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Barnyard Buddies:  Weasel in the Coop!!!  |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
 Posted - Apr 27 2009 : 07:53:56 AM
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 Oh my gosh, it got in just prior to me closing the hens in for the night. Two of the girls fought it off. . . there was blood everywhere inside the coop. I spent the morning cleaning everything for them.
We have two weasel traps set. . . it has gotten in and out of the trap without setting off the "trap" and taking the bait. So, tonight we are making the trap more like a funnel. . . so the little bugger has to go over the mechanism to spring the trap. . hope it works this time.
I already lost my favorite Girl to this weasel about 3 weeks ago
If you have any suggestions. . . I would welcome them!! ( by the way, the coop is sound when it is closed, the only way in will be while their little door is open the lets them out into their yard)
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.CountryCents.com
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2009 : 08:28:52 AM
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I could have written this myself, only we had the pleasure of not one but two mink get into our coop early last week. We lost fifteen prime hens!
We got both in traps, we baited it with a dead hen and placed the trap where they were coming in. They are nearly impossible to keep out, the coop is walled inside with sheet metal and rat wire in the soffits. They can pretty much get in anywhere a rat could get in and there was one small place between two sheets of the metal where they squeezed through. Cursed things!!
Di |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2009 : 10:20:41 AM
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So sorry you lost so many! We have had the traps out for a week now. The darn thing gets in and steals the bait. . . all without setting off the trap. .. tonight it is in for a surprise. We are "funneling" it into the trap... not allowing even a papers width of wiggle room! Bound to get it sooner or later.
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.CountryCents.com
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2009 : 11:40:07 AM
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Are you using a Have-a-Hart trap Joanna? I found with ours, it has to be on a hair trigger or these wily so-and-so's will steal the bait every time. I finally wired (gross eh?) the hen in the very end of the trap so it would have to tug on it. I funneled ours into the trap too, with a couple of buckets with rocks in them.
Geez, the things we do for the love of farming! :)
Di on VI
Farmgirl Sister #73 |
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JojoNH
True Blue Farmgirl
1984 Posts
Joanna
Dunbarton
New Hampshire
USA
1984 Posts |
Posted - Apr 27 2009 : 12:55:29 PM
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LOL!! I can see the little sucker pulling on his final meal. . . LOL!!
NO, we are using a death trap for him. A man in Alaska uses this type of trap very successfully, our only problem is our weasels are a little thinner than the ones the gentleman has been trapping. So, that is why we will use the funnel method. . . keep your fingers crossed that it works.
My poor Girls, 3 of them are injured and none wanted to come out today.
Once the sun was shining brightly, I went into the pen with some of their favorite treats. . . they eventually came out and seem to be at ease now. Keeping my eyes on them though!
Joanna #566
JojoNH
http://www.CountryCents.com
http://CountryCents.Blogspot.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: Weasel in the Coop!!! |
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Weasel in the Coop!!!
