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10/15/07, 09:37 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Central Indiana
Posts: 1,259
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My cats killed a baby weasel - now what?
I found a dead baby weasel up by the back of the house this weekend. It was around 5 - 6" long. Positively I.D. baby weasel.
This is bad news.  I have a friend that lost many of her chickens last year to these little bloodsuckers. Aside from keeping the coop closed up at night - is there anything I can do to get rid of them? I'm assuming that since it was a baby there must be others around. Also - will a weasel go after full grown roeun and pekin ducks?
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If you can dream it, you can do it. Time isn't an excuse; it's just part of the challenge. Pursue your dream whenever you can, however you can. The first step is belief.
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10/15/07, 09:50 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: W WA
Posts: 292
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Yes, a weasel will go after a full grown duck. I have some here and one tried to drag off my muscovey's. Pekings are much smaller.
The only thing you can do is to try to trap them. Use tuna or cat food as bait. It has worked for some. It didn't work for me, so I sacrificed a new chick and caught two of them. I know I still have at least one more running around though.
Good luck.
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'Life ain't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride...' GA
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10/15/07, 09:59 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Central Indiana
Posts: 1,259
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What about the cats getting in the traps? I foresee that being a problem. 
And do these varmits hunt during the daytime hours also??
__________________
If you can dream it, you can do it. Time isn't an excuse; it's just part of the challenge. Pursue your dream whenever you can, however you can. The first step is belief.
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10/15/07, 10:19 AM
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,274
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In our area, there is a full-grown weasel that is about that size, called a "Least Weasel". We have weasels around - once in a while the cats bring one up.
Have chickens - Never had a weasel mess with the chickens. Only a problem with a raccoon when we forgot to close the door to the coop at night.
Friend had a problem with a "mink" but that was with ducks housed near a pond. The mink really took care of all the ducks. Friend now houses the ducks closer to the house at night - not by the pond.
Our poultry are fenced - using chicken wire and 1/4 hardware cloth around the bottom (fence is also buried) - bent into an "L" shape with the "L" facing out - to keep diggin animals out.
Also have a coop that is shut up at night. Sealed pretty tight - we are constantly checking for any "mouse-size or rat-sized openings" and plugging (1/4"-1/2").
Must be working since we haven't had any problems...
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10/15/07, 10:22 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Kentucky
Posts: 3,224
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Okay, that's good to know. I was wondering if weasels lived around here (Kentucky). If they're in Indiana they're here too! I'll be reading to see how your problem goes. Thanks, mary.
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10/15/07, 10:49 AM
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Original recipe!
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: NC foothills
Posts: 13,984
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Yep. I have had a weasel in my coop before. It was the worst of all predators attacks.
It climbed a 7 ft plywood wall and got through a very small opening. It blinded (chewed the faces of) of 8 of my hens one Boxing Day. Only bothered to eat 3. (or at least pick the delicacies it wanted) I had to kill other 5. If you have seen one.. time to spend the day all but caulking your coop closed.
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10/15/07, 11:37 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,378
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Weasels are solitary hunters so I wouldn't assume there are any more around. It could be an adult or a teenager that is out hunting on it's own already.
The best solution is to make your coop very tight. 1/2" screen or smaller. If you can push a penny sideways through a hole they can probably get in.
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"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
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10/15/07, 11:58 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Central Indiana
Posts: 1,259
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Disgusting little snots aren't they? I have doors on the coop I will make sure are closed at night because normally they are not. The fence to their yard is closed up each night but heck, they could walk right in there. I can't leave them closed up all day in that coop - I will have to open the doors when I leave for work in the morning, but dang it - this time of the year it is still pitch black at 7:00 in the morning. I don't like that.
Thanks for your help everyone. 
__________________
If you can dream it, you can do it. Time isn't an excuse; it's just part of the challenge. Pursue your dream whenever you can, however you can. The first step is belief.
