The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Womble on March 03, 2009, 11:57:47 pm
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Hi Folks,
We're thinking about keeping a few hens in a moveable poultry ark in the back garden. I had planned on building a fox-proof ark, with 1/2" weld-mesh sides, and a 2" mesh floor.
However, a few weeks ago I came home to find a weasel / stoat on the drive, which was having a go at a rather poorly looking rabbit. Now, foxes I'm sure we can deal with, but keeping hungry weasels out sounds all but impossible.
Does anyone have any ideas? I'd hate to go ahead with getting hens if it's only going to lead to heartache!
Many thanks,
Womble.
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Don't have the answer - and now you've worried me as I have the same set up as you, but without the floor. I have two cats and they are very good hunters, but this weather they stay inside a lot at night - we have snow again and it's very chilly! Just hope we don't have weasels. By pass one side and railway the other keeps the foxes in check.
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a good hunting cat or two is a good bet. We had one that caught a weasel, brought it home and let it go in the utility room... then lost it as it went under the dryer. A stout pair of gloves, long stick and terrier fixed the problem. Along with a few shrieks and screams from the ladies of the house
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We saw one once and my kids loudly chased it off, it was never seen since...Our free range area is quite large and I am concerned about them. I would suggest human presence did the job for us then, but we can't babysit our birds all the time! Maybe the following link is helpful to you
http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/Chicken_a/fence_poultry/poultry_vermin.php
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The late, lamented Cassius used to kill them. I found one in the garden twice. I was quite surprised that a cat woudl take one on - they look dangerous wee beggars.
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I'm not surprised - our purring furry friends are killer machines, Rosemary! I've heard of a cat taking on a fox! :&>
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its easy........ i keep quail in a run..... to stop rats etc tunneling in you need a small squared weld mesh floor. the birds can still peck though the weld mesh but rats etc cant get in underneath...... now to stop them climbing in you need the first foot or so of the walls made of the same weld mesh or better still plastic coated mesh..... then you need a small electric fence energiser and a reel of single strand electric fence wire ..... go round the side walls twice with the wire ive done mine 3 times round, and keep the wire about 1/2 inch away from the wall, pack it away from the wall with either some electric fence posts or any pieces of rubber you can get hold of.... as long as the wire doesnt touch the walls and its no more than an inch away... any rat, weasel or stoat will get a belt if it trys to climb in......... it works for my quail
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Thanks for the tips folks. Cats aren't a possibility unfortunately, given that our landlord keeps pheasants. However, I'm hoping to coerce him into letting us get hens, as long as they agree to pay him some occasional egg-shaped rent ;)
Good idea about the electric fence too Harry. I should hope that having a mesh lid on the run would do the same job though - what do you think?
Anyhow, landlord permitting, we'll give it a go and see what happens.
Cheers!
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All the mesh has to be 1/2 inch sq or smaller walls floor and roof... dont know what size a rat or even more a stoat or simalor can get though but i do know one belt from an electric fence is enough.... i gave my friend some quail and the floor mesh was larger and the rats pulled all the quails legs off...........