Mustelid : The name does n’t sound very daunting . But if youkeep chickens , your ear should perk up , and you should be on eminent alarm . Among the savvy , wiry members of the mustelid class are martens , ferrets , fisher , minks and , of course of instruction , weasel — so vulgar and conniving that this whole family of hunter is often consult to as the “ weasel family . ”
Even so , the family Mustelidae is one of the most diverse fauna families and includes larger mammalian , such as badgers , otters and glutton . While each animate being is different and can motley greatly in sizing and behavior , on the whole , these hunters can be recognized by their tenacious , dense bodies and rear end ; unforesightful leg ; rounded ears ; and five - toed feet with nonretractable claws .
In fact , by all show , they ’d seem to be rather cute … if you did n’t know the damage they can bring down on a spate of chickens . musteline mammal are normally nosey creatures by nature ; they like to stay very active and are always on the move hunting for their next meal . To round out the male person musteline ’s physical attributes are muscular smell secretory organ that publish a repellent smell , often used to mark territory . It ’s not quite as pungent as skunk scent , but not pleasant , either . Do you still imagine they ’re cute ?
The Weasel’s Calling Card
Because there are n’t many wimp steward who fear for their pot ’s safety from badgers or otters ( that I know of , anyway ) , for the sake of this visibility , we ’ll consider the conduct , habit and menace of the common weasel , called the least weasel . It ’s the smallest member of its kinfolk — not much swelled than a mouse — and likely the greatest threat to your birds and doll , if only due to its broad North American distribution .
Still , whether or not your peck is vulnerable to these lilliputian carnivore depends on your locale , of form . What the weasel looks like may vary slightly depending on your location , too . Most weasels are various shades of brown and some have white underbellies , but they can also be almost completely bloodless , depending on the time of twelvemonth , as some weasels ’ coats work white in winter . Because the weasel is rather midget compared to many of our domestic chickens , our flock are thankfully not usually their first repast of choice . Most of the members of the weasel family that call North America plate prefer to hunt little brute , such as black eye , rats , frog , breakwater and voles . However , they ’ll easy make a repast of larger quarry if the condition are right .
If weasels are likely to favour rodent and small animals to a flock of chickens , why should you be touch on ? Well , because of their svelte frame , least weasels can rack into and through gaps about the size of a poop . They ’re also rather right at climbing over obstacle or comprehend under enclosure walls and fence if they ca n’t just nobble through a disruption .
Another thing to consider is the weasel ’s strength , which is considerable for its size . To boot , they are violent in disposition , rather clever and certainly timeserving : If you ’ve seen weasels or another member of the mustelid family around , it ’s likely that they were pull by gnawer in the neighborhood and decided to make a repast of your chickens .
How To Know If A Weasel Attacked
Unlike predators that take one boo at a time , weasel tend to vote out or injure several birds during one attack , if not the whole mass . They also prefer to suck the ancestry of the prey animal , rather than exhaust large amounts of build . A musteline may be the perpetrator if you see some of the pursuit after an tone-beginning :
Defend Your Flock Against Weasels
weasel are unequaled among predators because of their little size , strength and tenacity , and they ’ll find your weak links , peculiarly if you do n’t know where they live . So , with that in brain , protect your batch from mustelid hunter as well you may by doing the following :
It ’s easy to make out corner when building a hencoop or take a manufacturer ’s safety specifications at their Scripture . But you’re able to never be too conservative if you experience mustelids live in your region , or if you ’ve seen them before — peculiarly if you ’ve seen them before ! Your flock ’s chicken coop should discontinue weasel at their head of entry by having secure corners and opening and using fencing material or mesh in the appropriate sizing .
What incisively does that look like ? put in any opening big than a twenty-five percent with 1/2 - in ironware cloth . This includes gaps between boards , and around windowpane and doors . Use this same hardware fabric net to line windows and lasting runs where birds spend much of their prison term .
Bury fencing around the coop or run at least 12 inches into the ground around the perimeter , or , fan out the mesh in an cubic decimeter - shape around the enclosure . Because hardware cloth is rather expensive compared to other fence alternative , use Gallus gallus wire or another thinner mesh for daytime fencing material and bury . Even with all of these precautions , however , it ’s always very crucial to lock your birds up securely in their coop each evening at dusk : Mustelids are most likely to aggress after the sun has set .
You should also often take away any food food waste and extra provender , because these can attract rodents , which will afterwards draw weasels . Weasels are great at offering an incentive to keep a clean hencoop ! Once in the habit , it ’s leisurely to keep your mass ’s living country fair and tidy .
Store feedin predator - safe containers . I like to apply large galvanized steel crank can with a inviolable lid . you’re able to even use a bungee corduroy to slash the lid on tightly .
Keep the hencoop clear from crank , feed bags and food scrap to reduce or eliminate the rodent universe . If you ca n’t seem to beat the rodent job , think that a mouser bozo is a great addition to any homestead !
at last , if your coop is close to your home , you ’re in fortune : weasel and their family like to keep a healthy distance from human race , so they ’ll be cautious around the normal noise and light befoulment we emit .
know the ins and outs of weasel doings and what keep them away can arm any volaille custodian with the tools need to represent the henhouse and protect the raft . gratefully , it ’s not terribly difficult or expensive . And a well - armed and informed Gallus gallus keeper can still think mustelids are cute — from a distance .
