Just had a stoat attack!

[Johnn]

Probably to busy with Xmas and the family. Glad he's giving you a break today! 

Wish he would just take a break altogether!

 

[chickengeorgeto]

It will be back.

 

[Fred's Hens]

It will be back.

And, if there is one? There's likely 4 or 5. The nature of Nature.

 

[sumi]

Fred's right. There is never just one. One gets brave and once you got rid of it, the next one comes... That's what happened to us. I really hope these guys don't become a problem for you, Johnn. I think you should get a trap.

 

[sourland]

Proper pens provide proper protection.

 

[Johnn]

Proper pens provide proper protection. 

To be honest, I would rather get rid of them then putt them in a pen :/

 

[sourland]

Might be the most humane solution.

 

[Johnn]

Might be the most humane solution.

Mine are free range and are staying that way' they would hate being penned up would probablies kill each other.

 

[janinepeters]

Mine are free range and are staying that way' they would hate being penned up would probablies kill each other.

Johnn, I understand your desire to give your chickens a good life, a chance to express their natural behaviors. But the reality is that protection is also necessary if you want to keep chickens long term. Providing both freedom and protection is a difficult balancing act, something many of us struggle with constantly. With chickens always free ranging, and their feed kept outside, you are setting yourself and your chickens up for major disaster. If not this weasel, then some other predator. I can assure you that the vast majority of people with chickens keep them penned up for at least part of the time. Free ranging them for part of the day, such as when you or a guard animal can be present, goes a long way towards letting them do their natural chicken activities. Sometimes there is aggression when penned up, but as long they have plenty of space and management practices are good, most of the time this can be effectively dealt with. They don't all kill each other.

 

[Johnn]

Well i have had them for 5 years so i think i have kept them long term. Anyways the stoats been trapped now, had no look with the whole shooting thing so we talked to another gamekeeper who put a trap up and caught it