Earthworms for teenage chicks? Ermine also lurking...

[Kiki]

Earthworms can be a carried of roundworm eggs.
Which means if you feed your chicken earthworms they could get roundworms.

 

[sarastamand]

I forgot to also mention I set a game cam to try to figure out its pattern. Of course it failed me this time.

There also may be something else lurking around; one night one of the havahart traps were dragged several feet from where they stood. We have a dog, but the footprints were a bit larger than his and there was also a HUGE pile of feces that are not his but similar. Not a bear, but thinking coyote or potentially wolf.

I also accidentally caught a cat one night in the havahart... oops...

 

[sarastamand]

ermine can be out and about during the day
they can jump almost a yard up, sorta like a squirrel can
bucket trap for rats is usually a garbage can because they can jump out

I’m going to put some bait in a garbage can tomorrow morning and bungy cord it to the wall to ensure it won’t knock over.... that’s a great idea. I really feel like this guy is smart or potentially trapped before.

 

[Fishkeeper]

It's generally best to worm periodically on any chickens with access to the wild. The general assumption is that they're going to get worms eventually if they're exposed to places where other animals (including wild birds) have been. Could earthworms give them parasites? Sure. So could most other bugs they find while running around. So could any bugs that get into their coop or run. I'm not inclined to recommend avoiding earthworms because of parasite potential. Grasshoppers can carry tapeworms, but I don't tend to see anyone worried about their free-range chickens chasing hoppers.

For the garbage can, look up how to build the trap. You need a ramp going up, then kind of a little diving board structure that will tip down under weight, so that the ermine will climb out along the board and then fall off, landing in the can.

 

[sarastamand]

Really appreciate everyone’s feedback on both my concerns

 

[sarastamand]

Does anybody know if these ermine weasels are smart? Or am I my typical unlucky self

 

[Molpet]

Does anybody know if these ermine weasels are smart? Or am I my typical unlucky self

Very smart
Weasel box is your best bet
You can make or buy them