What to do if ferrets are wound up. Getting rid of forest predators in the chicken coop

How to permanently get rid of a ferret in a chicken coop? - this question worries every poultry farmer who has ever met this animal. The ferret is very cunning and resourceful. Its activity is at night. And if he still managed to get into the chicken coop, then in the morning you will find all your birds killed. The ferret is too small to carry off the prey, so he feasts on it in the chicken coop. He will not leave a single bird alive. Therefore, if you find traces of him in the vicinity of your chicken coop, take immediate action to prevent him from entering your chicken coop.

The wild ferret is a rather secretive animal.

Ferret and methods of dealing with it

The ferret belongs to the weasel family. He is very angry and fast. The forest ferret is squat with short and strong paws. Its body is long, adapted for penetration into narrow holes and burrows. He chooses his habitat once and does not wander from one forest to another. Glades, edges of the forest are his favorite habitats. He prefers not to go into the thicket of the forest.

They live in minks. Most often, he digs them on his own, but if for some reason he cannot do this, he occupies empty fox or hare holes. The wild polecat prefers to feed in the forest.

• small rodents;
• reptiles;
• birds;
• worms;
• fish.

His stomach is not adapted to digest vegetable food, so he receives all the useful substances by eating herbivores.

In one visit, a ferret can destroy 10-15 chickens

During the period of food shortage in the forest, the animal raids villages and villages that are located close to the forest. There he climbs into chicken coops and destroys all the birds.

Ferret Control Methods

The ferret is a very interesting and beautiful animal, but if he came to your chicken coop, try to get rid of him as soon as possible. There are several ways to deal with it.

As a rule, the ferret gnaws the throat of chickens

heavy coat

You can use a heavy coat. Cover the beast with it, but before that, be sure to wear thick gloves so that it does not hurt you. Put the ferret in a cage and get rid of it. It is not worth killing him, it is better to take him away into the forest.

Trap

A ferret can be caught with a trap. It should be remembered that he will not fit him if there is a human smell on him. You can get rid of the smell with the help of manure, lime or boil it in spruce bark.

For a ferret, it is best to take trap No. 1

Place a trap at the entrance and exit of the tunnel made by the animal. Chicken feathers can serve as bait. The ferret is very curious, so he will not miss this.

DIY traps

You can build a trap with your own hands. Take a bucket and place the dead chicken in it. Surround the bucket with traps. The ferret will come to the bucket, take the chicken and begin to move back. This is where he falls into a trap. Another effective way. Take a cage or a box and place the bait in it. Adjust the trap door so that it automatically closes after the animal gets inside. In this way it is very easy to catch a cunning ferret. Do not put poisoned bait in the trap, cats can climb into it by mistake and get poisoned.

A metal cage with a bait allows you to catch a ferret alive

It is best not to kill the caught ferret and take it away to the forest.

Pets

Get rid of forest pest help pets - dogs and cats. Place the dog's booth near the chicken coop, and the cat can be left overnight in the bird shed itself. It is not recommended to close the dog in the chicken coop, they are very worried and stressed.

If a cat is closed in a poultry house, he will catch a ferret

Tar

Ferrets do not tolerate the smell of tar, so coating the walls of the chicken coop with this substance will protect your chickens. Even if the beast comes to the chicken coop, it will not be able to stay there for a long time and leave.

You can grease the walls of the chicken coop with tar

Preventive measures in the fight against ferrets

Getting rid of a ferret is not so easy, as it is very cunning and resourceful. It is best to prevent it from entering your coop. There are several methods, they are described below:

• At the chicken coop, during construction, be sure to make a concrete base. Then the ferrets will not be able to dig and get inside.
• Pay attention to cracks and crevices in the walls. They need to be well sealed so that the animal cannot open them and get into the chicken coop.
• Cover the floors in the room with tin sheets. This will help to get rid of the visits of uninvited guests from the forest.
• Check the coop for rotten boards and floors. Be sure to replace them with new ones.
• Dig in a net around the chicken coop to a depth of about 50 meters so that when a ferret digs, it cannot enter the room.
• Seal the door to the chicken coop with tin sheets and put a strong lock.
• Keep the chicken coop clean. Do not leave old boards, branches and other rubbish in a way that can serve as a refuge for him.

