How large is a weasel?

[crazyhen]

I have always heard of them but not seen them. someone said they could get through an one inch wire. I thought they were larger. like a mink etc. please educate me, Jean

 

[77horses]

We had a bad experience with a weasel last year. got 3 of our chickens(two hens and our best rooster)
Weasels are sneaky little creatures who mostly prey in early dawn, when it's still kinda dark out. They can squeeze through small spaces, too. They live in most U.S. states, and there's a lot in northern U.S. states. Here's a pic of one: http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l238/ssj3fox/long-tailed_weasel.jpg
sneaky little buggers...I hate the one who killed my hen.

Now whenever I look at a pic of one, i feel so mad and sad. makes me scared that he may come back one day, too.

but anyway, they are not very large AT ALL. small creatures.
hope this helps!

 

[77horses]

oh and they are 15-30 centimeters.:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weasel

 

[antlers]

7-14 inches long depending on species (short tailed most common around this area), weighs up to 5-6 oz. NOT pounds. Yeah they can squirt through 1 inch wire if they want. Pound for pound the boldest and meanist carnivore there is.

 

[eeiko321]

about the size of a medium or young cat
sounds about right

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

Like all rodents the space they can fit through is limited only by the size of their skull, the body they will 'weasel' through. They have long narrow skulls so yes I do think the ones around here can go through 1 inch square.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

There are different species of weasel and they are different sizes. Some are larger, like a mink. Some are smaller. The smallest one is called something like the lessor or least weasel and is the one that can get through really small wire. They live in a lot of places and are still deadly killers, even though they are small.

I need more coffee, to jog my memory this early.

 

[erinm]

The fisher cat is a weasel and it sure is not small. i think it is the largest in the weasel family. i chased one away from my chicken coop one night and it was about 3 ft long. i am guessing it was a male at that size? ErinM

 

[crazyhen]

So let's see they can range from 6 "to 16" long. Yikes I have beared wire about a foot deep but I think hardware cloth inside nailed to the foundation might be in order. I just found out my neighbor lost a whole flock to them a year ago. He had open housing with just a wire fence though. Poor creatures just handed over to them. He knows better now. thanks Jean

 

[Bassleg]

About the size of a rat with a shorter tail.