Fluffy Butt Acres: Stories of our flock

[ValerieJ]

Thank you so much. This morning was very hard.

The trap will be here tomorrow. The hunt will then begin.

Hope you find the culprit fast!!!!

 

[Shadrach]

That's a quick recovery! Brilliant.

They tend to look recovered from injuries very quickly. As long as no infection sets in they seem normal. However, if they are put under further stress, like having to run for cover or defend themselves it can be some weeks before they are properly fit again.

 

[MaryJanet]

Ok. So we want those goshawks to leave her alone for a month or so.

 

[RoyalChick]

Hope you find the culprit fast!!!!

Maybe it is different where Bob is (nearer town maybe?) but I would not assume there is just one 'nasty' out there. For example, since I lost Scary I have seen no fewer than 3 different foxes go past my window (easily identifiable by size and coloring) and only one of them has a blue butt from the paint gun. @BY Bob I think you should point that wonderful camera of yours to outside the run for a week and see what predator traffic you really get. It might help you with the right hen safety strategy. I know you need revenge but that won't really solve things in the long run.

 

[Shadrach]

Maybe it is different where Bob is (nearer town maybe?) but I would not assume there is just one 'nasty' out there. For example, since I lost Scary I have seen no fewer than 3 different foxes go past my window (easily identifiable by size and coloring) and only one of them has a blue butt from the paint gun. @BY Bob I think you should point that wonderful camera of yours to outside the run for a week and see what predator traffic you really get. It might help you with the right hen safety strategy. I know you need revenge but that won't really solve things in the long run.

I don't think Bob will catch a weasel in a trap tbh. They are just as smart as rats.

 

[BY Bob]

Coop Enhancements

So what were the enhancements made to the coop to weasel proof it. I am sure enquiring minds wish to know. (even though no one asked. )

The end doors on the coop are large pieces of plywood that did not remain flat but rather warped over time. So I sealed them with weather stripping. This kept the weather out but would not keep a weasel out. So I removed the weather stripping and screwed the porch door shut to the coop. For now it no longer opens but is sealed.

For the other door I framed out the inside which straighted out the door and provided interior overlap. Here is the framing and the new overlap.

The only other vulnerability I could think of was the soffet vents. They are wired with hardware cloth from the inside. I decided that was not good enough and added a second layer on the outside. It's ugly, but secure. I can pretty it up in the spring.

 

[RoyalChick]

Coop Enhancements

So what were the enhancements made to the coop to weasel proof it. I am sure enquiring minds wish to know. (even though no one asked. )

The end doors on the coop are large pieces of plywood that did not remain flat but rather warped over time. So I sealed them with weather stripping. This kept the weather out but would not keep a weasel out. So I removed the weather stripping and screwed the porch door shut to the coop. For now it no longer opens but is sealed.

For the other door I framed out the inside which straighted out the door and provided interior overlap. Here is the framing and the new overlap.

View attachment 2012357
View attachment 2012358

The only other vulnerability I could think of was the soffet vents. They are wired with hardware cloth from the inside. I decided that was not good enough and added a second layer on the outside. It's ugly, but secure. I can pretty it up in the spring.

View attachment 2012363

This enquiring mind definitely wanted to know but thought you would share when you were ready! Nice job on the door. You have me freaked out however as I have the exact same issue with warped plywood on the kid's coop door (long story but built by a teenager for a school project). The Chicken Palace will be much more secure but is taking for forever to complete. I think I am going to cover the frame with hardware cloth as a temporary fix - that will cover over the warped area.

 

[BY Bob]

Maybe it is different where Bob is (nearer town maybe?) but I would not assume there is just one 'nasty' out there. For example, since I lost Scary I have seen no fewer than 3 different foxes go past my window (easily identifiable by size and coloring) and only one of them has a blue butt from the paint gun. @BY Bob I think you should point that wonderful camera of yours to outside the run for a week and see what predator traffic you really get. It might help you with the right hen safety strategy. I know you need revenge but that won't really solve things in the long run.

I have identified the following known predators in my area already. Raccoons, Skunks, Opossum, and dogs. To date I have not seen fox but they must be here. Any one of these would have needed large access to the run. There was no wire peeled back like there was in the prior skunk incursions into the run. There weres no marks from attempted digging. So whatever it was is small.

From the damage to Maleficent, whatever it was did not damage her anywhere other than the neck area.

It has to be a weasel.

I still need to figure out how it got in the run. However I am not certain I can ever weasel proof the run anyway. For now my strategy is to remove it from the equation if possible.

In the meantime, the girls are cooped up.

 

[RoyalChick]

I have identified the following known predators in my area already. Raccoons, Skunks, Opossum, and dogs. To date I have not seen fox but they must be here. Any one of these would have needed large access to the run. There was no wire peeled back like there was in the prior skunk incursions into the run. There weres no marks from attempted digging. So whatever it was is small.

From the damage to Maleficent, whatever it was did not damage her anywhere other than the neck area.

It has to be a weasel.

I still need to figure out how it got in the run. However I am not certain I can ever weasel proof the run anyway. For now my strategy is to remove it from the equation if possible.

In the meantime, the girls are cooped up.

Nasty weasel! I read up about them over the weekend and they sure would be difficult to keep out and they seem like real killers. In good news however they are solitary animals so my fear that there was a whole 'pack' of weasels out there may be unfounded. Good luck!

 

[Shadrach]

This enquiring mind definitely wanted to know but thought you would share when you were ready! Nice job on the door. You have me freaked out however as I have the exact same issue with warped plywood on the kid's coop door (long story but built by a teenager for a school project). The Chicken Palace will be much more secure but is taking for forever to complete. I think I am going to cover the frame with hardware cloth as a temporary fix - that will cover over the warped area.

Keeping large coops properly secure, particularly those built on the ground is one of the reasons I don't build them.

I have identified the following known predators in my area already. Raccoons, Skunks, Opossum, and dogs. To date I have not seen fox but they must be here. Any one of these would have needed large access to the run. There was no wire peeled back like there was in the prior skunk incursions into the run. There weres no marks from attempted digging. So whatever it was is small.

From the damage to Maleficent, whatever it was did not damage her anywhere other than the neck area.

It has to be a weasel.

I still need to figure out how it got in the run. However I am not certain I can ever weasel proof the run anyway. For now my strategy is to remove it from the equation if possible.

In the meantime, the girls are cooped up.

Maybe the European weasel is different but I get a weasel attack every couple of months. Only one very small hen has ever been killed by (possibly) a weasel.here.
Of course, being free range they have the option to run and this is what they do. The weasel out in the open is an ambush predator and out in the open, they can only kill one chicken. Once a weasel get into a coop and run, because the chickens can't escape the weasel can end up killing the entire flock. The same applies to foxes, Pine Martens and a number of other predators.
This is Cillin when he was still a cockerel. He got attacked by a weasel. Because he was young and inexperienced he sustained more damage than usual.

This look describes having a bad day to perfection.