Chickens should be kept in a secure enclosure

If, nevertheless, a forest animal has destroyed several of your birds, try to keep a good eye on the rest. Release only in a fenced pen, and close at night in a strong chicken coop. He will leave when he is left without food.

Poultry houses located on poles with a dense floor covering made of iron sheets are very effective. It will not be easy for ferrets to get into them.

Place geese or turkeys in the chicken coop along with the chickens. They are distinguished by sensitive sleep and make noise when threatened.

Many owners of poultry houses are familiar with the picture of a devastated chicken coop: severed heads, sucked blood and chewed off paws. This is how the ferret works, doing its “wet” deeds. In appearance, this animal is quite cute, but behind a cute and innocent muzzle it hides dangerous predator. He considers it a matter of honor to destroy any bird that catches his eye in the area. It is very important to take all appropriate measures at the first sign of its appearance in order to prevent a series of further misfortunes. How to get rid of a ferret in a chicken coop - there are many ways, from setting homemade traps to hunting traps, each of which is quite effective.

Perhaps every second poultry farmer has encountered the problem of night robberies. The signature of this small predator is to attack until the last bird is killed. Therefore, if a ferret has visited the poultry house at least once, he will never forget the way to it.

Intoxicated by the abundance of prey, he can strangle even geese. Since he cannot carry such a large trophy into the forest, he leaves the half-eaten carcasses in the chicken coop.

With a fairly small size of the body, which reaches a maximum of 45 cm in length, it can easily kill a huge number of domestic birds in one go. Like the weasel, he lives in conditions of complete impunity, because usually the owner finds out about their visit after the fact. Therefore, the problem of how to protect domestic chickens from weasels and ferrets is especially relevant in a number of other concerns about home-grown pets.

The attack style of the ferret is quite aggressive: it sneaks up imperceptibly, overtakes the victim with a sudden jump, strangles it with its paws, and then proceeds to the meal. As a dessert, he prefers small chickens, but chickens form the basis of his diet. If I don’t eat, then I bite - this saying clearly demonstrates his style. Greed brings it to the point of absurdity: after nightly visits, many birds remain dead, but not eaten. Eating birds, he does not touch their heads, but manages to gnaw their throats in the most destructive way: soft tissues begin to decompose very quickly and devalue the entire carcass as a whole. Therefore, it is almost impossible to use a dead bird after its arrival for culinary purposes.

Signs of the appearance of uninvited guests

The ferret leads an active nocturnal lifestyle. Therefore, it is possible to catch him red-handed only at night or in the morning, observing the behavior of birds, in case they survived. If you enter the chicken coop and the birds do not leave their perches, you can assume with 100% certainty that unwanted guests came to them at night. Already on this, inconspicuous at first glance, nuance, one should think about taking preventive measures.

Having tasted the chicken at least once, the ferret considers the entire nursery to be his property. For him, it is turning into a strategic reserve of the future. Even if you replace the dead bird with a new population of birds, the problem will not disappear. The petty thief will definitely find a way to kill the updated herd of chickens. Therefore, it is better to think about how to catch a ferret in a chicken coop. .

Getting rid of a ferret in a chicken coop

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

If you want to fight a predator alone, you must act according to the following scheme:

• when you see a ferret, throw a fairly heavy old coat or raincoat over it;
• then wrap it up and place it in a pre-prepared cage;
• to pull it out of there, you should secure 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 nose of the animal, and place a small piece of wood in the jaw.

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

Despite the damage that ferrets cause to poultry farms, one should be aware that the animals act according to their nature. There is no intentional malice in their actions. It is necessary to think several times before harming an animal in a fit of rage.

Ferret Control Methods

If the independent catch of the beast is not included in the plans, then you can solve the problem of getting rid of the ferret using the old grandfather methods.

Trap: tested in practice

At the first alarm bells, it is necessary to correctly place hunting traps. A small predator is quite cautious and has an excellent sense of smell, so it is recommended to treat the trap with special solutions in order to remove the smell of human presence. You can use the following options:

• coat the trap with manure;
• rub with dried lizard skin;
• take a brush and apply slaked lime to the device;
• place in boiling water and boil for several minutes in spruce needles.

Once the trap has been properly handled, it can only be handled with thick cloth gloves.

If the animal has already acquired its own burrows in the area adjacent to the poultry house, the trap should be placed at the entrance to the tunnel.

