Pigeon Talk

[ChickenTenderKesha]

I’m going to go out on a limb say for sure it’s a mink/weasel. I just checked the small live trap we caught the rat in earlier this year and it has the same size metal mesh (1”x1”) as the cage the pigeon was in. The rat was unable to escape from that cage and had been trapped in it outside for a few hours..

What’s frustrating is that I know we have squirrels running around the property so any tracks I see outside I’m never sure if it’s a squirrel or something else

 

[cavemanrich]

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Suspicions confirmed

 

[biophiliac]

Suspicions confirmed
View attachment 2001206 View attachment 2001207

OMG! At least you know what you are fighting against. The weasels are the worst!!

 

[mixedUPturk]

OMG! At least you know what you are fighting against. The weasels are the worst!!

Xs 2! Get him Kesha!

 

[Serin]

Please don't hurt it, its just a short tailed weasel. They're just doing what they need to to survive.

 

[ChickenTenderKesha]

Please don't hurt it, its just a short tailed weasel. They're just doing what they need to to survive.

Aren’t I doing what I need to survive? That weasel can do a lot of damage. What if it were to get into my chicken coop next and kill my laying hens, a source of food for my family? No matter how much I predator proof the coop, things happen. I’m not going to feel safe with my animals knowing this creature is not afraid to show it’s face even when someone has been in the garage for an hour already. I free range my chickens when I can, but if I had to try affording 1/2” or 1/4” HWC to cover all of a run big enough for my chickens to live in, I’d probably be broke.

I did think about relocating it as my first option. But to me, that just dumps it into someone else’s “backyard” and makes it their problem. I know it’s nature and this creature is trying to survive, but that’s all I’m doing as well, I just have birds in addition to myself. I’m not saying I reach for a weapon every time I have a predator, but there’s some cases you have to acknowledge when relocation isn’t an option.

I really like the fact there’s some people who speak up about this stuff on here though! Coming from a place where I was the only one saying your side of things growing up, it’s really refreshing to finally hear it back. I do want you to know I think about this, in depth, before making my decisions. My next step of thinking when feeling out the idea of the creature staying, what predators does it have/could it bring to my property? With that already known to me, it’s another reason for me to remove it unfortunately. I’m sorry if I may have upset you by my actions towards this creature, that’s not my intentions by any means.

 

[sourland]

@ChickenTenderKesha as owners it is our responsibility to protect our flocks. Termination of the weasel is the logical decision. Well done.

 

[bluemerle]

@ChickenTenderKesha as owners it is our responsibility to protect our flocks. Termination of the weasel is the logical decision. Well done.

Lethal control is the unscientific, unfounded option. No one traps a weasel once & never again. You will have predators visiting as long as you have an available food source: proof your coop and train the predators to stay away via hotwire.

 

[bluemerle]

No Proof That Shooting Predators Save Livestock

Has Wildlife Services' Predator Control Program Gone Too Far?

Based On Available Evidence, Non-Lethal Predator Control More Effective

Nonlethal Solutions Reduce Conflicts