How to get rid of rats in a chicken coop: working methods

Weasel

Who else strangles chickens in a chicken coop besides a ferret?
The charming weasel does not disdain this activity. Looking at this cute creature, it’s hard to believe that it is absolutely fearless. A weasel is capable of defending itself to the last, attacking a person and injuring him quite severely. And this despite the size of the predator. Her teeth are sharp, like needles. This animal is very cruel. The weasel destroys its prey with “special cynicism.” It attacks with lightning speed, strangles, and then tears into pieces and eats. Having had enough, he continues his hunt. Therefore, the owner, coming to the chicken coop in the morning, will find many strangled birds.

The weasel is fast and agile. It is almost impossible to catch it on your own.

Who strangles chickens: names of animals, features of their hunting, reasons and methods of fight

Residents of villages are familiar with the problem: they woke up in the morning, went to the chicken coop, and there was darkness and horror.
Chickens lie strangled. Some are beheaded, some are whole. And from others there were bones and a bunch of feathers. Not the most pleasant sight. So what should I do? How to catch someone who strangles chickens? Who could it be? We'll talk about this in more detail in the article.

The ferret acts on instinct. Does the chicken run, fuss and resist? He is interested in her as prey. The bird is dead and therefore there is no resistance? The ferret leaves her and begins searching for a new victim.

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. Almost every poultry owner has had to find all their birds dead one fine morning. Their heads could have been torn off, their paws chewed, their blood drunk - all this is the handwriting of a ferret

The outwardly beautiful animal poses a huge danger to geese, chickens, and ducks: the ferret will not calm down until it destroys all the birds. Therefore, after the first victim, it is necessary to take all possible measures in order to avoid further tragedies

Their heads could be torn off, their paws chewed, their blood drunk - all this is the handwriting of a ferret. The outwardly beautiful animal poses a huge danger to geese, chickens, and ducks: the ferret will not calm down until it destroys all the birds. Therefore, after the first victim, it is necessary to take all possible measures in order to avoid further tragedies

Almost every poultry owner has had to find all their birds dead one fine morning. Their heads could be torn off, their paws chewed, their blood drunk - all this is the handwriting of a ferret. The outwardly beautiful animal poses a huge danger to geese, chickens, and ducks: the ferret will not calm down until it destroys all the birds. Therefore, after the first victim, it is necessary to take all possible measures in order to avoid further tragedies.

What baits are there?

In order to feed it poison, the rat must be attracted. And the more tempting the bait is, the faster the rats will eat it. We have already noticed that these are very smart and careful animals. Therefore, before you give them bait with poison, you need to let them get used to it and understand that the treat is safe. To do this, feed the rats for several days without adding chemicals. And only by lulling their vigilance can toxic substances be added.

Various types of baits

Some products already include ingredients that are attractive to rats: grain, flour or sugar. Some are supplemented with flavorings: cheese, meat, vanilla. Others should be used as a supplement to foods. To do this, they use treats that are attractive to rodents, such as:

bread crumbs soaked in unrefined sunflower oil;
boiled porridge;
minced meat (with onions);
corn;
cheese;
crumbled eggs;
smoked lard;
roasted sunflower seeds;
dry cat or dog food.

Minced meat with poison

How to protect a bird from eating poison

You can’t explain to the legal inhabitants of the chicken coop that baits and poisons are for rodents only

To protect birds from poisoning, the following precautions must be observed when working with chemicals:

Temporarily transfer the birds to another location.
Place baits with chemicals in special traps that chickens and chickens will not get into, for example, boxes with several entrance holes on the sides.
Constantly remove rodent carcasses.
Place poisons (2-3 grams of mixture per hole) deep into rat holes, sprinkle with earth.
Use a granular product to avoid spraying it throughout the coop.
Do not spill chicken feed near scattered baits.
If possible, place a house for chickens to spend the night outdoors (on legs).

Chicken coop on legs

Predators in the chicken coop

The main activity time for small predators is deep at 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 the chicken coop:

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.

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 penetration

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 ventilation 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 or walkway 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 the barn - remove all boards and branches so that animals cannot hide in them.

Fighting a predator at home: how to catch a weasel, ferret or marten

Ferrets, weasels and martens are mammals that belong to the mustelidae family. The animals are quite cute, so they are often kept as pets.

At the same time, they remain quite cruel predators, capable of destroying the entire population of poultry in one night.