To choose the right trap, experienced farmers recommend purchasing two No. 1 traps at once. You can buy other varieties: the most important thing in a good trap is a sensitively tuned gatehouse.

The first trap should be installed directly in the chicken coop. It is necessary to hang a bird strangled by an animal on a hook located 10–20 cm from the floor surface, and place the trap itself under a dead carcass. The trap is recommended to be set at the moment when the birds are calm and comfortably settled in their perches. If a predator enters the house, you can place the bait on the doorknob.

Place the second trap at the animal hole. For greater credibility, the body of a dead bird can be treated with poison or sleeping drugs - depending on the degree of hatred for the annoying thief, you can choose one or another remedy.

Immediately after waking up, you should inspect the traps and, if the animal did not undertake a night outing, postpone them until the next time.

Homemade traps

There are several options for traps for small predators.

First way

Second way

To build this artisanal device, you will need an ordinary cage or box, in which you should put the bait in the form of a fresh piece of meat. The door of the device must be adjusted so that when the animal enters the middle, it closes. When the animal is caught, you should take the device into the forest and release the animal.

The key to the success of this method of capturing the animal is in the bucket! The trick is that a chicken carcass is placed at the bottom of the bucket, and traps are placed around the perimeter. Even if the ferret manages to bypass all the traps along the path of following the desired prey, when he gets the prey and clings to it with his teeth, he will begin to back away and will certainly fall into one of the devices.

When placing various ingenious devices on the territory, do not forget that in addition to ferrets, welcome pets can also live on the site. Domestic cats and dogs can easily fall prey to these simple devices, so care should be taken to keep pets away from the trap areas.

Trapping ferrets with a live trap

If this method was chosen, the following devices will be needed before installation:

• live trap;
• bait;
• sand;
• decoction of wormwood;
• well trained dog;
• mastic or goatskin;
• fortified barn;
• thick gloves.

After all the necessary components for catching a ferret have been found, the following measures must be taken.

1. Familiarize yourself with the habits of a predator and make every effort to figure out its holes. If there are guesses about possible places of night visits other than the chicken coop, you can pour sand there, and then follow the tracks to make a picture of the movements of the polecat.

   

2. Since the predator is activated at nightfall, prepare a live trap in advance. It is a trap with which you can catch a ferret safe and sound. Despite the fact that trapping small predators in farmlands is possible without a permit, for humane reasons it is better not to use killer traps.

   

3. If there is no time or financial means to buy a live trap, you can make it yourself. To do this, you need a cage made of boards, equipped with a screening door. A device should be placed above the roof, according to appearance similar well - "crane". One end of the rope must be tied to the door, and the bait must be fixed to the second - it is desirable that it be a piece of fresh meat with blood.

   

4. Try to apply tricks experienced hunters and lure the animal with baits made on the basis of animal musk glands, like Akron, for example. They are sold in hunting shops.
5. The trap should be wiped with a rag treated with a strong decoction of bitter wormwood: this will kill the human smell.

   

6. Hide the live trap in a secluded place: skillful predators often ignore them, and they only serve as bait for household utensils and long-suffering birds.

Video - Live trap for a ferret in a poultry house

Four-legged guardians

Do not discount pets. They are also able to ward off the annoying beast. A doghouse should be placed near the poultry house, and even better, put the dog on a chain so that he can freely explore the territory entrusted to him. Trained cats can be run into the chicken coop itself.

It is better not to leave dogs alone with birds in a closed house. Locked in a closed space, they start to get nervous.

How to avoid a ferret

If there is no need to resort to such drastic measures as setting traps, you can try to protect the house with all possible measures. One of the most important preventive measures to protect the chicken coop from martens and other members of the mustelid family, which includes the ferret, is to concrete the floor. You can also lay a special mesh under the floor and be sure to close up all the holes. Animals are excellent at digging holes: they can dig even in hard frozen soil, which can be worked with difficulty with a shovel. Sharp teeth and tenacious claws of animals cope even with such a difficult task.

One of the most important defenses of the chicken coop from foxes, polecats and other living creatures is to clear the area: the adjacent area should be freed from any boxes or haylofts. Animals can hide in a pile of stones or boards, in tall grass and any rooms located near the chicken coop. They especially like places with high levels of humidity.

