor unpleasant to animals. But such a remedy is useless if the animal makes its way into the building through the roof or mouse holes.
- Goat skins. They are hung on the walls of the chicken coop. Their effect against predators also lies in the unpleasant odor they emit.
Installation of traps
An effective but radical method of combating weasel is to install traps in the area near the chicken coop. But you need to take into account that a cautious animal will not approach an object that smells like a person, so before placing the traps, they are treated with manure, pine decoction or slaked lime. The lubricated device is opened and secured with rubber or fabric gloves.
The installed trap must be firmly fixed in the chosen place, since often sinewy and nimble animals run away along with the device.
If a weasel enters the chicken coop through an underground tunnel, then a trap is placed near the starting and ending points of the path. Pieces of meat and chicken feathers are used as bait.
Pet Help
It’s good if, in addition to chickens, the poultry house contains geese and turkeys. 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 away forest predators just as well as electronic devices. If a cat can handle rats, then it can handle 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. Or attach a long chain to the collar, allowing you to reach the poultry house. But you shouldn’t let the dog into the chicken coop itself. By barking and chasing weasels, he can frighten and injure birds.
Preventing predators from entering
The farmer must carefully inspect the chicken coop and the surrounding area and, 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 flooring with metal plates;
- put the poultry house on piles;
- fence the chicken coop with chain-link mesh;
- clear the area of debris, piles of fallen leaves and other things that could become a hiding place for a predator.
It is advisable to make the floor of the chicken coop concrete and install a durable roof. If the building is in poor condition, then it is easier to build a new one.
