What animal eats the head of poultry. Strengthening the chicken coop from predators
Small predators are big fans of feasting on poultry, and farmers often encounter sad cases of raids on chicken coops. The ferret, entering the barn at night, strangles and eats poultry, chickens, chicks and even geese. Weasels, martens and stoats also occasionally hunt them. They live mainly in swampy areas, as well as in forests and fields. Small predators destroy rodents in the field, bringing great benefits to farmers. In turn, wolves and foxes feed on weasels and ferrets.
Ferrets are very dangerous to chickens
Ferret behavior
If a ferret or marten is spotted near a farm, expect trouble. When hunting, small predators behave very carefully, so it is almost impossible to take them by surprise. If on a winter morning the owner of the chicken coop discovers peculiar traces in the yard, the so-called “two-points,” it means that an uninvited guest was in charge here the day before.
Moving in jumps, these predators leave marks on the snow, from which you can easily determine what type of animal was visiting. For a weasel, the distance between tracks is 20-30 cm, for a marten it is 30-40, and for a ferret it is approximately 50-60.
The tree ferret is the most harmful to poultry farms. He is distinguished by cruelty and bloodthirstiness. Having a relatively small size (30-45 cm), it is capable of tearing apart and destroying as many poultry as it can manage in one raid.
Chicken coop after a visit from a predator
The ferret attacks and crushes its prey with its paws and then eats it. It mainly prefers small chickens, but most of its prey are chickens. A lot of birds remain untouched after it. A ferret can only eat one or two carcasses at a time. When catching its victims, the predator does not eat their head, it chews it off. The delicate tissues of the head quickly rot and thereby spoil the entire bird carcass.
Behavior of weasels and martens
The weasel, like the ferret, is a merciless and cunning animal that eats domestic animals. You need to have considerable dexterity to catch a weasel. For humans this is almost impossible. Despite her cute appearance, she ferociously strangles and tears her prey to shreds. After she is satisfied, up to several dozen headless chickens or chickens remain in the barn.
Weasels rarely raid the chicken coop. She mainly eats rats and mice. Only in the absence of this food does it begin to hunt poultry. There are cases in villages when she sneaks into people's houses and attacks cats and dogs. The weasel has very sharp, needle-like teeth, so it can easily kill a small goose or chicken.
Weasels are difficult to see and catch. With the help of traps, this mission can be completed quite effectively.
Marten is the enemy of chickens
The marten is a beautiful nocturnal predator, possessing natural grace and well-developed dexterity. Mystical and supernatural properties have long been attributed to this animal, thanks to its ability to make lightning-fast attacks on its prey and then quickly run away. The habitat is deciduous and coniferous forests, where the marten eats small birds, squirrels and rats. Leads a predominantly nomadic lifestyle. During the period of birth and feeding of her cubs, she settles in tree hollows or among the roots of old trees.
Usually the marten eats rodents and small birds; in rare cases it can catch a hare or black grouse. If there are villages with chicken coops near the forest, the animal may well become an uninvited guest there and feast on poultry. Making its way into barns or human dwellings, it first crushes and gnaws the throat of its victim, and then eats it. It is quite difficult to catch a marten in a chicken coop on your own due to its speed of movement and dexterity. You will need specially equipped traps and traps.
Methods of entering a chicken coop
How these petty thieves get into barns and chicken coops: it’s all about the cracks and crevices formed in the foundation and walls of the premises.
The chicken house needs to be strengthened so that enemies cannot climb in
The anatomy allows these animals to squeeze through even very small holes. In the old, rotten walls of barns, it will not be difficult for a ferret to gnaw through rotten boards and get inside. They also use existing mouse holes. If there is not a single crack and it is not possible to create a tunnel, the animal makes its way inside through a ventilation hole or independently digs a path under the chicken coop with its claws and sharp fangs.