Since the ferret does not make forays into the barn during the daytime, it can attack a bird that is far from the yard. Accordingly, the area for walking birds should be carefully fenced. You can surround the whole space with dug sheets of iron or slate, and enclose summer aviaries with a fine mesh.

Be caring host so that one tragic morning you don’t have to watch a hill of corpses in the middle of a barn. Keep birds during the day in well-protected pens, and at night move them to a well-locked chicken coop. When the animal takes several failed attempts upon attacking the poultry house, it will lose all interest in renewing attempts. And caring owners of birds will be able to sleep peacefully, being in full confidence in the safety of the chicken population.

Conclusion

The ferret is a smart and quirky creature. Relying on his instincts, he becomes more and more inventive each time in ways to penetrate the chicken coop. If you are thinking about how to prevent the destruction of birds , you can attack first and start your own hunt for the beast. To do this, you should find the dwellings of night robbers in the adjacent territories and ruin them. You can attract a trained dog to search for places of residence for animals or use the services experienced hunter. The destruction of the holes of small robbers will be the most effective and effective measure, but it cannot be called humane.

It would be much more appropriate to take preventive measures in the fight against the ferret and to carry out a series of measures to strengthen the poultry house to prevent the possibility of predators in the vine. Do not tempt animals with easily accessible prey!

When purchasing livestock or poultry, at first no one thinks that they will have to protect it from unexpected attacks by other people's dogs, cats, or even worse - wild predators. How unpleasant it is to go into the barn in the morning to add grain to the hens, to find severed heads or bitten carcasses. Ferrets are distinguished by a special “passion” for poultry, whether it be geese, chickens or ducks. It is important to know the basic habits of these animals, their weak spots to prevent unpleasant consequences after they visit your home.

Basic rules for preparing a chicken coop

Ferrets lead a predominantly solitary lifestyle and attack human housing at night. It is enough to prepare and strengthen the coop well enough to prevent these small predators from getting to your bird. Be sure to take the following measures to protect the territory of the bird house from encroachment:

• during the construction of the chicken coop, it is desirable to lay a concrete base;
• hang a reliable heavy lock - the first remedy against intruders;
• eliminate any cracks and crevices in the walls and floors of the room;
• replace old weak boards with strong new ones;
• cover the floor with tin plates to avoid undermining;
• install a fine metal mesh around the perimeter of the house, burying it half a meter into the ground;
• smear the walls with tar or spread goat skins here and there, the pungent smell repels ferrets;
• repair gaps in the roof, preventing any predators from entering.

It is equally important to prepare the local area in anticipation of the "enemy". There should not be large clusters of branches, boards or any other rubbish around where the animal could hide. When faced with an attack for the first time, it is necessary to keep an eye on your bird for a couple of weeks. During the day, let them out into specially fenced pens, and at night they lock them up in a more reliable shed. Faced constantly with insurmountable obstacles, ferrets usually give up and go looking for more accessible yards where there is something to profit from.

How to catch a ferret yourself

If you have already met with a ferret, you need to act with lightning speed, he is too smart and cunning. Quickly throw a large fur coat or an old overcoat taken by surprise on the animal, then wrap it up and move it to the cage.

You can get by with thick mittens, if you are dexterous enough, you can grab the beast with your hands. If the ferret twists and bites, grab it by the nose and stick a stick between its jaws.

Animal advocates advise taking the animal back to the forest and releasing it into the wild. Don't be a flayer by killing caught ferrets. All living things have the right to exist; man cannot be considered the king of nature.

How to set a trap for a ferret

The cruel method of using traps and traps is sometimes the only way to get rid of night invasions. It is important to completely eliminate the smell of a person from the installed tool, for this it is enough to use spruce needles, manure or slaked lime, carefully treating the surface of the trap with them.

Putting on thick fabric gloves or mittens, we place traps near the dug passages on both sides. With the help of bird feathers, you can veil an object and attract a ferret with a chicken smell, it will definitely climb there in search of a victim.

Sometimes the bait is even the carcass of a dead chicken, which is placed in a bucket or hung up, placing traps around. Cautious at first, the ferret, grabbing the prey, loses its vigilance. He begins to retreat quickly and in any case falls into one of the traps.

When setting traps, you need to be especially careful if you have domestic cats and dogs walking around the yard. Make sure they don't become unintentional prey.

