Weasel - how long do I have?

[MeatyCluckers]

We managed to have a couple years with no intruders into the chicken run, but this past year, rats have found their way in through some very deep and apparently elaborate tunnels. I do my best to fill the holes regularly, and have been using snap traps with some success (usually 1-2 a night), but they're still there and still quite a few. We have security cameras in a few areas around the coop/run, and last night I saw a weasel run past near where one of the holes that I keep filling (that keeps being re-opened) is outside of the run. I didn't see it again, and I obsessively looked at footage of inside the run and it doesn't look like it came in, but I know that because the rats find a way, it can too. It has NO shortage of rodents to feed on, and my chickens are secure and locked up in their coop at night (which definitely has no access points for a weasel). The run is massive and while fully roofed and enclosed in hardware cloth, the tunnels are underneath (we buried the wire but apparently not deep enough). I know the obvious solution is dig deeper and bury new hardware cloth, but that's a solution that will take some time to accomplish. How long would you think that we reasonably have before the weasel discovers the chickens instead of helping itself to the bounty of rodents at its disposal? This was first time I've seen a weasel of any kind on camera (I've seen rats, racoons, foxes, skunks, and coyotes a-plenty), and while that doesn't mean that it's never been here before, I'm guessing it was its first appearance. Is there a chance he'll move on? Are they hunters who stalk locations, or do they just happen upon a spot and get what they can and move on?

Thanks - please forgive my rambling and panic, I didn't sleep much after I saw it. It's definitely a weasel and not a mink or a fisher, it wasn't much bigger (if at all) than the rats.

 

[nuthatched]

Hopefully, rats will be more convenient prey. Weasels typically do not hunt at night when your birds are secure.
Having found a steady supply of rats, it may stay.
I'd double down on eliminating the rays, more traps and Rat-X, maybe put some hardware cloth down in the run, cover with gravel, Peet moss, dirt, etc. Bit easier than digging for now.

 

[Logar]

Could you fill them with something like this (Click me!)? It would probably only be a temporary fix but it should at least stop them for a bit until you can add more hardware cloth.

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Could you fill them with something like this (Click me!)? It would probably only be a temporary fix but it should at least stop them for a bit until you can add more hardware cloth.

I can definitely get the holes that I can find with that.

Hopefully, rats will be more convenient prey. Weasels typically do not hunt at night when your birds are secure.
Having found a steady supply of rats, it may stay.
I'd double down on eliminating the rays, more traps and Rat-X, maybe put some hardware cloth down in the run, cover with gravel, Peet moss, dirt, etc. Bit easier than digging for not

Weasels don't hunt at night? Do you think I should be locking the chickens up for bed before dusk now?

 

[Folly's place]

I think that your birds need to be in all the time for now!
One way to use bait (the only real fix for a rat invasion) is to put the bait down in the holes and cover them all. Most rodents will die in their burrows, and covering them keeps the dead critters unavailable for non-target species to be injured.
Your visiting weasel might decide that chicken looks good too, and the birds are easy to kill at night especially.
We've had rat invasions twice, and lost both birds and eggs to them before fixing the problem.
Mary

 

[nuthatched]

I can definitely get the holes that I can find with that.

Weasels don't hunt at night? Do you think I should be locking the chickens up for bed before dusk now?

The hunt mostly at night, sorry auto correct.

 

[ChicNmom]

When I had a rat problem I used a rodent bomb from the feed store. You have to cover all the holes you can find. I also made sure the chickens were out of the coop JIC.

I also stuffed any small holes with steel wool and old screen material before filling them in since rodents don't like to chew on metal.

Our house has a boulder foundation so I used copper mesh when sealing around mouse entry points for the house.


https://www.amazon.com/Copper-Mesh-...-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

[McChooky]

I can definitely get the holes that I can find with that.

Weasels don't hunt at night? Do you think I should be locking the chickens up for bed before dusk now?

I always lock my chickens up an hour before dark

 

[MeatyCluckers]

I think that your birds need to be in all the time for now!
One way to use bait (the only real fix for a rat invasion) is to put the bait down in the holes and cover them all. Most rodents will die in their burrows, and covering them keeps the dead critters unavailable for non-target species to be injured.
Your visiting weasel might decide that chicken looks good too, and the birds are easy to kill at night especially.
We've had rat invasions twice, and lost both birds and eggs to them before fixing the problem.
Mary

They're definitely enclosed in the run - I can't reasonably keep them in the coop all day as I think they'll actually beat each other up if they're confimed (

 

[MeatyCluckers]

Update: the same afternoon I posted this, I heard the chickens clucking and came outside and walked the perimeter where I very quickly saw the weasel on the outside of the run. It locked eyes with me and just stared. I grabbed a hoe and tried to hit it, but clearly missed and it scattered away. I stayed outside holding the hoe and sure enough, about 45 minutes later it appeared IN THE RUN. I ran inside and chased it around like a crazy person. It ran out. I got the chickens locked up except for the most skittish. It CAME BACK AGAIN, and I successfully blocked it from exiting the hole it came in and it was freaking out but it found another way out and I couldn't smack it. All holes have been filled in, and I've been locking the chickens up early and letting them out late, and filling holes regularly. I work from home so I've had the luxury of being able to go outside and walk the perimeter on the regular and stay near so I can hear. We have set up some traps but haven't been lucky - I haven't seen it on the camera since, so I'm not sure if I scared it away for a little while or if it's just hanging out someplace else waiting. In the meantime, we have a neighbor who is a landscaper who is going to help dig and bury new wire and concrete it so that the rat holes won't reappear. We are also working on trapping rats too, and have caught a few. All of that to say - that breach was at around 3 PM, so they definitely hunt in the daytime too!