To prevent forest animals from getting into the room, all cracks and holes in the walls need to be repaired, and a mesh should be installed in the ventilation system. When building a new house for chickens, geese and ducks, strong walls without cracks are very important, and the foundation needs to be made somewhat thicker than usual so that the animal does not sneak out from the floor.
Methods of protection
Getting rid of weasels and other pests is not that difficult. You just need to know the principle of operation of traps and make traps that will allow you to avoid the death of poultry in time. In order not to go broke after the attacks of insidious ferrets and martens, people have come up with a lot of ways to catch them since ancient times.
To catch them yourself, you will need just a few simple items:
- large bucket;
- ferret bait;
- two liter bottle. Then a trap is made, for the manufacture of which you will need:
- the top and bottom parts of the plastic bottle are cut off;
- At one end, bait is installed from the products that the predator eats.
Traps and snares can be used to control predators.
- a piece of pork or lamb is perfect for this, since fresh meat emits a characteristic smell and is an accessible prey;
- in the place where the animal was often seen, a chair is placed on which the bottle is placed so that the bait is on the edge of the chair;
- then a bucket is placed under the chair, with the hope of catching the ferret when it falls from the chair;
- You need to secure the lid on the bucket so that at the slightest vibration of the bucket it falls from above and covers the opening of the bucket.
Once the trap is set, all that remains is to wait for the new visit of the uninvited guest and hope that the trick will work. When the ferret lifts the piece of meat, its body weight will outweigh the bottle and it will fall into the trap. It is important to hear the noise in time and have time to secure the lid tightly. After this, the caught pest is taken away from the home and released into the wild.
Large mousetraps, which are usually used to catch rats, will help keep your ferret away from the chicken coop. Having previously placed the meat there, the mousetrap is placed in the most visible place. The weasel and ferret quickly fall into such a trap.
Types of traps
To get rid of small pests and successfully fight them, several types of traps have been created that are used to firmly hold the animal. They give a high guarantee and come in plate and frame versions. When an animal gets into it, with the help of springs and plates the device tightly pinches its neck and paws, completely immobilizing it. There are times when an animal runs away with a trap. To prevent this from happening, it must be tightly attached.
For caressing, frame devices are used, which are relatively smaller than plate devices intended for large predators. The cunning animal is able to gnaw through the canvas that serves as the base of the trap and escape.
To ensure that the ferret in the chicken coop remains only a bad memory, when building a farm it is important to adhere to all safety rules and build the premises strong and without cracks.
Foxes, martens and rats are predatory animals that often visit farmland. Their victims are not only chickens, but also ducks, rabbits, and geese. It’s worth figuring out how to protect chickens from hedgehogs, ferrets and other animals that pose a danger to birds on farms.
Who strangles chickens at night: what predators hunt birds?
Frequent guests in the chicken coop are:
- foxes,
- caresses,
- ferrets.
These are cautious animals and are rarely seen by humans. This is why it is so difficult to find out who is strangling the chickens in the chicken coop at night. After visiting them, they usually see the following picture: feathers scattered around the area and poultry house, half-eaten chicken carcasses from which the blood has been drained.
On a note! Animals visit farms most often in the autumn-winter period, when it becomes more difficult to find food in the forest. Predators often settle near human habitation.
Sometimes weasels and martens are beneficial. They, like domestic cats, hunt rats and mice, which often live in the chicken coop. Rodents steal eggs, choke chickens and carry diseases dangerous to birds and humans.
Rats in the chicken coop
Signs of a weasel and ferret
Ferrets and weasels are dangerous animals; they kill all the animals in the barn by strangulation, and take only one with them. If they start eating in the chicken coop, it means they won’t leave until the food runs out. If you get hens again, predators will quickly deal with them, since they consider the chicken coop their source of food.
Signs of a predator visiting a poultry house:
- Concerns about chickens.
- Ruffled feathers.
- Chickens are in no hurry to leave the coop.
- The appearance of dead chicken carcasses with their heads chewed off and blood sucked out.
This behavior pattern is typical for weasels and ferrets. To get rid of the pest, you will need to catch it and destroy it. Otherwise, you can lose all the chickens, and subsequently the geese and rabbits.