Having made his way into the chicken coop, the ferret is able to eat only one chicken; he strangles and beheads the rest of the birds, causing irreparable harm to the household.

All representatives of mustelids are forest dwellers, so their main source of food is small rodents. Animals are unpretentious in food, so they are not averse to feasting on poultry.

It is almost impossible to catch a predator at the scene of a crime, however, its presence can be determined by the wary behavior of chickens.

Despite the caution of the animals, they certainly leave traces that can tell who exactly was trying to ruin the household. Representatives of the mustelid family move by jumping, so the distance between the tracks will help indicate the pest:

ferret -50-60 cm;
marten - 30-40 cm;
weasel - 20-30 cm.

Having determined the type of animal causing damage to the farm, it will be much easier to choose ways to catch and destroy it.

The easiest way to get rid of a predator is to try to catch it with your own hands. The predator strangles chickens at night, so it is in the dark that you can set up an ambush in the poultry house.

The animals are very careful, so you will have to be patient and prepare for a long wait.

Having noticed an uninvited guest, you need to cover him with a thick blanket: the animal will desperately resist, and this precaution will help avoid bites. In addition, in moments of danger, ferrets and weasels emit pungent odors

An alternative is to make a homemade trap. This is done like this:

1. A 1.5 liter plastic bottle is cut off on both sides.
2. A piece of fresh meat is placed inside.
3. A homemade trap is placed on the edge of a chair.
4. Place a metal bucket with a self-closing lid at the bottom.

There is a wide range of hunting traps that are offered by specialized stores. The price of such devices ranges from 400-1500 rubles.

To hunt the mustelid family, trail traps are used, which are divided according to their appearance into plate and frame traps. Such traps are installed in places where the animal is likely to move.

Plate traps will help get rid of weasels; frame traps will help get rid of martens and ferrets.

Attention!

Given the small size of nocturnal pests, you can fight them with large mousetraps. The Zürner rat trap is considered the most effective.

In appearance, such devices resemble a large box, inside of which there is a suspended bridge of two segments connecting the passages. Rat traps are made of wood or metal wire.

The principle of operation is simple: the bait is suspended in the central part. The animal, about to take possession of the prey, runs across the bridge, which falls inside, and the pest ends up in the chamber.

The animal is not able to get out of the trap on its own. The cost of the device is about 1,200 rubles, but given the simplicity of the design, farmers often make homemade analogues.

Ferrets are very careful, so they constantly change their route of movement.

It is almost impossible to guess the place where the animal will appear, so for a successful hunt it is recommended to place up to 10 traps.

Such techniques are aimed more at repelling than at physically destroying pests. The most affordable way to keep predators away from the chicken coop is to place a dog house nearby.

Dogs of any breed are natural hunters, so they see forest animals as potential prey.

Important!

A dog sitting on a chain will not be able to catch a ferret or weasel, but the smell will scare off uninvited night guests.

You can scare away predators by coating the walls and roof of the chicken coop with tar. The pungent odor is unpleasant to forest animals, so they will probably look for more attractive hunting territories.

The specific musky smell will scare off most domestic chicken hunters.

Hunting for night visitors at home is a long-term activity that requires extraordinary patience from the farmer.

Therefore, when building a poultry house, it will be much more effective to block in advance the likely entry points for predators.

In addition, it is necessary to promptly seal any cracks that appear and replace rotten boards. It is recommended to cover the inside of the floor with metal sheets.

It will not be easy for ferrets, weasels and martens to penetrate a well-built chicken coop, which will save the farmer from the need to buy and install traps.

Protecting chickens from foxes

To save birds and protect chickens from attacks by foxes and other predators, farmers take the following measures:

The area around the enclosures and poultry houses is kept clean: empty boxes, barrels, boards, heaps of last year’s grass and leaves are removed. Foxes and other predators can easily hide under them.
Carefully seal all the cracks in the chicken coop, cover the ventilation holes with metal mesh.
To prevent foxes and ferrets from digging under the enclosure, flat stones or slabs are placed outside, close to the mesh. Some people sprinkle these places with broken glass, but it can injure chickens, who also like to dig in the ground near the fence.
A high fence standing on a concrete foundation or covered with a metal mesh, dug half a meter deep, will stop a fox and a ferret.

How to scare a fox away from a chicken coop

Stores sell special devices for repelling foxes, stray dogs and even wolves - ultrasonic repellers. They emit ultrasonic waves that cause animals to feel fear and want to leave the nearby area. Such repellers also work well on mustelids.

