Hi everyone, I am going to be getting chicks (first time! YEAH!!) next week and will be brooding them indoors. I know we have weasels living in the neighbors hay barn (Thankfully controlling the mouse population that was crazy bad, including a large rabbit population which is also greatly diminished). I've seen a couple of foxes on the property too (They apparently killed the previous home owners free range chickens) and I hear coyotes in the area.
I have seen hawks about 1300 ft from our house too but never near the house(s) and barn. There are a lot of crows near the horses/hay barn that I think keep the hawks away.
Although, I did see a chicken at the end of our driveway (1300 ft) with its head cleanly sliced off. It looked great otherwise (feathers intact) and I have no idea where it came from, non of the neighbors had chickens at the time and I can't hear any nearby either.
I'm going to buy a pre fab coop with attached run which I plan to put an additional fence around to try and make predator proof. I plan on using hardware cloth, and either hay/straw bales or hardware cloth on the ground around the outside of the coop to keep the burrowers out.
The neighbor with the barn used to have chickens which she let me see her set up and it was predator proof. Although I'm not sure the weasels were here then. (my coop will be about 50 yards away from their barn - not very far). (The lady moved out with the chickens.)
I do plan on keeping the chickens in the coop/ run. For those of you who have dealt with weasels what do I need to do or NOT do?
Tips?
Thanks!
I have seen hawks about 1300 ft from our house too but never near the house(s) and barn. There are a lot of crows near the horses/hay barn that I think keep the hawks away.
Although, I did see a chicken at the end of our driveway (1300 ft) with its head cleanly sliced off. It looked great otherwise (feathers intact) and I have no idea where it came from, non of the neighbors had chickens at the time and I can't hear any nearby either.
I'm going to buy a pre fab coop with attached run which I plan to put an additional fence around to try and make predator proof. I plan on using hardware cloth, and either hay/straw bales or hardware cloth on the ground around the outside of the coop to keep the burrowers out.
The neighbor with the barn used to have chickens which she let me see her set up and it was predator proof. Although I'm not sure the weasels were here then. (my coop will be about 50 yards away from their barn - not very far). (The lady moved out with the chickens.)
I do plan on keeping the chickens in the coop/ run. For those of you who have dealt with weasels what do I need to do or NOT do?
Tips?
Thanks!
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