How to Protect Chickens from Ferrets and Weasels
The weasel kills chickens quietly, so it is difficult to catch it in the act. It is much easier to prevent its occurrence.
Mechanical prevention of the appearance of predators and pests can be carried out:
- Do not leave food in the feeder for a long time.
- Do not store grain reserves in the chicken coop.
- Raise nests off the ground.
- Seal cracks and holes in the walls and foundation with cement mortar.
- Dig iron sheets or fine mesh around the chicken coop.
Setting traps: how martens steal and kill chickens
As a rule, ferrets, weasels and martens avoid traps, so it is necessary to interest the animals. Bird feathers can be scattered in and around the trap. The predator will show curiosity and can be caught.
How to install a trap:
- It is best to use a dead animal as bait. Traps are placed on the way to it.
- You cannot handle the trap with bare hands; you must use gloves.
- To rid the trap of human odor, lubricate it with manure or soak it in spruce decoction for 2–3 hours.
The difficulty with this method is that the animals never walk the same route twice. It is almost impossible to predict the direction of movement, so catching a weasel or marten will be difficult.
Caught weasel
Pets
The natural enemies of martens, ferrets, and weasels are dogs and cats. Not all, some animals do not know how to catch and are even afraid of wild animals. Therefore, it is better to have several cats and dogs.
Domestic predators will help get rid of pests, but there is always a risk that they will start stealing eggs and crushing chickens. Certain breeds of dogs can catch furry predators, but they need to be trained to do so. Animals will quickly help you find out who is stealing chickens and hens.
These breeds include:
- Dachshund.
- Jack Russell Terrier.
- Fox terrier.
- Jagdterrier.
To prevent wild animals from approaching the utility block, you should install a doghouse next to it. This will help not only scare away the predator, but also catch it if it dares to come closer.
Repellers
Ultrasonic equipment is one of the most progressive and humane ways to repel predators and rodents. The principle of its operation is the targeted irritation of the animal’s sense organs. This sound causes them anxiety, fear and discomfort.
Ultrasound against pests
Ultrasound also scares moles and mice. If chickens are kept in the same room as rabbits, it is better to refrain from using the device.
When purchasing an ultrasonic repeller, you need to pay attention to the range of action; it should be enough for at least the perimeter of the chicken coop. Popular models are: Electric Kot, Clean House, Grad-A and Pest Reject.
How to protect chickens in a barn from foxes
Foxes robber in all geographical areas: from the steppes to the tundra. They sneak into poultry houses by digging under a fence or wall. As a rule, foxes hunt at night, but in some cases the animals may come during the day, grab stray hens and run away.
In some cases, hunting for weasel will be most effective
It is difficult to catch a furry animal using traps and snares, so it is recommended to track the animal in the evening and kill it with a gun. Valuable fur can be used for your own purposes.
If you don’t want to kill a fox with your own hands, you should get dogs and let them walk around the yard at night. But make sure that they cannot get out of the gate and harm the neighbors’ lands.
The fox likes to create a panic in the chicken coop, he kills 1-2 birds, then goes into the forest. As soon as the food runs out, he will return. Foxes are very smart, they often manage to avoid traps and pass dogs unnoticed. If this predator is not eliminated in a timely manner, it will carry chickens until the poultry house runs out of prey.
Foxes have a good sense of smell and are attracted to farms by the following smells:
- Open manure heaps.
- The smell of fish.
- Buckets with food scraps.
These animals must be scared away from the yard. It’s not even a matter of losing chickens; they carry diseases that are dangerous to humans. Foxes often attack adults and children and bite them. This often leads to death.
Do hedgehogs eat chickens?
Hedgehogs are unable to catch an adult chicken. Therefore, they are forced to steal eggs and chickens. Snakes do the same thing. If burrows of these animals are found nearby, they need to be driven away.