Homemade ferret traps

Traps made from improvised means can be more gentle. The bait in the form of a piece of meat is placed in any container, such as a bucket or box. If the trap has a door, it is configured so that when a ferret enters it, the door slams shut. Without unnecessary sacrifices, you take the trap away to the forest and release the animal.

Quadruped hunters

It is not for nothing that the dog performs security functions, the booth in the yard has always been effective tool repel wild animals. Dog barking and a specific smell make it clear to the ferret that this is someone else's territory, which he will be afraid to claim.

But cats are sometimes launched directly into the chicken coop, they do not bark, but they can hiss and rush at uninvited guests.

Electronic scarers

To avoid the "hunter-prey" situation, you can install an electronic device right in the chicken coop that emits signals of such a frequency that paralyzes the ferret's psyche, forcing him to leave the strange territory.

There are also devices with motion sensors that, when an animal approaches, emit sound signals that frighten ferrets.

Entering into confrontation with wild animals, or birds that violate the peace and integrity of your economy, remain first of all humane people. Nature is so arranged that one eats the other, and therefore exists. Believe me, ferrets just follow their instincts, let them go free so as not to disturb the stable balance of the living world around you.

Video: trap for ferrets, martens, weasels, rats

The ferret is a cute little rodent that can bring a lot of trouble if it climbs into the chicken coop to hunt. How to catch a ferret and stop his nightly visits? These questions concern many farmers.

The ferret is a cute little rodent that can bring a lot of trouble if it climbs into the chicken coop to hunt.

In a chicken coop, a ferret can destroy all the chickens and at the same time eat only one bird, but he kills all the other caught chickens in reserve, that is, he behaves in the same way as a wolf in a herd of sheep. When you enter the chicken coop in the morning and see that the chickens continue to perch, it means that they had an uninvited guest at night. It is urgent to take action, otherwise in a couple of days all your chickens will be dead.

The ferret and weasel, having chosen the chicken coop, consider it their own and will try to provide themselves with supplies. If you start chickens again, this will not change anything at all, since the predator will come again and everything will repeat itself. The only way out is to catch and destroy the ferret.

In a chicken coop, a ferret can destroy all the chickens and still eat only one bird.

To prevent small predators from getting into the chicken coop, you need to take care of this when building a poultry house. Its base should be concrete so that the animal cannot dig, and there should be no gaps in the walls. In the daytime, a predator will not climb into the barn and will only be able to catch the bird that walks far from the yard. If this happens, then all other birds should remain in the pen for some time. After a couple of weeks, the animal will realize that there is no point in hunting in your area, and will go looking for easier prey.

However, if there are rats in the chicken coop, then a ferret can be useful to you. Get a fluffy hunter - he will catch all the rats, but he will not touch the chickens, but he will constantly visit the neighbor's chicken coop. Ferrets never misbehave on their territory!

How to catch a ferret (video)

How to catch the beast

If the ferret has already got used to your chicken coop, then, sadly, the animal must be caught. But keep in mind that he is quite cunning and dexterous, and hunting a ferret is not an easy task. Traps and traps, these animals, as a rule, bypass, therefore, in order for a predator to be caught, it must be interested. The ferret trap should be bait - put a dead chicken next to it, and sprinkle bird feathers on the device itself. A ferret trap should be set according to the animal's habits. The predator will bypass all available traps with ease, but when he grabs prey, most often he starts to back away and can get caught, so there should be several traps, and they must be arranged accordingly.

So that the animal does not suspect anything, the trap must be smeared with manure or sprinkled with spruce broth, in addition, the installation of traps must be carried out with gloves: all this is necessary to rid the device of the smell of a person. This method does not give any guarantees: the ferret is an excellent spy and almost never walks the same path, so it is impossible to predict from which side it will appear next time.

If the ferret has already gotten into your chicken coop, then, sadly, the animal must be caught

Catching a ferret at the crime scene with bare hands is very dangerous, it must be done in thick cotton mittens. It is better to take an old padded jacket and throw it on the animal, and then try to grab it along with the sheepskin coat. The predator is very dodgy, so you are unlikely to succeed in this action. Do not forget that in dangerous moments these animals emit a terrible smell and also bite strongly. If this happened, then in order to open the jaws of the animal, you need to pinch his nose and insert a piece of wood between his teeth. In this case, he will open his mouth. Keep in mind that hunting ferrets is not only difficult, but also quite dangerous.