How to keep foxes away from chicken coops:

Multi-colored balls, bright fabric, and scarecrows with eyes made from CDs are hung on the fence.
These devices need to be changed frequently so that the animals do not get used to them. Their efficiency is quite low.

Dogs as protection from predators

The best way to escape from predators is to get a guard dog. An ordinary yard dog is not suitable for such work - predators will simply bite a dog that is too small and cowardly. Animal breeds such as Jagd terriers, fox terriers, Caucasian shepherd dogs, and greyhounds are best suited.

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.

The peculiarity of the ferret is that, having entered the poultry house and seeing an abundance of food, the animal can destroy all the chickens in one night, although it is not able to eat so much prey.

This feature of the animal is especially harmful. In the excitement, a marten or polecat can kill even large birds - geese, turkeys. There are signs that make it possible to determine the presence of a predator near the poultry house before the first victims appear.

The animal’s attempts to enter the chicken coop are evidenced by the following:

Chickens do not leave their roosts in the morning - the frightened bird sits on top, even when the owner comes in and pours out food. This behavior occurs when a predator is near the house.
Chickens huddle on the highest perches and even in very crowded conditions refuse to sit lower.
Poultry screams in the chicken coop at night - when they hear a ferret trying to get inside, the chickens wake up, start screaming, and make a long noise. When the owner appears, the bird does not calm down.

When there is a suspicion that a ferret has appeared near the chicken coop, immediate action must be taken. The very next night the bird can be completely destroyed. A trap is immediately placed on the predator, and the bird is transferred to a safe place, inaccessible to the uninvited guest.

The ferret leads an active nocturnal lifestyle. Therefore, you can catch him red-handed only in the dark or in the morning, observing the behavior of the birds, if they survived. If you enter the chicken coop and the birds do not leave their roosts, you can assume with 100% certainty that unwanted guests came to them at night.

If the chickens are chained to their roosts in the morning, we can assume that a ferret was wandering around the chicken coop at night

How to spot an uninvited guest

A sign of an uninvited guest in the chicken coop is the unusual behavior of the chickens. They can sit on perches, even in the highest places, afraid to go down to the floor.

A large number of feathers and blood on the litter in the poultry house may be evidence of a night fight. The ferrets in the chicken coop are causing quite a commotion. In an attempt to escape from the teeth of the predator, the bird loses a lot of feathers and begins to bleed. A chicken carcass or a dead young animal with a gnawed throat or without a head clearly hints at a ferret. The ferret does not stop at one bird and kills everyone it can reach.
The weasel does not cause such pronounced injuries. With her sharp teeth, she leaves many bleeding wounds on the victim’s body, from which the chicken quickly loses strength.
A marten can climb into a chicken coop if all conditions are created for this, that is, there is a large hole or the doors are open. She prefers to drag birds out of the house rather than eat them on the spot.

Measures to catch or exterminate predators should be taken immediately. If there is at least one living soul left in the chicken coop, they will definitely return. It’s simply not possible to keep the animals away from the “feeding trough”; we must prepare for war with the complete destruction of the enemy.

Use of pets

Pets - cats, dogs - help many farmers by protecting chicken coops from ferrets. They scare away predators, making it difficult to calmly hunt the bird.

The ferret is an active, cautious animal, so it is difficult to catch the enemy of poultry birds, but some pets are valuable hunters. Agile dogs and cats are capable of unexpectedly grabbing and crushing a ferret, weasel, or marten.

Important! Pets that hunt predators must be vaccinated against rabies. Ferrets and other breeds of domestic ferrets are useful for farmers

They catch rodents by driving wild polecats out of their territory. Well-fed pets do not hunt birds. You should not allow tame ferrets only to the chicks: the chicks will turn out to be a toy for hunting and entertainment

Ferrets and other breeds of domestic ferrets are useful to farmers. They catch rodents by driving wild polecats out of their territory. Well-fed pets do not hunt birds. You should not allow tame ferrets only to the chicks: the chicks will turn out to be a toy for hunting and entertainment.

Methods for controlling ferrets and weasels

The following methods will help save chickens:

Traps;
Electronic repellers;
Traditional methods;
A trap made from improvised means.

Trap

For such cautious animals as ferrets and weasels, one trap will not be enough. You will need several traps, because these animals know how to deftly bypass them. Feathers or a chicken carcass will help reduce the vigilance of predators.