Hedgehogs are dangerous predators
Rats in the chicken coop
Rats have a developed sense of smell, sharp teeth, claws and the ability to climb vertical surfaces. Their way of life within society involves teamwork when obtaining food.
Among the reasons for the appearance of rats, breeders identify:
- Suitable conditions. Keeping chickens requires farmers to control the indoor temperature. The chicken coop becomes a favorite habitat for mice, especially in winter (it is warm here and there is always something to eat).
- Availability of hatches for chickens. They make it easy for rats and other predators to enter the room.
- Availability of food. In poultry houses you can find a large amount of grain, feed and eggs.
Rats- carriers of various infections, including plague, typhus, soda, rickettsiosis, rabies, leptospirosis, streptobacillosis. In addition, they are carriers of ticks, helminths and fleas.
The appearance of rodents in the chicken coop creates many problems:
- Rats manage to steal not only food from feeders, but also grain reserves in bags.
- Destroying most of the eggs. Rodents may not even eat them, they will simply break them.
- Destruction of the poultry house. Rats gnaw holes and destroy wooden obstacles in their path. Over time, the building will fall into disrepair. If you don’t find out in a timely manner who is carrying the chickens and hens, you may be left without birds.
Rats can eat a whole chicken only in rare cases; they mainly engage in looting.
Rat Marauder
How to get rid of rats in a barn with chickens
The most effective and widespread means of pest control are poisons and crush traps. They allow you to quickly get rid of rodents, but these methods also have disadvantages:
- Birds get caught in traps. They can, of course, be freed, but the wounds will take a long time to heal.
- The poisoned grain is also eaten by chickens, after which they die in 100% of cases.
Therefore, it is impossible to poison rats directly in the poultry house. Even if you leave the poison out of reach of chickens, rats will carry it throughout the room. The problem cannot be solved this way. It is better to move the chickens to another room while getting rid of pests.
How to Keep Chickens Safe When Using Poisons
It is easy to destroy pests using poisons. However, this process carries the risk of harming wildlife in the area. This method should be used only as a last resort, if you still cannot find out who bites off the heads of hens and chicks at night.
Attention! Cats, dogs, chickens and children can die if poisonous food is left within their reach.
How to understand that a chicken has been poisoned:
- Cramps.
- Refusal of food.
- Sick appearance (ruffled feathers).
- Loss of coordination.
- Traces of blood in the droppings.
Usually a poisoned bird dies, but you can try to save it (but this is not recommended; it is better to strangle the animal and not take risks). To do this, you need to prepare a weak solution of potassium permanganate and rinse the bird’s stomach, pouring the liquid into the beak. You can also use activated carbon. It must be crushed into dust and mixed with water.
Attention! If the chicken is rescued, you should not eat the eggs it lays for a month.
It is recommended to leave the poison in closed boxes, into the openings of which only a rat can penetrate. However, this method does not guarantee absolute safety. Having eaten the poison, the pest can go about its business. If death overtakes an animal in an open area, everyone will be in danger: cats, dogs and curious chickens. It is necessary to regularly inspect the shed for the presence of dead rats and dispose of them promptly.
Be sure to maintain order in the poultry house. This will allow timely identification of traces of the presence of rats. Broken eggs, large amounts of chicken droppings and dirt attract rodents.
How to get rid of uninvited guests in a chicken coop is a problem that concerns many farmers. Weasels and ferrets are very cute creatures, but they pose a great threat to chickens. Therefore, every effort must be made to catch the predator as soon as possible. We will now tell you how to get rid of weasels and ferrets.
Signs of uninvited guests
Typically, a ferret in a chicken coop behaves like a wolf in a sheep herd. He destroys all the chickens, while the animal can only eat one.
If, when you enter the chicken coop in the morning, you see that the chickens are in no hurry to leave their roosts, this is a sure sign that a night guest is visiting the poultry house.