How to catch a weasel and a ferret homemade devices? Take a bucket or a suitable size box, substitute the stop, and put the bait inside. If the latter is of interest to the animal, then it will climb inside and knock down the stop, the box will fall, and the animal will be under it. I must say that such hunting for a ferret is not very effective. Firstly, the predator can ignore the bait, and secondly, if at the moment when he falls into the trap, there is no person nearby, the animal will sooner or later get out and sneak away. There are special live traps. In this case, the ferret will not suffer, however, if you simply release it, then it will come back to your chicken coop at night. Predators caught in live traps must be taken to the forest, away from the farm.

Animal scarers

You can try to get rid of the ferret in the chicken coop with the help of repellents. A small predator is extremely sensitive to different smells, so some farmers hang goat skins on the walls of the chicken coop, which have a sharp aroma and scare away the animal. You can put a dog house next to the chicken coop. She is unlikely to be able to catch a predator, but her smell can scare away an intruder. They say that the aroma of mastic is unpleasant for a night hunter, you can smear the walls of the chicken coop with it.

There are also electronic means to scare away night visitors. How to get rid of weasels and ferrets with the help of such devices is described in the instructions for their use.

Most often, electronic devices emit low-frequency signals that frighten the animal. There are also devices with a motion sensor, in this case, signals are emitted when the animal approaches.

Weasels have similar habits to a ferret, so the methods of hunting and scaring them are about the same, the fox is another matter. A fox in a chicken coop is also a big problem. However, you definitely won’t catch it with traps, and the only way to drive the beast away from the chicken coop can be a high fence, a chain-link mesh and electronic scarers. As far as dogs are concerned, red cheat small animals can bite and even kill, and with big dogs capable of engaging in an equal fight and it is not known which side will win.

Ferret trap (video)

ferret smell

Another problem that ferrets can cause to homeowners is scent. How to get rid of the smell of a ferret, which is very unpleasant and extremely corrosive. At the moment of fright or danger, the animal emits this terrible smell, which is absorbed into the boards of the chicken coop or other buildings on personal plot. In principle, after some time the smell will disappear, but if you need to get rid of it quickly, then it is recommended to use vinegar. Dilute the substance with water and spray on objects emitting a smell. You can not use bleach, it will only enhance the "aroma".

Another problem that ferrets can cause to homeowners is scent.

Ferrets and weasels are cunning and very smart animals, it is difficult to catch them, moreover, there is no guarantee that another one will not get into the chicken coop instead of the caught animal. Therefore, it is easier to prevent their occurrence. All the same electronic scarers, the correct construction of the chicken coop, high-quality fences under which it is impossible to dig under, and maintaining order in the territory can help with this. If there are no mountains of boards, boxes and other rubbish lying around the chicken coop, then the ferret will have nowhere to hide, and he will have to look for another place to hunt.

Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for forest predators such as weasels, martens, ferrets or foxes to encroach on your chickens. This is especially true for farms located near forest areas. What to do if such uninvited guests why do they do it? How to get rid of a ferret in a chicken coop? Today we will try to answer these and other questions related to the safety of your farm.

Who exactly can visit?

The most frequent guests in chicken coops are the ferret, weasel, marten and fox. These animals are very fond of eating chicken meat and often domestic chickens become easy prey for them. Especially if we are talking about young animals or chickens. Like any forest animal, all these animals are very cautious and rarely see a person. As a rule, we already see the result of their “activities”: feathers scattered around the chicken coop or plot, half-eaten carcasses of chickens.

Particularly frequent visits forest dwellers in autumn-winter period when it is more difficult for them to find food in vivo a habitat. They can even settle near human habitation: in sheds, garages, attics. Sometimes it even happens that weasels or martens can serve a person in good stead. The fact is that they are much better than domestic cats catching rats or mice. But, unfortunately, they are far from always limited only to this catch, and then a person has to fight with them.

Methods for getting rid of ferrets

Ferrets - on the one hand, the animals are very cute and cute. But, if they encroach on your farm and chickens, unfortunately, you will have to fight them. The most important thing you must do to avoid having to kill these animals is to strengthen your chicken coop and approaches to it. This is, in principle, the main protection against any wild animals, not only ferrets. Ferrets dig a lot, so if you install a double fence or dig it into the ground at least 50 cm, it can stop the animals on the way to your chicken coop.

