The Old Folks Home

[vehve]

Deb, I thought about that, but I'd rather attach it straight to the run frame. I think the corrugated plastic is going to be the way to go, since none of the plastic manufacturers I contacted had anything that would work, unless it came with a hefty price tag. The thing that bothers me the most with it is that it's directional, so I'm going to end up with a lot of waste.

 

[dsqard]

Cynthia that puppy is just adorable! My DS and his wife just got a brown Labradoole and they love her.

 

[Wisher1000]

http://themetapicture.com/ladies-interactive-mirror/

It's not nice to make a cop cry before her shift in the morning, Cyn...........

 

[Wisher1000]

Maybe I'll just have to go with the clear corrugated plastic then. Still have to figure out a handy way of hanging them so that they are easy to take off come spring.

I was thinking that you could drill holes in the corners and use zip ties. In the spring, just cut them off and stack the plastic somewhere out of the sun (sunlight will break them down.)

 

[vehve]

Wisher, the ones I looked at were UV protected with a 10 year guarantee, but I'm going to store them in the shed anyway. I was thinking of a more permanent multi usable fastening system though, I'm not a big fan of zip ties.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

me too

(on the icicles)

My mother greatly enjoyed terrorizing kids on Halloween. It brought her great joy.

CAREFUL!! Those things will kill every single chicken you have in a single night. They terrify me since it is VERY difficult to make a coop completely weasel, stoat, mink, proof and mine are not.

AH!!
...

We still do that. My wife loves to decorate for the holidays. Halloween is her favorite.

Don't I know it. After I lost 3 flocks to an unknown Houdini pest in May, I padlocked everything and bolted boards across doors. I'd go out the next morning and the bolted down building would be full of dead chickens.
Turns out it was mink, and I was revisited this week, killed 4 chicks and 5 four month olds. They're even more difficult to trap.

Sick!
Mine are not weasel proof and I'm freaking, I'd put a dog in each pen/coop but a recent " lets kill a duck party" is making me think the dogs are a bad idea too....
Not sure what to do the dogs didn't manage to catch it yet.... Arg wits end
My rather chicken Aussie pup was barking at the wood pile, terrified. I went to see... Figured he was freaking out about a mouse, I brought the dog in looked back through the window and out pooped that weasel and as always I had my phone/camera/computer.... Silly dog, barks at me if I have a towel on my wet hair.
Maybe the cats will kill it, they got the last one.... Fingers crossed.

Most regular traps are worthless with weasels. For one thing, they can only be baited with live food.
For $30 you can buy six #110 conibear traps.
http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/duke-110-body-t.html
That's really the way to go. Snares work too.
They like to explore dark places. Weasels are perfect mousers but will turn to chickens when pickins run slim.
They're protected furbearers in most states so check on regs where you are.

Make a box with a lid and a 1 1/2 " hole in the side. Place a conibear trap just inside so when it hops through it will trip the trap. Get some feeder mice from the pet store and buy or make a small cage to hold a mouse inside the bigger box for bait.

You can also use some lengths of 3 or 4 inch PVC pipe and put a conibear at each end. It wouldn't hurt to put some mouse feces in the pipe but they may enter just to explore.

Another technique is to get about a 2' length of 1 1/2" PVC pipe. Cap one end and partially bury it or you could just prop it up against your wood pile but make sure it's very secure and can't be tipped over. Position it at a 45 degree angle or steeper and drop a mouse in it. The weasel will enter to get the mouse but won't be able to turn around and you can dispose of as you choose.

They're bloodthirsty predators but not nearly as smart as raccoons.

LOL.... I started it with http://www.plantmaps.com/91934 which is my zip code you can just put yours in to find your zone.

There are several other maps out there.... this wasjust the one I found first that was easiest to use.

For what its worth every area has micro climates which vary from what is listed.... Its just a guide...

deb

Just a guide is correct. The zone maps have some pretty squiggly lines and they're not perfect. Most big cities are heat islands.

Most of the year there's a huge temperature and moisture difference from one side of my house to the other. The sun comes up on the east and bakes a 30X50' brick wall and reflects the heat to the ground. Snow rarely lasts very long on that side of the house. The west side is a row of 70' oaks and sun barely ever touches the ground there. Snow can last a month longer there than the other side of the house.
It's usually about 10 degrees cooler at the bottom of the hill by the creek than it is here on the top.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...

I wonder where I would place on that gardening zone thingy.

You're zone 3 thru 5 depending on your part of Finland.
Europe has their own hardiness map
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/europe/hze2.html

It's not nice to make a cop cry before her shift in the morning, Cyn...........

I had a few tears too.
That's ok it will make you a more compassionate cop.

Wisher, the ones I looked at were UV protected with a 10 year guarantee, but I'm going to store them in the shed anyway. I was thinking of a more permanent multi usable fastening system though, I'm not a big fan of zip ties.

You should be able to drill a hole in the plastic, then use bolts with big fender washers and wingnuts.

 

[vehve]

CC, zone 5 for me then.

I was thinking I would drive in bolts in the frame, leaving them about a quarter inch out, drill large holes in the plastic, and then secure the sheets with some sort of clip. But I'll have to go study the fastener department in the store and see what speaks to my sense of engineering.

 

[ronott1]

CC, zone 5 for me then.

I was thinking I would drive in bolts in the frame, leaving them about a quarter inch out, drill large holes in the plastic, and then secure the sheets with some sort of clip. But I'll have to go study the fastener department in the store and see what speaks to my sense of engineering.

There are screws with rubber sealing for sheet roofing. A hole is drilled and the screw secures it--makes it water proof and has a better seal.

 

[ronott1]

You're zone 3 thru 5 depending on your part of Finland.
Europe has their own hardiness map
http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/europe/hze2.html
I had a few tears too.
That's ok it will make you a more compassionate cop.

You should be able to drill a hole in the plastic, then use bolts with big fender washers and wingnuts.

Don't I know it. After I lost 3 flocks to an unknown Houdini pest in May, I padlocked everything and bolted boards across doors. I'd go out the next morning and the bolted down building would be full of dead chickens.
Turns out it was mink, and I was revisited this week, killed 4 chicks and 5 four month olds. They're even more difficult to trap.
Most regular traps are worthless with weasels. For one thing, they can only be baited with live food.


They're bloodthirsty predators but not nearly as smart as raccoons.

Dang!

Those Minks are terrible!

I hope you can get more of them and that they stop killing your chickens!