Bait is placed in one of the traps, and several more traps are placed along the way to it. Smart animals will bypass all the traps, grab the prey in a trap with bait and begin to back away. At this moment the trap will work. The method, of course, is not the most humane, but the most effective of all existing ones.

Traps must be installed in compliance with certain rules:

Use gloves and do not touch the trap with bare hands, as animals will immediately smell a person and will not approach the traps;
Place traps in different places each time, as predators constantly change their hunting routes.

Repellers

Unlike traps, this method is more humane. You won't be able to kill a ferret using a repeller, but you can stop the predators' interest in the house. The operation of electronic devices is based on low frequency pulses. In animals they arouse feelings of anxiety and panic. Naturally, the predator will leave the dangerous place.

A successful alternative to an electronic repeller would be a flashlight equipped with a motion sensor. Install a light fixture with a sensor in the coop. When a weasel or ferret appears, it will give sound and light signals that will scare the animals away.

Folk remedies

Farming practice is rich in effective methods of scaring away small predators from poultry houses. One of these methods is the use of tar; it is used to treat walls in poultry houses. To enhance the effect of tar, undressed sheep or goat skins are hung in the chicken coop. The persistent animal smell can scare away predators of the mustelid genus.

For the same purpose, a dog house is installed near the chicken coop. Small animals are not afraid of dogs, but the smell of a dog and loud barking can discourage you from visiting the chicken coop.

Please note that predators of the mustelid family do not tolerate strong odors and loud sounds, and also react to flashes of light at night. Use these features to protect your poultry

A trap made from improvised means

You can try to catch small pests with your bare hands, although this is quite difficult. Equip yourself with patience, a thick blanket and thick gloves, and then settle into the coop for the night.

When a predator appears, throw a blanket over it to keep it down and then place it in its cage.

You will need protection for your hands, because the animal is resourceful, has sharp claws and equally sharp teeth. If a ferret or weasel nevertheless managed to bite the hand, pinch the animal’s nasal passages, and when it opens its jaw a little, insert a piece of wood and free the hand. Be prepared that during the operation the animal will emit unpleasant odors from the glands located in the anal area.

You can build a trap yourself from an ordinary bucket or a strong box. The bucket or box is placed on its edge and supported with a stick for support. Bait is placed under a bucket or box - feathers or a chicken carcass. Interest in the bait will force the uninvited guest to approach, the stop will fall, and the animal will be locked up.

Methods of protection

Foxes are cautious and intelligent, and they also have good eyesight and sense of smell. This allows them to bypass even ingenious traps set up by humans. Thus, the issue needs to be approached comprehensively.

Traps

The best option is considered to be traps that allow you to catch a fox without harming it. Such traps are a long cage made of strong metal rods, with hatches at both ends. There is a pedal in the center, and under it there is a mechanism that leads to the slamming of the hatches when the weight changes.

You need to put a piece of meat on the pedal. This way, as soon as the fox gets inside and takes the bait, the cage will slam shut.

To increase the chances of catching a predator, you should thoroughly rinse the trap with clean water from a hose: this will remove the human smell from it. Before picking up and placing the bait, you need to put on gloves.

Once captured, the animal can be safely taken to a forest or reserve and released where it will be away from people and poultry.

You can make such a trap yourself or purchase a ready-made one.

Trap

Most types of traps that can be useful for catching foxes lead to injury to the animal. In addition, there is a risk of the person or pets getting caught in a trap. Traps should be used only if predators have already been caught several times, but they still return.

For catching, you can use both frame and plate traps. In this case, the structure must be attached with a strong rope or metal chain to the wall of a nearby building or a strong rod driven into the soil. This is necessary so that the animal does not run away and take the trap with it.

Has a fox ever attacked your chickens?

Not really

Dog

To protect the poultry house and the entire yard from foxes, you can get a dog. Suitable for this:

Caucasian Shepherd Dogs;
fox terriers;
Jagdterriers;
greyhounds.

Loud barking and the smell of a dog will scare away foxes. Shy and small dogs are not suitable, as the fox can quickly scare them away or even bite them.

other methods

Foxes that go hunting do not like too intense light, so you can hang powerful lights with a motion sensor near the chicken coop. Devices powered by solar batteries are well suited for this.

In addition, special repellents can be used to eliminate foxes. Such preparations need to be sprayed on the fence from the outside and inside. The outside of the chicken coop is also subject to treatment. Effective means include:

aluminum ammonium sulfate;
capsicum solution;
methyl nonyl ketone, etc.

