How to catch a ferret in a chicken coop: the best methods of fighting and how to ward off forever

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Predatory animals are a danger to adult chickens and young animals kept in the poultry house. They attack poultry, carry and kill it, and also break eggs. There are several ways to catch a ferret in a chicken coop and get rid of the weasel in order to protect and save the chicken population while keeping the whole house intact.

How to catch a weasel and a ferret in a chicken coop

Signs of a predator in the house

Ferrets are very dangerous to chickens
The peculiarity of the ferret is that, having entered the poultry house and seeing the abundance of food, the animal can destroy all the chickens in one night, although it cannot eat so much prey.

This feature of the animal is especially harmful. In excitement, a marten or polecat can kill even a large bird - geese, turkeys. There are signs that allow one to determine the presence of a predator near the house before the first prey appears.

The following testifies to the attempts of the beast to enter the chicken coop:

Chickens do not leave their roosts in the morning - a frightened bird sits upstairs, even when the owner comes in and pours food. This behavior occurs when the predator is near the house.
Chickens huddle on the topmost perches and even in severe crowding, they refuse to sit down below.
Poultry screams at night in the chicken coop - Hearing a ferret trying to get inside, the chickens wake up, start screaming, and shout for a long time. When the owner appears, the bird does not calm down.

If a predatory animal has entered the hen house, signs of hunting become obvious. All or part of the chickens are crushed. The bird's blood has been drunk, its legs and head are often gnawed off.

When there is a suspicion that a ferret has appeared near the hen house, urgent action is needed. The next night, the bird can be completely destroyed. A trap is urgently set on the predator, and the bird is transferred to a safe place, inaccessible to an uninvited guest.

Attention! When the ferret has completely destroyed the chickens, it is pointless to start the bird again (until the hunter is rid of): the pest will kill new pets.

Predator features

Probably every poultry farmer has faced the problem of night robberies at least once. The behavior of this predator is always the same: he will not calm down until he exterminates all the birds in the hen house to the last. Therefore, if at least once the ferret visited the poultry house, remember - he will definitely return.

Do you have a wide variety of birds on your farm? Intoxicated by so many potential victims, a ferret can attack even a goose. He is unlikely to be able to carry such a heavy trophy to the forest, therefore he often leaves half-eaten carcasses in the chicken coop.

The ferret is a small animal. The body can be up to 45 cm in length. But this does not prevent him practically in one trip to lime a huge amount of poultry. By its actions, this predator resembles a weasel. Both of these animals live in conditions of carelessness and impunity, because often the owner of the birds learns about their atrocities after the fact. Therefore, it is important to worry about the safety of poultry in advance and consider all the options for protecting them from weasels and ferrets. But if they do appear, you need to immediately find a way to get rid of the ferret.

What is the danger of a ferret, weasel and marten

A special danger of a predator in the mass destruction of poultry. Having penetrated into the poultry house, the ferret, having eaten, begins to prepare food for future use.

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The whole chicken herd often becomes prey. The nature of hunting ferret, weasel, marten is the same: fishing continues as long as there is a live bird in the hen house.

If the predator is scared away, the hunt will continue the next night. It is important for the farmer to prevent such attacks.

Coop after a visit by a predator

Features of the skeleton of the ferret, weasels allow the animals to easily penetrate through small holes, narrow cracks, significantly complicating the protection of the chicken coop in the habitats of these predators. Keeping the house out of rats is easier.

Important! Large aggressive roosters are capable of killing a ferret while protecting chickens. Against experienced hunters who regularly catch poultry, the rooster is powerless.

How to catch a wild ferret and how to get rid of it correctly

The ferret, like many wild predators, can wreak havoc on the owners of rabbits or birds. However, most often these animals do not suit people. Many ruined chicken coops are attributed to ferrets, although martens or foxes are the culprits. However, these small, flexible animals can enter the house, resulting in the killing of all poultry.

How to catch a wild ferret

Animals often do not control their instincts and can gut up to 80% of the chicken coop in one hunt. That is why farmers are trying to catch the animal as quickly as possible. Before you catch a ferret, you should decide on where the animal enters the house and the type of traps.