If you do not take appropriate measures, then one fine morning you will find all the laying hens dead and with their heads chewed off. This is the handwriting that is typical for weasels and ferrets. By destroying domestic chickens, the ferret tries to provide himself with supplies; he already considers your chicken coop his own. Therefore, even if you get chickens again, there is a very high probability that this predatory animal will again visit its favorite territory.
To be sure to get rid of a predator, it must be caught and destroyed.
Advice. If your chickens are bothered by rats, get a ferret. It is guaranteed to rid your garden plot and chicken coop of rodents.
The interesting thing is that the furry hunter will not touch your chickens, but he will gladly visit the poultry house located in the neighboring yard. Ferrets and weasels never cause mischief in their habitat!
How to get rid of weasels and ferrets The ferret is a very cunning and cautious animal; in order to catch it, you will have to make every effort. It is much easier to prevent its occurrence.
To do this, it is recommended to install the chicken coop on a pile foundation.
If the animal has already trodden the path to your poultry house, you need to take more radical measures.
Ferrets and weasels usually bypass placed traps, so predators need to be interested. You can scatter bird feathers in a trap, if the predator shows curiosity, you will be able to catch it.
It is best to place a dead chicken as bait and place traps around it. On the way to the prey, the ferret will bypass all obstacles, but having taken the bait in its teeth, the predator usually backs away, so it can get caught in one of the traps placed.
It is necessary to set traps only while wearing gloves. In addition, it is recommended to smear the trap with manure or keep it in spruce decoction for some time, this will help rid the trap of human odor.
Among the disadvantages of this method of catching a predator, I would like to emphasize that ferrets, like real spies, rarely follow the same route. Therefore, it is quite difficult to predict the location of the next appearance of a predator in the chicken coop.
Pets
Given the ferret's sensitivity to odors, it makes sense to place a dog house next to the coop. The dog is unlikely to be able to catch an agile animal, but its very presence and smell can repel a ferret or weasel from your summer cottage.
For the same purpose, the walls in the chicken coop can be decorated with goat skins. Goats have a sharp and specific odor, and the aroma of its skin will mean danger for the ferret.
Homemade devices
You can try making a trap yourself. To do this, take a box or bucket, place a stop under it, and place the bait. Having become interested in the bait, the animal knocks down the spacer and finds itself in a trap.
It is necessary to clarify that this method is not always effective. Firstly, the ferret may not be interested in the bait and will prefer the chickens.
Secondly, your presence is necessary. Even if caught in a trap, the predator will fight for its life to the last, and if you don’t arrive in time, most likely it will be able to escape.
Repellers
If you do not set yourself the goal of catching a night visitor, but simply want to ward him off, then you can install an electronic repeller in the chicken coop.
The device emits low-frequency signals that cause panic in predators and they try to leave the dangerous territory as quickly as possible.
An alternative to such a device may be a flashlight equipped with a motion sensor. When an animal approaches, the sensor is triggered and the flashlight produces sound and light signals.
Traditional methods
You can coat the walls of the chicken coop with tar. This method has been used in villages for a long time. But the effectiveness of this method can be debated. After all, an animal can make a tunnel or enter the poultry house through the roof. In addition, there is no guarantee that the smell of tar will scare off a ferret or weasel.
You can fight weasel using all the methods listed above. Weasels and ferrets are very similar in their habits, so the same methods of dealing with them are used.
It doesn’t matter what method you choose to catch a ferret or weasel, the main thing is to do it as quickly as possible. By the way, the further fate of the captured animal will depend only on you. You can try to tame it, but it is best to take the predator away from human habitation and release it.
On November 13, a resident of Kotovsk called the editorial office of a local newspaper. Valentina Polushkina and said:
Here in the private sector, on Pervomaiskaya Street, it’s terrible! Some have chickens all torn to pieces, some have rabbits strangled. Some creature got into the habit of wandering around the courtyards at night. People are already afraid to leave the house!
The next day, November 14, the correspondent went to Kotovsk to communicate with the inhabitants of Pervomaiskaya in person. It turned out that in the last month alone, several households have suffered from the antics of an unknown beast.