To protect against foxes, you can use a metal mesh. It should be dug under the fence so that it extends to the surface at least 1 m and is buried 30 cm into the soil. Foxes will not be able to dig under and enter the territory.

About caresses

The weasel is a unique animal, because there is no predator smaller than it in nature. The weight of a male can be 60 g and never exceeds 0.25 kg.

The body length of adult males varies between 15 cm - 25 cm, and in females 10 cm - 25 cm. In appearance, the weasel is more similar to an ermine than a ferret. The forest ferret looks more like a mink.

Inexperienced farmers, having caught a black ferret, often think that they managed to catch a mink in the chicken coop.

The weasel has the outer part of its paws and tail, as well as the top of its head and back, a uniform brown color with a brownish tint. The fur on the belly, throat, chest, and inside of the paws is perfectly white. A distinctive feature of the weasel is two brown spots at the corners of the mouth. In winter, it changes its brown fur to a white winter coat. Small dimensions allow the weasel to settle in hollows, between stones, and in empty holes. These animals often live in colonies, which makes them different from ferrets.

The weasel feeds on mouse-like rodents, moles, small amphibians, birds and their oviposition. Predators of the mustelid family are sensitive to odors of animal origin.

However, the weasel loves the smell of horses and often attacks stables. This small animal tickles the horse throughout the night, bringing the poor animal to complete exhaustion. To rid the stable of this scourge, experienced farmers keep a goat next to their horses, the smell of which the weasel cannot digest.

Types of traps

A trap is a device for catching animals, and it can firmly catch a weasel. But it’s worth understanding what traps exist and how to use them. The device itself consists of a spring and plates that catch the animal, pinching its paws or neck - it all depends on the curiosity of the animal. To prevent the animal from running away with the trap, it must be well attached.

There are two types of traps:

Plate;
Frame.

To catch weasel, you should use the second type of trap, since plate traps are designed for catching large animals. But don’t be surprised if the animal runs away; it can chew the canvas that serves as the base.

The danger of rats getting into the chicken coop

One of the main dangers of rats in a chicken coop is egg theft. Rodents carry this delicacy constantly, so a person may suffer certain losses.

Rats are predators, and quite strong and arrogant. They can injure even larger animals. If a rodent wants fresh meat, it may well attack the chicken. He can easily cope with both young and adult birds, and the rooster will not be able to protect them. Rodents attack every day.

Rats are carriers of ticks, fleas, bedbugs, helminths and various diseases:

plague;
typhus;
rabies;
toxocariasis;
toxoplasmosis;
salmonellosis;
tularemia;
rickettsiosis;
leptospirosis;
listeriosis;
hemorrhagic fever;
streptobacillosis.

Many diseases are dangerous not only for poultry, but also for humans. In addition, the presence of a dangerous predator makes chickens anxious, which is bad for their health and productivity.

Rats reproduce quickly, are always hungry and chew a lot. This harms not only the inhabitants of the chicken coop, but also the property. It is not uncommon for a person to discover the presence of rats only weeks or months later until they notice missing eggs or an injured bird.

The danger of rats also lies in their intelligence. They rarely fall into a trap if this has already happened to their relatives. Rat cubs are numerous, and adults teach them to avoid various poisons and traps.

What to do?

Get rid of the visitor. In addition to damaging the farm, the fox also spreads rabies. A sick predator can attack a person. Therefore, having barely noticed fox tracks, it is necessary to urgently take action.

bathhouse in Reshetikha Volodarsky district telephone

The best way to get rid of the red cheater is a live trap. The thief remains alive by getting into it. The trap is taken away and the animal is released.

Nobody has canceled the traps yet. But this is inhumane.

Repellent methods

Along with folk remedies, repellers help get rid of ferrets in the chicken coop. An electronic device emits waves with a given frequency, which cause a state of discomfort in the predator’s body, provoking panic attacks. As a result of the influence of electric repellers, they leave the poultry house and never return to it.

An alternative to an electronic repeller would be a motion-sensing flashlight. Activation of the light flux scares away predators, helping to get rid of them in a few times.

Domestic animals – a dog or a cat – can be used to scare away ferrets, weasels and martens from the chicken coop. In addition to direct contact, the presence of a domestic cat or dog, which predators are not ready to meet, will be indicated by dog and cat odors left behind. Small predators are repelled by strong foreign odors.

