Minnesota!

[duluthralphie]

Ahh, I have never seen one look like that picture, but then if I did see one sitting like that, I would most likely be eating it in a day or so.

 

[Drea07]

This is the time of year you will see a lot more rodents trying to get inside of places to live over winter. Weasels follow rodent trails. So, if you live near any woods, you very well may have a weasel. Make some weasel traps and put them around and restock the bait daily. Cheap hamburger works.
You can find how to make them on a number of trapping sites or other DNR type sites. Basically a box that you can remove the top easily enough to replace the bait daily. You put a big, strong rat trap in it so that they jump right into the trap when they go into it. Put the bait to the back so they can't take the bait and miss the trap.
I would use some traps called "Tomcat", they are strong and nothing gets out alive from them. Don't stop setting them until you catch whatever it is.
That is my advice.
I lost 30 birds last spring to a weasel. It came in 3 times and took out 10-12 birds per visit. I started leaving the pens open and I cut the grass short and didn't have another loss, but it is time for me to start watching for them and try to prevent them by getting all my mouse traps put out in full force to keep the rodents down in the first place.

Good luck!

That looks easy enough to make and I wouldn't have to worry about my cats getting hurt.

Thank you!

LOL, too funny about the kitty. Mine will give me looks when ever I bring any other critter home and give me a look like "Oh really women...what did you do now!?"

 

[Drea07]

I give what is the bird? I even tried to lighten the picture.


Drea, I am thinking you might have two critters, the neck and head sounds like a weasel, but I doubt a weasel could drag away a full size chicken. A weasel could easily go through your fence almost anywhere. A coon could go over the top.

I am unclear did the bird have to be carried over the top of the fence to be moved? or was there a gate/door a dog or something could have drug it through.


I processed the first turkey and am glad I did. We watched him most the day, He would look fine for a while, then just plop down like he was exhausted. We decided we did not dare try to keep him alive any longer. It dressed out at 29 pounds!

The bird looked good, but I think the circulation was impaired as the fat was not as bright a yellow as the CRX's was. It had lots of fat, I bet we threw away 2-3 pounds of fat. Even the giblets were huge. The heart, liver, and gizzard weighed 1lb. 3oz. ( that was not included in the dressed weight.

Blanchranch based on that yours will do 25lbs or better dressed, I think.

My kitchen scale could not weigh that much so we guessed on the bathroom scale. My de-liar had dead batteries, Judy is getting new ones this afternoon for a second weigh in. I did ruin the skin on the breast a little. Someday I will get this scalding down right.

The other turkeys are now avoiding us. They gathered around us until the head came off our T day dinner. Then they scattered. They all had looks of disappointment on their faces when they looked at us.

The chickens were happy, they picked up anything we threw on the ground.

I had a handful of gizzard rocks, I washed them, they looked like rocks, so I threw them on the ground too. Judy did not want me to make her a necklace out of them. I think she thought she was too good for my homemade jewelry.

The first hen was pull through a very small hold next to the coop, the second hen was taken over the top of the fence that she kept getting on (even clipped her wings to try and keep her down, but she still flew/hopped her way to the top.) The rooster is still in there.

Just heard from hubby, it did come back again last night and moved the rooster back into the coop. So what ever it is, it can not figure out how to get it's kill out.

 

[duluthralphie]

Interesting Drea I think it is game cam time.

 

[Drea07]

Interesting Drea I think it is game cam time.

Think your right.

Will set up the weasel traps and get some cams up. Really have a feeling it has to be more then one with the kills being different.


Thought it could be an owl, but an owl wouldn't have any issue carrying away it's kill and would not keep bringing it inside the coop and back into the run.

 

[duluthralphie]

The other chickens might drag it in. Mine will move a dead bird some as they eat it. Friendship rules do not apply once you die in the chicken world.

 

[Minniechickmama]

Interesting Drea I think it is game cam time.

I agree. I think the weasel trap would be prudent and a coon trap on the outside. However, Ralphie, don't underestimate the strength of a weasel. I have read they are powerful enough to drag some ridiculously heavy bodies compared to their size. If you have fresh enough kills, you can use parts of that for the trap too so you aren't wasting other meat. Liver is good as it is bloody and attracts them well.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I got potatoes finished with the help of my son, but feeling so crappy today, the only other thing accomplished is getting chores done. :/ Some days are like this. Oh well.

 

[The BlanchRanch]

I barely got the new Turkey roosting coop started and the dang building inspectors came to look over the project, even sat on the top of the ladder and watched us work.

Very funny!!


Thought I would just swing by and say hi. Too busy lately to put any time in here. Be back soon.

 

[holm25]

holm is it a long drive from there to your gramps? are you able to see your animals every day?

ab


About 11 miles. At leadt every otherday.