It all starts at two in the morning and continues until the morning,” said Svetlana Chernikova, a resident of house No. 57. - So this “chupacabra” came to see me last week. I leave the house in the morning and there are buckets lying around the greenhouse, everything has been drilled. And inside my cat Vaska lies strangled. I examined the greenhouse - fathers! This evil spirit tried to dig and gnawed the side wall - there were traces of teeth as thick as a pencil in the polycarbonate.
And then, imagine, she managed to open the latch that kept the greenhouse closed. But it’s more than a meter from the ground. Apparently, the animal is large. But that's something else! He killed more than 30 chickens of the Kashirins from house 49. The owners came out in the morning - and instead of a bird there were only feathers.
On this day, the journalist talked with other residents of Pervomaiskaya Street. The Perepelko family from house No. 59 also suffered livestock.
“Everything happened at night,” said the owner of the house, Svetlana. - In our yard there were cages with three rabbits. During the day we look - the bars of the cages are all torn. We came closer and were stunned: one rabbit was lying strangled, another had its head bitten off, and there was no blood around at all, everything was clean - as if someone had drunk it. And we didn’t find the third long-eared one at all - apparently, these evil spirits dragged him away. It rained that day, and we had paw marks all over our garden—about seven centimeters long.
My husband even took a photo of them. We also had the police - they recorded everything and left. The most interesting thing is that we didn’t hear a sound at night. And on the same day, we found a dead neighbor’s cat in our yard. He, too, lay strangled.
I visited “abracadabra,” as the locals called it, and entered the courtyard of house No. 44b.
The owner of the estate, Larisa Morozova, spoke about what she saw with her own eyes.
This happened on the night of November 9th. I heard some noise. I go out and my chickens are all tattered. Some have a twisted neck, some have something else. True, there were still alive, fluttering. In the darkness, of course, it was hard to see, but I still saw that it was as if two dogs had darted across my garden - one big, the other smaller.
In addition, the street adjacent to Pervomaiskaya was also damaged - some were missing rabbits, some were missing birds.
These evil spirits tore up 10 chickens of my neighbors on Yuzhnaya Street, the Kobzevys,” said Valentina Polushkina, a resident of house No. 58. - You know, it’s scary to leave the house!
Local residents have many versions about what kind of uninvited guest is operating in their yards at night. Some people seriously believe in the Chupacabra and the mutants that reached us from Chernobyl, while others blame stray dogs for everything. But everyone agrees on one thing: the main problem is that there has been no lighting on the street for many years, and darkness is the Chupacabra’s best friend.
We’re even afraid to take out the garbage one at a time after five in the evening,” Elena Novchenkova from house No. 55 is indignant. “It’s scary to let children out into the street. Guests don’t come to us - it’s scary here, they say. What is the mayor's office waiting for - until there is some kind of death? After all, there are poles on the street, you just need to eliminate the accident that happened a long time ago and connect the wires. Well, can we really continue to live and be afraid?
The correspondent forwarded this question to the administration of the city of Kotovsk. Head Alexei Plakhotnikov promised to shed light on all the troublemakers and resolve the issue with the lanterns on Pervomaiskaya.
The problem will be resolved within a week,” commented Elvira Bukhanova, press secretary of the head of the Kotovsk administration, on November 17. - Sveta on the street. There has been no May Day for the last seven years. Not only the networks there are outdated, but also the power poles. They may need to be changed. New lamps will be installed on the street - about 640 of them have already been received for the city. Due to the fact that they are energy efficient, the lights on the streets of Kotovsk will stay on longer - up to 2 am.
In addition, the Kotovsk authorities promised the residents of Pervomaiskaya that in the near future a raid would be carried out on their street and stray dogs that might be huddling there in an abandoned house would be caught. So the residents of Pervomaiskaya should say thank you to the “chupacabra” - after all, it is thanks to her that light will finally appear on their street.
