Long-Tailed Weasel

[lucky10]

So we think we have a long tailed weasel and it had eaten a bunch of my chickens.

Is there any way to get rid of this animal?

 

[southerndesert]

From eHow, we don,t see these guys here, but thought this may help...

Track the weasel.

If there is soft ground in the area where a weasel lurks, look for footprints around animal enclosures, especially where you think a weasel is entering or exiting. Weasels have five toes, but you may only see two impressions of toes above a paw pad in the tracks they leave. Either you can track weasels to the burrows they live, which may be difficult, or you can locate the areas they frequent the most on your property.

Bait a trap.

The best way to lure a weasel to a trap it with bait. United Wildlife Control states weasels are attracted to fresh, bloody meat, which they can smell from far away. Poultry Keeper states they best type of meat to use is the kind the weasels are after on your property. For example, if a weasel has attacked your chickens, use fresh chicken as bait.

Catch the weasel.

Weasels do not have a preferred hunting time, according to. Therefore, you should notice the times of day the weasel preys upon your animals and set some bait in a weasel box in the area a weasel would most likely appear before that time. United Wildlife Control suggests setting traps underneath outbuildings or fences, in brush piles or along walls. Protect the trap from other wild animals by covering it with wooden boards or tree branches.

Dispose....

 

[woodmort]

Bait the trap with pieces off the birds he killed--he'll be back for them--and place it in the same area. I used a 6 X 12-inch live trap and nailed mine the next day while I was repair one of the holes where it got into the coop.

 

[theFox]

Quote:
+1

If you have already disposed of the carcass get some bloody livers at the market and use that to bait the trap and other good (likely the best) bait is tainted mouse.

 

[janinepeters]

You might want to give some more details. If it ate most of an adult chicken in one night, (and certainly if it ate more than one chicken in a night) it is probably not a weasel. Did you mean kill them, and leave most of the body there? That would more consistent with a weasel.

Also you said "get rid of" and signed it "animal lover". Does this mean you are looking for non lethal methods of dealing with predators? If so, the answer is to prevent them from entering. To prevent weasel entry, you need a really tight coop, because weasels can enter tiny holes. Short tails can enter 1 inch chicken wire, and female long tails may be able to, as well. We use 1/2 inch plastic coated, heavy gauge hardware cloth and diligently close up any little nooks and crannies. We have both short and long tails here in abundance, and neither species has ever gotten into our coop or run.

 

[mrpekinduck]

I live in the suburbs and I don't think we have weasels but I am so sorry about your hens weasels sound horrible

 

[katiefoley]

they are horrible. where i live the government tore up acres and acres and acres of land and sterolized it killing and relocating thousands of animals. the long tailed weasels killed up to 50 of our chickens in one evening tonight. it was a mess.

 

[zazouse]

Why did the goverment do that ? was it this in the US?

 

[jak2002003]

they are horrible. where i live the government tore up acres and acres and acres of land and sterolized it killing and relocating thousands of animals. the long tailed weasels killed up to 50 of our chickens in one evening tonight. it was a mess.

What?!

Why did they do that.....sounds terrible! How did they sterilise the land? Sounds like that was WAY OVER THE TOP and a wast of money, not to mention all the environment they damaged. Weasels only live in small densities and it would have been easy to trap them, then kill or relocate.

What country do you live in? That would never be allowed in the UK.

 

[Davlyn]

about 3 wks ago, my neighbors lost 13 chickens & a duck. They told me they found most of the bodies & there were 2 of mine there ( mine have leg bands from being tested) no heads.
Baffles me how my girls got way over to their back land, there's alot of pasture between us.I was letting the chcikens out of their area, but they have been kept in their large yard. I have electric poultry fencing. Last Sunday I was out all day so let them out, I could keep my eyes on them. They don't go to far. Monday morn when I let them out of the coops, I noticed my Buff laced Polish was gone

She never went far, no sign of her, no feathers, nothing. Must have happened when I went in the house for a bit & just before I closed them in for the nite. right under my nose

In the 5 yrs I have had chickens this is the 1st I lost them to a predator .
Every morn I take a head count when I open the coops. in the afternoon when I sit & give them treats I do a head count