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10/15/07, 12:01 PM
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,274
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Hmmm - never thought of weasels as disgusting little snots
I do respect them as predators and the job they do killing mice. Too bad they couldn't read a sign saying "Don't eat the chickens - just the mice"
I just need to make sure they keep out of the hen-house.
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10/15/07, 12:02 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: East central WI
Posts: 1,002
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If you can trust the cat, lock it in the coop at night.
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10/15/07, 04:02 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 7,154
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Weasels will work in the daytime, especialy if it is rainy. They can cut the throat on a whole flock of chickens in one night. A havaheart trap wouldn't be a problem with your cats. A cat that has been trapped one time will vary rarely get in the trap again. Mink and weasels are hard to trap. I would make a small box with one wire side that would fit against the end of the havaheart trap. I would put a domestic bird in the box and wire the open side of the box against the closed end of the trap. A weasel would try his best to get into the box, and trap himself while trying.
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10/15/07, 06:51 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: MS
Posts: 24,572
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Our dogs killed a small weasel down at the pond in our front yard this summer. We've never EVER had a problem with weasels (or anything else other than a king snake) getting into our chicken pen.
Here's a photo of it:
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10/16/07, 02:14 AM
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 3,510
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I had a weasel get into the chicken house (back before the chicken house met an untimely demise) and he killed all but 4 birds. It was a real horror show in there. Wicked little killers. I heard a commotion the next night and caught him and snuffed the little devil when he was making his getaway. Got in through a really small hole that was covered by some straw.
I have to keep my chicken house secured really tight since there is always something wanting chicken. That and no white chickens. The hawks fly in and make off with them.
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10/16/07, 09:00 AM
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Singletree Moderator
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Kansas
Posts: 12,972
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Hav-a-heart traps catch them live, so if you catch a cat you can release it. The traps can be bought at the feed store.
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10/16/07, 09:09 AM
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Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 2,274
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Quote:
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Originally Posted by Ravenlost
Our dogs killed a small weasel down at the pond in our front yard this summer. We've never EVER had a problem with weasels (or anything else other than a king snake) getting into our chicken pen.
Here's a photo of it:
(see photo above)
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Thanks for sharing the photo!
THAT'S REALLY COOL! We had one in its "winter phase" - with a white coat. Beautiful fur.
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10/16/07, 09:41 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: North Central Indiana
Posts: 1,259
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I'm amazed. I just never had any idea they were that small. That one in the picture looks just like the one I found except it looks to be a bit bigger. Thanks again for all your help everyone.
__________________
If you can dream it, you can do it. Time isn't an excuse; it's just part of the challenge. Pursue your dream whenever you can, however you can. The first step is belief.
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10/16/07, 10:04 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: northcentral MN
Posts: 14,378
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If you make it weasel proof it will probably be safe from the rest of the crowd. That's not all bad.
__________________
"Do you believe in the devil? You know, a supreme evil being dedicated to the temptation, corruption, and destruction of man?" Hobbs
"I'm not sure that man needs the help." Calvin
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10/16/07, 10:23 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: N E Minn
Posts: 150
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I've used HavaHart traps very successfully, baited with cat food as well as grains, and caught six or seven weasels, all living in one hay shed or nearby, over the course of two months last winter - after said weasels killed a duck and stole eggs. Neighbors lost over a dozen chickens due to weasels, which are related to wolverines BTW and are opportunistic predators.
If they are solitary, there must have been a lot of them - or else the female(s) took advantage of easy eats and warm bedding and just moved in and had families. Most of the weasels I caught were smallish but one was larger than the one in the photo above.
The smaller HavaHart trap would not admit the average-sized cat - but I did catch a couple of birds which flew off none the worse for the wear. I use the squirrel-chipmunk size HavaHart.
I also took my Jack Russells into the hay barn to sniff out the weasels but the dogs proved useless - couldn't find the varmints -- although if they spot the critter they'll chase it.
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