Dogs that kill weasels but not chickens?

[ColtHandorf]

I think it would be hard for a weasel to kill a free ranging standard sized chicken. Think about the size difference. I don't know that a weasel could get a full-grown chicken pinned down or to stay still long enough to hurt it. A lot of standard sized chickens will go after mice, rats and other small animals. A weasel would probably become prey instead of a predator if it tried to kill a chicken during the day. It's a much easier meal for a weasel at night when chickens are helpless.

 

[Cecisflock]

Well, I've trained my 4 cats not to kill chickens. They don't stalk the chicks in their brooders, either.

But I think dogs are harder to train than cats are.

thats certainly not true if you have a bond and if you dont have a hunting dog

 

[Cecisflock]

The simple answer is most any dog, purebred or mixed, that has good prey drive will take care of whatever unwanted critters you have. It's the training a high prey drive dog that your chickens, cats and goats are off limits that will be the hard part.
There really is no certain breed of dog that is best for this sort of task. It's more about the individual dog, the owner's set-up and circumstances and their ability to train said dog.

exactly, however the structure you give a dog can sometimes be on autopilot. In my case my 2 collies have no prey drive whatsoever despite my attempts at kick-starting one. I'm 99% sure it is my fault.

 

[bobbi-j]

Vicious little buggers, aren’t they? (I did state that it would be hard - not impossible.) When I think of a weasel, I think of what we have here. They’re tiny - not even 8” long, and small enough around that they can squeeze through an opening less than 1”. I know there are larger ones as well. We also have mink, a larger cousin of the weasel. I have lost chickens to both, and every loss has been in a coop or run where the birds are easier to corner and kill. Most of those attacks have been at night when the chickens are helpless, but I have had some daytime kills as well.

 

[tigger19687]

"Weasels are the only predator small enough to slip between bars and vanish in the night, unseen." Rats, mice, snakes.

Since you didn't put where you live and how much area your coop is on, it's hard to help.
Any dog can be trained and is only as good as it's training by You. But it takes years and sometimes they just kill a hen for fun because they are bored. If this dog has nothing to do for 350 days of the year it will get bored.

Are you talking you live on a farm and want an outside dog? Because really that's really the only thing that will help if it lives with your hens....

I too was looking for a better breed, or I should say asked if others have used a specific breed but all in all any herding dog will do, terriers too. Just know they are usually high strung and need a real Job on a constant basis.

Honestly if you got weasels the only thing is to kill off the weasels.... buy a 22 rifle, practice shooting. It's easier and faster then training a dog.

I'm going to edit as I'm just starting to read some of your answers here and say... you have All those animals on a 1/3 acre lot? Weasels will smell all that and you have easy pickings there. What major metropolitan area allowed all that ? Just curious because if they do then a 22 rifle would not be an issue.
Also you jumped on people quick for no reason. Maybe if your original post listed all the facts instead of a quick summary it would have been a little clearer. But I'm gonna guess I too will be on ignore too.... don't worry I like it there with a few others

P.s., this is a big forum. If you ask a question you will get all sorts of answers and if you choose to ignore people because you dislike their answer you will have a large list and miss out on Very good advise.
Also, there is a search feature here, dogs have been discussed many times before

 

[Chickenmom-1600]

I keep chickens free range 24/7 all day and all night. I trap mink and weasels around my property. Forget the dog and learn to trap them. It’s not that hard.
It’ll be less expensive to learn and buy the supplies needed to trap them than to train and feed a dog.

How do you trap them? Best way? Live trap? I would hate to get a cat or other animal not causing harm. What kind of bait?

 

[50-45-1]

@Chickenmom-1600
"Wire" some raw fresh meet in the back of your livetrap. A chicken leg works good for this.
Make sure it's not accessible by anything from outside the cage. They must go into the cage past the trip lever to get at the meat.
You wire it down so whatever it is cant just grab it and go.
ALSO I will repeat that weasels are referred as the farmers friend in that they keep rodent populations in check. Including everything BUT the farmers chickens. If you can just tighten up your coop (1/4 in hardware cloth covering all gaps and holes)
A weasel can squeeze through any hole a mouse can) he will keep your mouse and rat population down.
Weasels are territorial, so you likely only have this one.
If you kill him, a rat infestation is a worse headache and harder so solve.

 

[Chickenmom-1600]

@Chickenmom-1600
"Wire" some raw fresh meet in the back of your livetrap. A chicken leg works good for this.
Make sure it's not accessible by anything from outside the cage. They must go into the cage past the trip lever to get at the meat.
You wire it down so whatever it is cant just grab it and go.
ALSO I will repeat that weasels are referred as the farmers friend in that they keep rodent populations in check. Including everything BUT the farmers chickens. If you can just tighten up your coop (1/4 in hardware cloth covering all gaps and holes)
A weasel can squeeze through any hole a mouse can) he will keep your mouse and rat population down.
Weasels are territorial, so you likely only have this one.
If you kill him, a rat infestation is a worse headache and harder so solve.

Thank you for this information. We have no farm and not rats. Just this mink that seemed to come from out of the blue. He killed my chickens. I have none left but I do want to trap him. I want him gone. I have an elderly cat and I worry for her now. Do you think he will still come around? I will try a chicken leg. I put in a can of sardines and a piece of meat. I really really want it gone.

 

[50-45-1]

I lost 5 chickens one night to a weasel. He got in my old coop through a small knot hole in an floor board.
I have a new fort Knox coop now that is mouse proof. My husband and I built it and made sure it had no holes or gaps.
I have seen my weasel sunning himself on the tractor tire down by the barn.

We have no farm and not rats.

I say your weasel is the reason you have no rats.
If you take him out, there may be consequences you wont like.
I secured my coop and live in harmony with my weasel.. I appreciate what he does for me. Mice are destructive and rats disgusting! A much better arangement.

 

[Chickenmom-1600]

I lost 5 chickens one night to a weasel. He got in my old coop through a small knot hole in an floor board.
I have a new fort Knox coop now that is mouse proof. My husband and I built it and made sure it had no holes or gaps.
I have seen my weasel sunning himself on the tractor tire down by the barn.

I say your weasel is the reason you have no rats.
If you take him out, there may be consequences you wont like.
I secured my coop and live in harmony with my weasel.. I appreciate what he does for me. Mice are destructive and rats disgusting! A much better arangement.

I have cats for them. My coop was always clean. I can even wash it inside and out. I am in south east Quebec. I want more chickens, but I’m very shaken up over this as they were babies to us. 3 years with no problems and then this. I check for tracks of anything in the winter daily. It was about 3:00 in the afternoon when it happened. My friend watched it leave when he went to pick up my chickens. The mink wasn’t done and wanted to get at their dead bodies more. He went through the top of the run where the hardware cloth joined together. Like it over lapped. I can barely get my fingers in there and he slipped right out. My run is metal with the roof. I’m thinking of screwing boards inside and outside of all seams. And bolting one layer on the inside (top layer) and bottom in outside of the boards. It’s the small gaps in the doors I am trying to figure out? Maybe an extra layer of hardware cloth that folds back and forth to cover door after I close it? I’m not sure yet. Coop itself is secure for night. That is not my worry. Only the run. My cats aren’t not going out until I feel they are safe, more my old one.