Other methods of struggle are also used.

• Traps that are made from a regular box and bait (as an option, a piece of meat). The bait is attached to a plank, which should keep the entrance to the trap open, but after the animal gets to it, the door should slam shut. It is very good if you can quickly respond to a triggered trap, otherwise the animal will be able to find a way out of it. A captured ferret can be taken away from your property.
• Traps. Not a very humane method of protection, but many use it. Set traps directly near chicken coops or sheds. Traps are masked with leaves or branches.
• There is also such an old-fashioned way to protect your chickens - this is smearing the walls of the house with tar, it is believed that the animals are afraid of the smell of this substance.

Getting rid of weasel and marten

The methods of getting rid of weasels and martens are very similar to the methods of dealing with ferrets, since they all belong to the same family, they are called martens. Traps and traps are also used here. There is also information that bear fat is a very effective remedy. They say that by smearing a chicken coop with it, you can permanently get rid of uninvited guests from the forest. Whether this is actually so, we do not undertake to assert. But they say that weasels and martens are very afraid of dogs, so if you have a dog in your yard, you have nothing to be afraid of.

Many are very sorry to kill such cute animals as, say, weasel. This miniature weasel rarely weighs more than 100g and is fairly easy to tame, especially if you manage to catch more. little cub. Therefore, if you and your chickens still suffered from the tricks of these animals, we recommend using a live trap. It is done in the following way.

1. From boards up to 2 cm thick, a pipe is made 90 cm long, 14 cm wide and 18 cm high.
2. One end side is covered with a shutter window, which is inserted into the grooves of the slats nailed to the ends of the bottom and side walls.
3. We make the second end side beveled at an angle of 45 degrees, it will be covered by a free-falling door. The door is attached to the top bar with hinges.
4. On one third of the bottom of the door, a threshold is made up to 2 cm high, it will fix the constipation post.
5. Then a wooden beam is nailed to the upper side of our pipe, one end of which should reach the lower side, a constipation stand will be attached to it.
6. We fasten the lock-stand to the end of the nailed bar with the help of hinges, and it will recline with the help of a spring.
7. At a distance of 2-3 cm from the shutter window, we drive a bracket into the floor, a metal rod is inserted there, to which the bait will be tied.
8. A wire ring with a diameter of 1 cm is put on a rod protruding from under the bracket.
   A so-called alert thread will be tied to the ring. The thread must be strong enough.
9. The thread will be threaded through another bracket, which must be driven into the ceiling of the structure at a slightly greater distance from the shutter window than the first bracket was nailed. Next, the thread is pulled under the ceiling to the door.
10. The thread is fixed on the door raised to the bar, on the side of the nut.

When the animal pulls on the bait, it will thus pull the wire rod out of the bracket and release the ring to which the alert thread is attached. The door will slam shut and the animal will be trapped. Some craftsmen, in order to be able to safely remove the animal, attach a fine-mesh net connected like a net to the shutter window. Pulling the valve out of the slots, we release the animal into the net, without harming it in any way. If our instructions seem too long and confusing to you, we advise you to study the proposed drawing.

Live trap scheme

Methods for getting rid of a fox

The fox attacking your chickens is undoubtedly a larger predator than the previous animals considered. The danger also lies in the fact that wild foxes very often endure rabies. You can fight foxes in the ways repeatedly mentioned today: traps and traps. Fox traps are classified as follows:

• snare and loop traps;
• pinching traps;
• pressure traps: graze, dies, bags.

Some choose humane methods (live traps), and some do not stand on ceremony with uninvited guests, and then use their valuable skin for personal purposes. Poison is also used, but many simply get good hunting dogs, which are released from the aviary at night.

Precautionary measures

So that you do not have to think about how to get rid of forest predators and not make traps, we advise you to follow some recommendations. First, really, start good dog, he will protect you from thieves, and your chickens from other forest predators. Secondly, reinforce your chicken coop, check that there are no holes or crevices anywhere.

Flat stones or slabs can be placed around the walking area to prevent predators from digging. Keep your chickens' habitat and surrounding area clean. If there are empty boxes, boxes or barrels nearby, this will serve as an additional shelter for predators.

Video "Trap for small forest predators"

In the video below, you can see what one of the live trap options looks like for predatory guests from the forest. Be careful, very often your own pets and even chickens fall into such a trap!