What traps to use

To catch a ferret, traps of different models are used. Given the nocturnal lifestyle of the predator, the trap is set in the evening. Using traps, they ensure the safety of chickens: they place traps in a place inaccessible to the bird.

After installation, traps must be treated with a special composition that repels the human smell that frightens the predator.

They use a product sold in specialized stores, manure (a trap is coated with a substance), slaked lime (applied with a brush). If the location of the ferret's burrow is known, the trap is placed nearby.

To catch a predator, they use the so-called. trap number 1. The device gatekeeper is made especially sensitive. A bird killed by a ferret serves as bait, the trap is poured with the blood of the animal.

A rat trap of sufficient capacity to hold a large rodent is a suitable trap for a ferret. The device is additionally weighted by attaching it to a large board to stabilize the trap.

The ferret turns over the light rat trap, vigorously pulling out. The freed predator, remembering the dangerous trap, always bypasses the rat trap.

Brothers in sabotage

The closest relative of the ferret, the weasel, should be mentioned separately. With her, things are more complicated. She is so flexible and fidgety that she crawls through holes 2-3 centimeters in size.

Only strengthening the foundation and floor will not save: the entire room will have to be sealed.
It is better to seal holes in the walls and ceiling with cement.
If the building is wooden, then put patches of wood or iron on the places of possible penetration.
Polyurethane foam and soft sealants are useless, soon a hole will gap again in this place.

Weasel... Weasel is the smallest representative of predators in the world, which is widespread everywhere. She is fearless and aggressive, even a human cannot scare her away. She easily and quickly deals with rodents, snakes, frogs, birds. Despite her cute little face, she is a disaster for the poultry farmer, as she can kill all the birds in a short period of time.

Marten... Another pest fellow is the marten, although it tries not to approach human settlements, preferring to live in forests. She settles in hollows and spends a lot of time moving through the trees. Outwardly, it looks like a ferret, but is slightly larger and has an incredibly beautiful large tail and valuable fur skin.

Since the animal will defend its life, it will become very aggressive, special care should be taken when removing the ferret from a trap or trap.

Use of pets

If the ferret has already got into your chicken coop, then, sadly, the animal must be caught
Pets - cats, dogs - help many farmers, protecting chicken coops from ferrets. They scare away predators, making it difficult to calmly catch the bird.

The ferret is a mobile, cautious animal, therefore it is difficult to catch the enemy of the poultry houses, but some pets are valuable hunters. Dexterous dogs, cats are able, suddenly grabbing, crush a ferret, weasel, marten.

Important! Pets hunting predators must be vaccinated against rabies.

Ferrets and other breeds of domestic ferrets are useful for farmers. They catch rodents, chasing wild ferrets from their territory. Well-fed pets do not hunt birds. Do not let tame ferrets only to the chicks: the chicks will turn out to be a toy for hunting and entertainment.

What you need to know about the predator

The ferret belongs to the weasel family. The closest "relative" is a weasel. There are two species in Russia - steppe and forest. Do not confuse them with a ferret - a domestic ferret. The behavior and appearance of wild species are similar. They are characterized by the following features and characteristics:

Long body. In the steppe - about half a meter, in the forest - 29–48 cm. Animals weigh up to 2 kg.
Small paws with five toes, long claws.
Oval head. There is a characteristic "mask" - a pattern on the face. Long neck.
Large fluffy tail up to 18 cm long.
The coat is of various shades of brown - from light to almost black.
Ferrets are not rodents. In biology, they are classified as predators. Small rodents such as mice and voles are the main food for ferrets.
Aggressiveness. Often they are not afraid of humans, do not retreat in front of larger and stronger animals.
Restlessness, quickness, dexterity, quick wit.
Animals know how to swim, make tunnels. Thanks to the flexible spine, they unexpectedly "seep" into the smallest cracks.
Courage bordering on recklessness. In the excitement of hunting, animals often forget about safety.
Bloodlust. It is not enough for these predators to simply satisfy their hunger by eating 1-2 chickens. Often, a ferret kills 10-15 animals in one run. Such a visit is a real "cleanup". No one remains alive, even larger rabbits or geese die.
Ferrets prefer to hunt chickens.
Many are sure that the animal kills by smell. Releases a suffocating stream - and everything around dies. This is not true. Indeed, animals have a specific smell that appears during the mating season. In addition, the anal glands secrete a special foul-smelling secret to scare off the enemy. This is the very stream. However, chickens and other small animals, by and large, are not afraid of it.
They operate in the dark. Cunning and resourceful.