FROM THE EDITOR:
We showed the trace of an unknown animal, photographed by the Perepelko family, to the head of the Department of Biology of TSU. Derzhavin to Alexander Sokolov. Here's how he commented on the photo:
This is the footprint of a large dog, like a shepherd. There can be no other opinions here. But what confuses me is that the behavior you describe is not typical for a dog. Therefore, there is a feeling that this could not have happened without human participation. I'll explain why I think so. The dog would first pull the rabbit out of the cage, and only then bite off its head.
She could hardly bite it off in one fell swoop, especially in a cramped cage. It looks like the rabbit's head was first cut off somewhere and then put in a cage. Therefore, there are no traces of blood. It is also strange and incomprehensible how the dog got into the yards. She is not able to jump over a high fence. Residents need to take a closer look to see if there are any holes in the fences.
But also small predators - weasels, martens and ferrets. If the chicken coop is built near coniferous or deciduous forests, then the arrival of furry animals will not take long, especially when there is little food in their natural habitat.
Despite their cute appearance, ferrets, martens and weasels can be very damaging to a farmer's poultry yard. After all, these predators hunt not only chickens, but can also easily strangle a goose or duck. Therefore, in this article we will tell you in detail how to protect your chicken coop from unexpected furry guests.
The main time when small predators are active is in the dead of night, when both chickens and people sleep peacefully. In addition, they behave extremely carefully, so catching a marten or weasel with bare hands is an almost impossible task for an ordinary untrained person.
What signs indicate that furry forest guests have visited:
- Footprints in the snow. Mostly predators come to people in winter, when there is minimal food in the forest. They leave specific marks called “two-points.” And you can determine the type of animal by the distance between the tracks: for a ferret - 50-60 cm, for a marten - 30-40 cm, for a weasel - 20-30 cm.
Damage caused:
- Lots of stifled chickens. Small predators enter the chicken coop and crush a bunch of birds, although in order to get enough of them, one or two individuals are enough for them.
- Severed heads. The animals know that the process of decomposition of bird tissue begins with the head, so they tear it off so that the carcass stays fresh longer.
The greatest harm from all of the above predators is caused by the ferret. It is distinguished by very cruel behavior - after the appearance of this animal, the entire chicken coop is strewn with the corpses of chickens, and most of them remain untouched. He strangles the birds as long as he has the strength.
The most “harmless” of the above animals is the weasel. When she runs into the chicken coop, the first thing she does is exterminate rats and mice, and only in the absence of these pests does she attack poultry.
There have also been cases when weasels entered people's homes and attacked pets - cats and dogs.Martens sneak into the chicken coop only in the most extreme cases, when there is no food in the forest and there are human dwellings nearby. The peculiarity of the marten's hunting is that it first gnaws the throat of its prey, and only then eats it.
Ferrets, weasels and martens are natural enemies of rats and mice. If mice and rats have settled in the chicken coop, then you can introduce small predators - they will destroy the rodents. It is noteworthy that they will not touch the chickens in your chicken coop, but they may begin to visit your neighbors’ poultry house.Routes of entry
How do martens, ferrets and weasels get into chicken barns? The easiest way for them to penetrate is through various cracks and holes. For example, a marten or weasel can crawl through a hole, open windows, or loosely closed doors. Since these small predators are quite graceful and flexible, they can squeeze into any, even the smallest, crack.
Animals often enter poultry houses through rat or mouse holes. Cracks and potholes in a building can also serve as an opening for them. If there are no cracks or holes, then predators dig up the foundation using sharp claws and fangs. They can also chew a hole in rotten boards.
To prevent furry hunters from entering the chicken coop, a number of actions must be taken:
- Install a mesh with small cells in the ventilation;
- Repair the building and seal all holes and cracks;
- If you are just planning to build a chicken coop, give preference to a concrete floor and a solid foundation;
- The walls must be strong, ideally made of brick;
- Fence the area adjacent to the chicken coop with a fine mesh net (mesh size - no more than 1.5 cm), deepening it 50-60 cm into the ground;
- If it is not possible to use brick to build a chicken coop, the walls can be lined with sheet iron;
- Clear the area around - remove all boards and branches so that animals cannot hide in them.