Traps and traps are placed against ferrets and weasels in the chicken coop. The bait for animals to catch them in placed traps is usually broken chicken eggs and feathers scattered nearby. The smell of dead poultry attracts predators. The carcass is suspended directly above the trap at a height of up to 20 cm. The chicken carcass is also treated with toxic substances and medications with a sleep effect.

Using the paved paths made of starch or flour, they determine the paths for the animals to enter the chicken coop. To catch animals, traps and snares are placed close to the path of movement.

When setting traps and traps, they wear gloves. The fastenings are lubricated with manure, slaked lime or a decoction of spruce branches, which eliminates the repellent odor.

A homemade design made from a bucket (it can also be replaced with a thick box), a support (stick) and bait placed inside is suitable as a trap to help catch animals:

the bucket is installed at an angle;
the support is placed so that it slides off when touched lightly;
The bait, which is a dead bird, is placed under the bucket.

When holes dug by an animal are discovered, traps and snares are placed at the entrance to the tunnel.

Chicken owners are familiar firsthand with a small but dangerous animal - a weasel, which can raid a chicken coop, mercilessly exterminating its inhabitants. Today we will talk about methods to neutralize such an uninvited guest and secure the poultry house.

Foxy sister

Who strangles chickens, besides the predators listed above? The beautiful red fox will enjoy eating chicken meat. The cheat kills one or two chickens. And a few more are simply crushing. One gets excited, let's say.

She takes the killed chickens with her. Finds ways to do this. He also returns for those who have been strangled, but most often the owner of the poultry house is ahead of the cunning one. And she no longer gets anything.

This animal hunts late at night or early in the morning, when it is least likely to encounter a person. The cheater is attracted to the site by the following odors:

Fish. If fertilizer in the form of fish bones is scattered on the site, the fox will definitely visit it.

Garbage. Sometimes owners put buckets of food waste outside the door. Foxes, attracted by the amber, look into the light. They happily rummage through buckets or garbage, looking for something edible. And in between times they’ll visit the chicken coop.

Dung heaps. Chickens love to poke around in them. And the foxes know this. Therefore, they are attracted not so much by the smell of manure as by laying hens enthusiastically rummaging through it.

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.

Weasel

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 sheet metal or fine mesh around the chicken coop.

Farmers recommend against using traps due to the high risk of injury to chickens. However, in cases where this cannot be refused, you need to think about their location so as not to catch the hen.

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.

Advice! Some farmers recommend leaving a light on in the poultry house at night, you can even turn on the radio. This will create the effect of presence, so wild animals will be afraid to come close.

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. This is interesting: Homemade grass cutter - we explain in detail

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Ferret - the threat of the chicken coop

One can understand the villagers who have a grudge against the ferret. On the conscience of this animal there is a darkness greater than the darkness of the destroyed flocks of birds. A cautious, intelligent and passionate animal can torment living creatures for weeks - farmstead after farmstead, deftly avoiding the traps set for it. He will eat one chicken during the night, and leave the rest of the chickens headless or bleed them. It’s not for nothing that this predator is called the storm of the chicken coop.

However, the ferret commits atrocities not out of bad character, but in obedience to his blind instinct, which tells him to make provisions for the winter. There are never too many of the latter in any cold weather. In the end, plant foods are not included in his menu by nature.

However, when you become angry with this predator, remember that the benefits from it are no less than the harm. The ferret also destroys mice, rats, gophers, hamsters and even poisonous snakes. Therefore, think seven times before acting on the principle of “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” Is such a fight justified? Maybe it's better to drive the uninvited guest away from your chickens and wish him hunting happiness in another place?

Getting rid of a ferret

Once he gets into the chicken coop, he won’t stop until he gets all the chickens out of the world. Therefore, it is better to prevent a tragedy.

For this purpose, careful owners concrete the floor in the chicken coop or make it from piles - in order to prevent the animal from undermining it. Next, they cover the walls with metal sheets or at least a mesh, digging it in half a meter around the perimeter. The door and loft of the chicken coop should also be strong.

But a reliable shed is not enough. The area around the building should be free of boards, brushwood and other rubbish that the ferret may be attracted to closer to winter. Having chosen such a shelter, the animal settles in it next to the food. Then the fight against him becomes more difficult.