Ferrets are distinguished by a rare sense of purpose. They will not calm down until they have exhausted all the domestic animals in their weight category. These are real lone killers of the animal world.

Homemade traps

Some farmers catch the animals with homemade traps.

The simplest device option Is a bucket or box with a support. The bait is a piece of meat containing a large volume of blood.

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The support is located so that the animal knocks it down by pulling the bait. The disadvantage of the trap is the need for constant checking, otherwise the ferret will have time to get out. The caught animal must be removed quickly.

More reliable is a cage with a vertically lowering door, held by an open rope that is released as soon as the bait is touched. To attract the animal, meat is taken with abundant blood.

Care should be taken when retrieving a captured ferret. The teeth of trochee, martens, weasels are very sharp, they easily bite through the skin, damage the joints.

A wild animal may be infected with the rabies virus. They put on thick thick mittens on their hands, under them - thick leather gloves. It is convenient to use the lasso to get the predator out of the trap.

You cannot try to tear off a ferret that is grabbing a hand: the injury will be stronger. They pinch the animal's nose to loosen its grip, then push a wooden stick between the jaws, which is used to open the mouth.

More reliable cage with a vertically lowering door

After a bite, you urgently need to seek medical help, get vaccinated against rabies. You should try to take your ferret to a veterinary laboratory for diagnosis.

What to do with the captured animal is up to the poultry farmer to decide. If possible, you can act humanely: release the ferret far into the forest, from where the animal will not be able to return. When distant release is not possible, the pest must be eliminated. The skin of a healthy animal is used.

Some farmers know how to catch troche with a rope lasso. The method is complex and requires experience. If the skill of the hunter is insufficient, the animal will easily slip out of the loop and become more careful.

Important! Experts do not advise using homemade products for catching ferrets, but recommend professional devices that provide a guaranteed result.

What does a ferret look like

There are several varieties of this mammal, but they all have common features.

The body is elongated and squat with short, muscular legs.
The fingers have long and sharp claws.
The head is neat oval in shape on a long and flexible neck.
The fluffy tail is the pride of the animal.
Thick and soft fur, shiny in the sun, can be of different colors.
The teeth are sharp and strong.

By all these characteristics, the ferret is an attractive fluffy animal with an incredible ability to move quickly by jumping, dexterously climbing trees, swimming great and biting great.

How to scare away a ferret, marten, weasel

Electronic devices have been developed that generate ultrasound. It causes fear in the predator and forces the animal to leave the territory covered by the action of the repeller.

Live trap scheme

The device does not disturb other animals. The person does not hear him. The disadvantage of the ultrasonic device is the possible addiction of the predator, the disappearance of the scaring effect.

Low frequency repellents are not addictive. Sound always seems like an animal signal of an impending earthquake. However, the operation of the device negatively affects pets who sense low-frequency sounds. Chickens experience stress when using the appliance.

There are light scarers with a motion sensor. The device, when fixing a moving object, includes a lantern, the light of which, frightening, drives the animal away from the chicken coop.

Lack of light scare away method - the inability to completely cover the entire area around the building, so persistent ferrets will be able to enter the chicken coop through an unlit area. A light repeller, additionally equipped with a sound function, is more effective.

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Folk ways of fighting

Important!Popular measures to combat ferrets, martens, weasels are sometimes used by the owners of a small farm, but there is no official confirmation of the effectiveness of such protection.

