NY chicken lover!!!!

[chicken stalker]

Speaking of the weasel family, I just caught this mink last night. He has killed a total of 22 chickens, which is about half my flock. I finally caught him by cutting up a fresh kill and baiting the trap with her.

 

[ChickPrincess]

I know, I was lucky to only have lost 7.
This thing has BALLS. I was just finishing cleaning out the coop and putting in fresh wood shavings. Suddenly a couple hens who were outside came running into the coop hollering. I stepped out onto the deck and see a tail sticking out... 2 feet in front of me. I stomped on the deck and out pops the weasel. This was 3:30 this afternoon! It must have been under the deck/coop the whole time I was out there! By the time I grabbed a shovel it had already waddled to the other side of the run and slipped under the fence. I was ready to split that thing in two! It went under a pallet and I got dh with his gun, but of course, by that time it was gone.
Dh set a trap and I'll be going to Walmart to buy some snap traps and set them up all over outside the coop.
There had been a small opening under the door, which is where it had got in. Dh and I reinforced the door, so now it's Fort Knox.

And through all of this, I think Blondie (buff orpington) is going broody. Maybe that's why there have been disagreements with her and the rooster? As I cleaned the coop, she sat on 5 eggs, all fluffed out. She growled at any other hen who came near. She screamed at me for taking the eggs. If she continues, I will give her some eggs. I was hoping she would become broody, just not quite ready!

 

[stonykill]

Speaking of the weasel family, I just caught this mink last night. He has killed a total of 22 chickens, which is about half my flock. I finally caught him by cutting up a fresh kill and baiting the trap with her.

I certainly hope you killed that thing. Congrats on finally catching him.

 

[stonykill]

I know, I was lucky to only have lost 7.
This thing has BALLS. I was just finishing cleaning out the coop and putting in fresh wood shavings. Suddenly a couple hens who were outside came running into the coop hollering. I stepped out onto the deck and see a tail sticking out... 2 feet in front of me. I stomped on the deck and out pops the weasel. This was 3:30 this afternoon! It must have been under the deck/coop the whole time I was out there! By the time I grabbed a shovel it had already waddled to the other side of the run and slipped under the fence. I was ready to split that thing in two! It went under a pallet and I got dh with his gun, but of course, by that time it was gone.
Dh set a trap and I'll be going to Walmart to buy some snap traps and set them up all over outside the coop.
There had been a small opening under the door, which is where it had got in. Dh and I reinforced the door, so now it's Fort Knox.

And through all of this, I think Blondie (buff orpington) is going broody. Maybe that's why there have been disagreements with her and the rooster? As I cleaned the coop, she sat on 5 eggs, all fluffed out. She growled at any other hen who came near. She screamed at me for taking the eggs. If she continues, I will give her some eggs. I was hoping she would become broody, just not quite ready!

good luck. I certainly hope you kill that thing. If you set rat traps all over the place you might get lucky. Maybe. I certainly hope so.

 

[ChickPrincess]

good luck. I certainly hope you kill that thing. If you set rat traps all over the place you might get lucky. Maybe. I certainly hope so.

I have put two rat traps right near the same entrance he used last night and screwed them to the deck. Baited them with chicken livers. We also set up a hav-a-hart with livers and covered most of it with a black garbage bag to create a tunnel. We have that on the deck against the coop. I'll be sleeping lightly tonight.
Now I need a hot bath to soak my aching body and hope I don't dream of headless chickens.
All that much more reason to get electric fence.

 

[stonykill]

I have put two rat traps right near the same entrance he used last night and screwed them to the deck. Baited them with chicken livers. We also set up a hav-a-hart with livers and covered most of it with a black garbage bag to create a tunnel. We have that on the deck against the coop. I'll be sleeping lightly tonight.
Now I need a hot bath to soak my aching body and hope I don't dream of headless chickens.
All that much more reason to get electric fence.

good luck. Electric netting might stop a weasel, but conventional electric fence isn't going to. I hope it works and you kill that lil bugger. Livers from fresh kill are a good bait.

 

[AQHAchick22]

if there is a crack 3/4 of an inch, maybe less even they can squeeze through. They are tiny and can squeeze through very small spaces like a mouse can. A door that doesn't seal tight is a spot a weasel can get in. If you have weasels think Fort Knox. I didn't think Fort Knox until 2 years ago. The 7 previous chicken owning years never one weasel. All of a sudden one morning I wake up to an entire coop of 9 chickens dead. Just killed. Spent a few hours processing them and freezing them. I still use that coop but it is now TIGHT!

Hmmm...I haven't seen or heard of weasels being around (I have a lot of neighbors with chickens). Now I'm scared though. We have a door that does into the coop and I know there is a bit of a space at the bottom. There is also a bit of a space around the pop door..I think I'll be doing some reinforcing in the next couple of days. For now I'll just have to rely on the dogs. They bark if they hear the slightest sound outside so I'll be flipping on lights and double checking every time I hear the slightest noise now.

 

[rancher hicks]

I have put two rat traps right near the same entrance he used last night and screwed them to the deck. Baited them with chicken livers. We also set up a hav-a-hart with livers and covered most of it with a black garbage bag to create a tunnel. We have that on the deck against the coop. I'll be sleeping lightly tonight.
Now I need a hot bath to soak my aching body and hope I don't dream of headless chickens.
All that much more reason to get electric fence.

Keep yourself a nice calming book next to the bed and read a few pages before dozing off. Nothing to do with chickens or bad things. If you're not a reader, you could use a book on tape/cd.

I bought Huckleberry Finn for a dollar at the public library. I still haven't gotten past the first tape. It always puts me to sleep.

The smell of lavender is supposed to be soothing too.

 

[stonykill]

Hmmm...I haven't seen or heard of weasels being around (I have a lot of neighbors with chickens). Now I'm scared though. We have a door that does into the coop and I know there is a bit of a space at the bottom. There is also a bit of a space around the pop door..I think I'll be doing some reinforcing in the next couple of days. For now I'll just have to rely on the dogs. They bark if they hear the slightest sound outside so I'll be flipping on lights and double checking every time I hear the slightest noise now.

just to be safe a coop tightening is always a good idea.

 

[happyhensny]

I am so sorry over the losses of our feathery friends. Coons got in our coop couple of years ago. Still think of what they left. Horrible.

Almost bedtime so here is so good news. Candled the eggs for the Easter hatch and ended up with:

OUR Americauna 5/7
OUR Araucana 1/2
OUR D'Uccle 1/1
SHIPPED Am's 5/7 Terrible air cells though - a bit worried
SHIPPED ? 2/2

And, yesterday we (the chicks that hatched last weekend) went to a photographer and the chicks had their pictures taken with lots of little kids. It was so sweet! I brought 18 chicks so I could model a couple at a time without any being overwhelmed. The kids were very kind.




Beautiful!