Involve your Polkan or Rex to guard the chicken coop, who will notify the predator with a loud bark that he is not welcome here. Let him run around the yard freely or on an extended chain at night - the ferret only plays mischief at night. Just don’t lock the dog up with the chickens: there will be no peace for either the bird or the guard. If one morning you find a tunnel in the barn, know that the predator has very serious intentions regarding your chickens. To get rid of a ferret, you will have to act quickly.

In this case, we can recommend that for lovers of “civilized measures” they purchase an animal repeller. The device is placed next to the poultry house and emits unpleasant signals when a predator appears: sound, ultrasound, light flash, vibration. Such devices operate from the mains, battery or batteries. Having tried the repeller on itself a couple of times, the animal gives up trying to get into the barn.

Daredevils can guard the ferret themselves. Stock up on a thermos with strong coffee for the night and an old coat and stand guard. As soon as the ferret approaches the tunnel, throw a coat over it, and then wrap it well around the tailed criminal. Just in case, put on thick gloves before the fight: the ferret has good teeth.

Well, for those who do not like night vigils, we advise you to place two traps in the tunnel - one at the entrance, the second at the exit. Just boil them first along with spruce spruce branches - it will help get rid of the human smell. Meat, fish and even chicken feathers are suitable as bait. And finally, the most humane way to get rid of a ferret is a live trap. One of its options is shown in the video from Vilali Zapryd.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=CkY72Xoiq5Y

The video shows a store-bought or homemade mesh box with a door slamming shut after an animal gets into it

Bait inside - and wait! Just remember to be careful: you should get rid of the human smell. Instead of spruce infusion, you can coat the trap with lime, plus, of course, mittens

After catching a ferret, take it several kilometers away from home. He will remember the unpleasant adventure for a long time, and your bird will remain intact.

Ferret habitat

The ferret is a predator. It settles almost everywhere, but prefers to live on the edges of the forest, so that there is a body of water nearby. Ferrets live in burrows that they make themselves, or they occupy burrows made by other animals and abandoned by them.

The ferret is difficult to find in dense forests; the animal does not like too dense forests. Animals prefer small forests or groves located near human habitation. The ferret does not like to wander from place to place. This is what distinguishes males: each of them has its own strictly defined territory and it is extremely undesirable for them to appear in a foreign area. Females are more loyal in this regard: they can live anywhere and not feel much discomfort. A male can walk about 5 km per night - this suggests that their hunting grounds are very extensive.

Ferrets' burrows are not very deep, usually there is one tunnel and a nesting site at the end. Ferrets can make their shelters in abandoned burrows of badgers and foxes. Sometimes a ferret settles right next to a person. Here he will probably have a nest in some barn, but in a secluded place. Usually, forest ferrets climb into barns, because steppe ferrets try to avoid human habitation.

The steppe ferret lives almost in open areas. In terms of area of settlement, the steppe ferret surpasses any other steppe animal. In the steppes, ferrets make abandoned gopher burrows for themselves. Such a hole can save the animal from both the summer heat and the winter cold. There is no way to live without a hole in the steppe: you can easily become the prey of another, larger predator. Steppe ferrets do not have a strictly defined territory.

Enemies of Chickens

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How to Avoid a Predator

If there is a risk of a ferret appearing in the chicken coop, the poultry farmer should take preventive measures in advance and provide for the protection of the structure from penetration of predators during the construction process:

Completely isolate the room. Make the foundation monolithic concrete, cover the floor under the boards with iron. Cover the walls of the chicken coop with fine mesh and seal the cracks with cement.
The ventilation system should be installed at a height of at least 2 meters from the ground.
Close the coop tightly at night. Place a lock or latch on the door: the hook can be opened by the animal.
There should be no accumulation of things inside the premises: any shelter will allow a predator, entering the chicken coop during the day, to remain unnoticed.
Equip the walkway around the perimeter with a concrete strip, which should go to a depth of 50 cm.
In places where the risk of a predator is high, inspect the chicken coop and poultry run daily. Suspicions of the appearance of an animal require urgent additional protective measures to be taken.

Summary

When creating a chicken coop, you need to take into account in advance that a ferret may try to get in there. The fight against this skilled hunter will have results if the poultry house is protected at the stage of its construction. When the structure stands on pillars, the floor is made of thick iron-clad boards or a durable concrete coating, the walls and ceiling do not have holes or cracks, a predator will not be able to dig under and get inside.

If you have this prankster in your chicken coop, it doesn’t matter how you catch it. It is important to do this as quickly as possible

Having caught it, take it away from your site and let it into the forest.

Video