It is recommended to grease the surface of the walls of the building with tar. The substance should scare away the predator, but not all animals are afraid of the tar smell. If the foundation of the building is not sufficiently strengthened, the ferret will dig a tunnel, bypassing the area with tar.

There is an opinion that the smell of a goat's skin drives away the ferret. The smell of the goat is said to be intimidating to all members of the weasel family. It is difficult to get rid of the animal in this way. The method is more correctly attributed to preventive measures in a well-insulated poultry house.

The folk way is to catch an animal with a strictly heavy coat or jacket. Special dexterity is required of a person. The animal must be quickly covered and wrapped in a coat.

The ferret should be pulled out by the withers, after putting on gloves and mittens.

It is unacceptable to involve children in the case. Catching a ferret with a jacket or coat is dangerous - it is undesirable to arrange it. A wild animal carries many diseases, so it is advisable to avoid contact.

Getting rid of the ferret in the chicken coop

Given the nocturnal lifestyle of the animal, you can try to watch it in the dark. However, the animal is quite dexterous and nimble, and it is quite problematic to catch it alone. In addition, it is necessary to provide not only the safety of chickens, but also their own, including.

If there is a desire to fight a predator alone, you must act according to the following scheme:

when you see a ferret, throw a rather heavy old coat or raincoat over it;
then wrap it up and place it in a pre-prepared cage;
to get it out of there, you should protect your hands with very tight gloves and only then touch the animal;
if the predator somehow managed to bite the trapper, it is necessary to pinch the animal's nose, and place a small piece of wood in the jaw.

To avoid bites, a wooden stick should be placed between the sharp teeth.

The further fate of the thief depends only on the mood of the farmer. This method is not the most pleasant, since the anal glands of the animal exude a strong stench at the moment of fright.

Despite the damage that ferrets inflict on poultry farms, you should be aware that the animals are acting according to their nature. There is no deliberate malice in their actions. It is necessary to think several times before harming an animal in a fit of rage.

The most humane option is to release the ferret away from residential buildings.

How to avoid the appearance of a predator

The poultry farmer, at the risk of a ferret in the hen house, should take preventive measures in advance, to provide for the protection of the structure from the penetration of predators into the building even during the construction process:

Isolate the room completely. Make the foundation monolithic concrete, cover the floor under the boards with iron. Tighten the walls of the hen house with a fine mesh, seal the cracks with cement.
Ventilation system equip at a height of at least 2 meters from the ground.
Close the coop tightly at night. Put a lock or latch on the door: the hook can be opened by an animal.
The accumulation of things must not be allowed inside the room: any shelter will allow the predator, having penetrated into the hen house during the day, to remain unnoticed.
Equip the walk along the perimeter with a concrete strip, which should go to a depth of 50 cm.
In places where the risk of the appearance of a predator is high, daily inspect the chicken coop, poultry walking. Suspicions of the appearance of the animal require urgent additional protective measures.

Preventive measures

Ferrets are highly intelligent. These predators are very resourceful and cunning, so an ordinary trap will not always save chickens from the animal. Experienced farmers recommend taking into account the possibility of predator attacks even during the construction of the poultry house.

If the coop is sealed, the ferret will not be able to get to its prey. To ensure the safety of poultry, the following preventive measures should be taken:

Strengthen walls, seal cracks and cracks with cement.
During construction, the foundation of the shed should be poured with concrete. This is a safety measure to prevent predators from digging. The concrete base will not only protect against ferrets, but also against larger foxes and martens.
The floor of the chicken coop must be covered with iron, covering it with boards on top.
A fine mesh should be dug in along the perimeter of the room from the outside. In some cases, the grate can be replaced with heavy stones.
There should be no unnecessary items in the house itself, as ferrets like to hide in a cluster of boxes or crates. If the predator does not have shelter, then he will be afraid to attack chickens.
The door of the hen house should be tightly closed, at night the house is locked with a padlock or latch.
The ventilation system should be 2 m above the ground. Air circulation openings are covered with grilles.
If a ferret lifts a chicken while walking, the remaining birds should be carefully monitored.