So far I've lost five goslings and one chick. I wasn't thinking predation at first, at least not until I found the chick and had a chance conversation with a neighbor who lost a number of goslings. We have 4 hens, 11 pullets, 3 cockerels and 3 chicks that free range during the day without a problem. All the deaths have been to animals that were in a tractor covered on all sides and top with chicken wire and all have occurred during the day, in the early afternoon (between noon and twoish).
The circumstances:
Week before last, I lost two goslings, seemingly without cause. They were fine, happily peeping, eating and drinking. An hour later, I went to check on them and 2 were dead. It was the middle of the day, shortly after lunch, and there was no evidence of anything having attacked them, but then I didn't look very closely. They were in a pen.
A week later, same scenario but this time it was three goslings.
Then I found the chick. It was in the henhouse and had been partially dragged through the dog kennel we have in there for the chicks to escape to. I leave the door propped open so the chicks can easily go in and out, but the hens cannot. It was stuck tight and I think I broke its back getting it out the rest of the way. Because it had been dragged rather forcibly, I looked at it much more closely than I had the goslings and found two very small bite marks under the eye on the side that was lying on the ground.
That was the first time I thought I might be dealing with a predator. Again, it was the middle of the day. I didn't know what could have done it.
But then a neighbor (not close...like five miles away) said she'd lost several goslings the same way and didn't know it was a weasel until the first time she saw the bite marks. Then she started looking more carefully. She's also seen them hunting during the day quite a bit.
Now I don't know what to do. I've never lost a bird at night and I don't really know why. The henhouse is fairly secure, but since there are mice in it, I'm fairly certain a weasel could find it's way through. But then the dog kennel is attached to the henhouse and there is usually a dog or two in there at night.
We are in the process of building tractors for all the chickens rather than just the babies since one of our dogs is a chicken killer, but now I'm hesitant. The only predator we have seems to prefer the penned ones.
For the moment, I'm going to pull the tractor closer to where we have the beagle tied out. He hunts up the voles all day long and I suspect the fact that we are finally getting our vole issue under control may be part of why a weasel would start to turn to other prey.
How do you dissuade a weasel that is hunting during the day? And are the free ranging birds safer? Or is it just a matter of time (or running out of penned birds) before they start falling prey as well?
The circumstances:
Week before last, I lost two goslings, seemingly without cause. They were fine, happily peeping, eating and drinking. An hour later, I went to check on them and 2 were dead. It was the middle of the day, shortly after lunch, and there was no evidence of anything having attacked them, but then I didn't look very closely. They were in a pen.
A week later, same scenario but this time it was three goslings.
Then I found the chick. It was in the henhouse and had been partially dragged through the dog kennel we have in there for the chicks to escape to. I leave the door propped open so the chicks can easily go in and out, but the hens cannot. It was stuck tight and I think I broke its back getting it out the rest of the way. Because it had been dragged rather forcibly, I looked at it much more closely than I had the goslings and found two very small bite marks under the eye on the side that was lying on the ground.
That was the first time I thought I might be dealing with a predator. Again, it was the middle of the day. I didn't know what could have done it.
But then a neighbor (not close...like five miles away) said she'd lost several goslings the same way and didn't know it was a weasel until the first time she saw the bite marks. Then she started looking more carefully. She's also seen them hunting during the day quite a bit.
Now I don't know what to do. I've never lost a bird at night and I don't really know why. The henhouse is fairly secure, but since there are mice in it, I'm fairly certain a weasel could find it's way through. But then the dog kennel is attached to the henhouse and there is usually a dog or two in there at night.
We are in the process of building tractors for all the chickens rather than just the babies since one of our dogs is a chicken killer, but now I'm hesitant. The only predator we have seems to prefer the penned ones.
For the moment, I'm going to pull the tractor closer to where we have the beagle tied out. He hunts up the voles all day long and I suspect the fact that we are finally getting our vole issue under control may be part of why a weasel would start to turn to other prey.
How do you dissuade a weasel that is hunting during the day? And are the free ranging birds safer? Or is it just a matter of time (or running out of penned birds) before they start falling prey as well?
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