Smallholders Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Weeezles!?  (Read 5196 times)

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Weeezles!?
« on: March 03, 2009, 11:57:47 pm »
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.
« Last Edit: March 04, 2009, 07:20:52 am by Womble »
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
  • Qui? Moi?
    • ABERDON GUNDOGS for work and show
    • Facebook
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #1 on: March 04, 2009, 12:16:22 am »
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.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

hexhammeasure

  • Joined Jun 2008
    • golocal food
    • Facebook
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #2 on: March 04, 2009, 08:53:45 am »
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
Ian

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #3 on: March 04, 2009, 09:02:01 am »
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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Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #4 on: March 04, 2009, 08:38:51 pm »
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.

northfifeduckling

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Fife
    • North Fife Blog
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #5 on: March 04, 2009, 09:15:20 pm »
I'm not surprised - our purring furry friends are killer machines, Rosemary! I've heard of a cat taking on a fox! :&>

harry

  • Joined Mar 2009
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #6 on: March 04, 2009, 10:01:52 pm »
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

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #7 on: March 10, 2009, 10:51:01 pm »

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!
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

harry

  • Joined Mar 2009
Re: Weeezles!?
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2009, 07:07:03 pm »
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...........

 

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