Paduan chickens will decorate any poultry yard. Read more about this breed.
Ways to fight
These animals are very smart and cunning, so you can’t just catch them with your bare hands.There are several ways you can help protect your birds. Let's look at each of them in detail.
Traps and snares
These animals easily bypass traps and snares. That is why the predator needs to be interested. For example, you can lay out dead chickens and place traps around them. Making its way to the meat, the animal will deftly bypass all obstacles. After a predator takes prey in its teeth, it usually backs away. And in this case, the trap placed behind him will definitely work.
But you should be careful with traps, because pets or small children can also get caught in them.A simple and humane trap can be easily and simply made with your own hands:
- You need to take a cage, box or bucket and attach a door to it that would slam shut when the spacer is knocked down.
- Bait is placed inside (for example, a dead chicken, a piece of lamb or pork);
- Sensing the smell of raw meat, the predator will reach for the bait and will definitely fall into the trap.
However, a person must be nearby at this moment so that the animal cannot knock down the door, because it will fight to the last for its life and freedom. It is recommended that the caught animal be taken out and released in the forest, away from human habitations.
Using this method Don't put poisoned bait in the trap, because pets (cats, dogs) will definitely want to try what’s hidden there.
In addition, it is worth considering one point: it is imperative to destroy your scent on traps or traps, otherwise the animal will not even approach the devices. You can do this in several ways:
- smear traps and traps with manure;
- whiten with slaked lime;
- boil a trap or trap in spruce needles.
Pets
Man's four-legged friends can be excellent helpers in preventing predators from entering the chicken coop. The dog needs to be placed on a long chain so that he can reach all corners of the chicken coop, or be given free range in the yard.
If you plan to use cats, then you need to “send” them directly into the chicken coop. But you shouldn’t do this with dogs, because being locked in a room, the dog begins to be afraid and sad and can get enormous stress.
If unexpected guests enter, cats and dogs will definitely notify you of this with their behavior and, in addition, they will be able to scare away small predators with their presence.
Traditional methods
Among the folk methods that should be used to protect the chicken coop against small predators, one can name. It consists in the fact that the walls of the building need to be coated with tar. However, the effectiveness of this method is very questionable, because the animal can climb through the roof or dig under the foundation. So the statement that the hunter will be caught in a sticky trap is very controversial. But, on the other hand, an unpleasant smell can scare away the animal.
Using repellers
Ultrasonic repellers are a popular method of pest control in the home - they are used against insects, rats and mice. A similar control scheme is also suitable for small predators - upon sensing low-frequency signals, the animal will leave the house in panic. However, as reviews show, not all models of such devices are effective, so you need to approach the issue of choice seriously - read what users say on the Internet, look at reviews, compare prices, and choose the best for yourself.
An alternative to this method is to install a light with a motion sensor near the chicken coop. When a predator approaches the hunting area, the lamps turn on and the device emits sound and light signals that will scare the animal.
Mechanical methods
If you prefer humane methods of pest control, you can try to catch the animal with your bare hands, although this will be quite difficult. Weasels, ferrets and martens operate under the cover of darkness, so it can only be caught at night. But how to catch an animal so that it does not harm you? You can do this in two ways:
- Take a thick coat, raincoat or blanket. Wait for the animal, throw on the fabric and press the animal down a little. It is necessary to wrap him up and place him in a cage.
- Put on very thick gloves and grab the animal. If the animal managed to sink its teeth into your hand, then you need to hold its nose with your other hand, and place a piece of wood between the teeth.
However, some owners prefer to kill predators, so the choice is yours.
It is always better to prevent a problem from occurring than to solve it later with unknown results. Therefore, first of all, you need to pay attention to the integrity and tightness of your chicken coop and, if defects are identified, immediately eliminate them before furry hunters get to the chickens.