Weka Attack 😭

[The Kooky Kiwi]

I'm have a sad moment.

I have a chicken house with a well covered and sheltered run that I use for my young chickens to learn the outdoor life in before graduating to the big chicken run. I currently have in there some 8 week olds (mixture of Araucana and bantams), some 4 week olds, and a duckling. The babies have been thriving and enjoying life - the duckling thinks he's a chicken - all has been great in their world!

Until this morning .. I was sitting in my office and I notice 5 younglings out in the drive, heading towards my office. I open the door and they all come sprinting over, nervous twittering, gathering around my feet. I gathered up the two smallest of the group and went to see how they'd got out (thinking I'd perhaps not secured the door?).

And found a weka had forced a hole in the wire and had gotten into the run. It was chasing the babies all around, and just as I got there it managed to peck/stab my favorite baby in the head, who promptly died

The babies all flocked to me, and I quickly ushered them into their coop and locked the doors, leaving myself with a clearly excited weka in the pen. The blasted thing was still trying to get to minis body to claim it's prize

This mornings deathtoll - 3 younglings directly killed by the weka, 1 died shortly after to shock, and I have 1 in my office currently who is looking very shocky and is of concern. And of course my three favourites from the whole pen are all on the victim list

 

[sourland]

Are they common predators of chicks/chickens ?

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Are they common predators of chicks/chickens ?

They are here yes.. They're devilishly clever, very persistent, and "protected" by law..

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Are they common predators of chicks/chickens ?

They are pretty fearless of people and cats. They will walk into your home if you leave a door open, they'll steal anything you leave lying about (we've had socks stolen, car wash sponge, wheel nuts!), and once they've learned what an egg or chick is then you've got a very determined and ruthless predator problem ..

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Weka for Bird of the Year - Bing video

 

[BlueBaby]

I'm sorry that you have lost some of your youngling's to the weka. I had to look it up on google to find out what a weka was. I guess that's what happens when people want to bring back some type of native bird. It knows that there is food available at your place for it now, so re-enforce everything so that it cannot get to the rest of your youngling's. Are weka's a protected bird over there then?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Bit surprised that it would go after birds other than day olds. But just means you'll have to adapt

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

Bit surprised that it would go after birds other than day olds. But just means you'll have to adapt

They regularly predate upon pukeko chicks, and ducklings, out in the paddocks. The eldest chicks I've lost to a weka attack were 10 week old fully feathered bantams. Weka use their beak like a knife and "stab" so they'll kill anything that doesn't stand up to them.

The ONLY defense you have against these guys is to try and weka-proof your run - which is not easy to do. They will dig under fences, will climb over fences, and will force their way through fences. If you go into the pens you MUST close the gates firmly behind you because they are clever enough to wait nearby and ninja in behind you.

I've watched them tear holes in shade cloth, force holes in chicken netting, and climb over a 1m high chicken netting fence (they're flightless so they cannot fly or "hop" over).

I've also seen one "grab" at chickens "through" the wire..

 

[JaeG]

I'm so sorry. How awful and frustrating seeing as it's a predator you can't eliminate. Weka are actually removed from 'pest free' sanctuaries here because of their predatory behaviour.

We thankfully don't have weka running around where we are but I've read lots of stories about how they love to steal things.

 

[The Kooky Kiwi]

I'm sorry that you have lost some of your youngling's to the weka. I had to look it up on google to find out what a weka was. I guess that's what happens when people want to bring back some type of native bird. It knows that there is food available at your place for it now, so re-enforce everything so that it cannot get to the rest of your youngling's. Are weka's a protected bird over there then?

They are protected yes.. with a VERY hefty penalty for any infraction. You cannot catch, kill, injure, relocate, tag & release.