Rhoderunner Posted August 28, 2009 Share Posted August 28, 2009 Have just got back from a few days away to hear that a creature was spotted in our garden scaring the chickens. Neighbours described it as either a ferret or a mink or a pole-cat... chickens were terrified, but locked into the eglu run and not attacked. However when I'm home, they free range all day. Should I be keeping them locked in? Will the mystery creature return? And will it attack my chickens? Any advice gratefully received... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlecrow Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 It might be just a night creature, in which case your girls would be safe .. if you do let them out, watch them, stay in the garden if you can. it could be after the eggs or any food thats left out. if you are really worried maybe a cctv set up for a few nights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 I'm not convinced that ferrets, weasels, stoats etc don't come out at night, tbh. I would up your security until you know for sure what you are up against, and make sure that the area in the Eglu at the back, where the tray sits, is blocked so that nothing can get in to the Eglu itself over the top of the tray. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 Hello, I don't have chickens yet but I have been an owner of ferrets for about 8 years now, so I may be able to shed some light. Ferrets and polecats are similar, if not the same animal in different colours. They will tend to be most active around dawn & dusk, and I expect a mink would be the same. If it's around during the daytime it is possibly a lost pet, especially if it approaches humans. Offer cat/dog/meaty food & water. Ferrets used for rabbiting are supposed to flush the rabbits out of the warren - not to catch them, and should have been fed regularly so have had less practice catching their own dinner. As far as I know a mink is either a pet or for fur, although I have heard stories of escapes from fur farms and subsequent survival in the wild. Weasels are much smaller animals (think squirrel/rat sized) but are very strong and tenacious with very strong jaws. Tend not to be pets. As far as chickens vs ferret: Confined in the run, I should think a flock would be able to see off a solitary animal if they work together, if they panic you would probably lose one - but only one as that's enough for several meals and it's difficult to carry away more. (unlike fox thinking) Free range chickens could escape one ferret so long as she can jump & perch high enough. An animal accustomed to fending for itself may steal eggs for food, but I couldn't see a pet ferret doing this. Hope this helps, and that your chooks are safe. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPoule Posted August 29, 2009 Share Posted August 29, 2009 I have also kept ferrets for a number of years, and don't think that chickens would stand too much of a chance against one - sorry - this was not what you wanted to hear Mind you, it depends on the ferret. I have had the chickens in the house sometimes, usually because they were being washed in the bathroom; the ferrets were safely locked away at the time. Afterwards, Bingley (ferret) wandered round with a demented look on his face - he could smell that the chickens had been there, and was practically drooling, and when a stray feather got stuck to his nose, he became so excited that he didn't know what to do with himself! I wouldn't have given any animal much odds against him in that state! Pringle, on the other hand, was found living wild in the woods and was on the point of starvation - clearly, his hunting instincts had deserted him! When he was found he ate so much, that he became too fat to get up and down the stairs! I would defintely follow Egluntine's suggestion, and beef up security. Mustelids (latin family name for weasels, ferrets, stoats, badgers etc.) tend to be small, and they dig well. However, it might just be a lost ferret, and hopefully rescued and returned home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhoderunner Posted August 29, 2009 Author Share Posted August 29, 2009 Thank you all so much for the advice and details of all the different possibilities. All my chickens have been happily free-ranging the last few days with no sightings of the mystery creature. I suspect and hope it was someone's pet ferret that had temporarily escaped and is now home again. Fingers crossed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmasonry Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 We're really enjoying our new chickens. Having had our eglu for 3 weeks and no trouble so far, we were disturbed to find signs of digging into the run on Saturday. The digging was 2 small tunnels between the edge of the buried plastic skirt retaining our rubber chippings and the edge of the run. The tunnels were about 50 mm across and we assumed it was probably rodents trying to get at spilled pellets. Spent several hours Sunday putting fine mesh chicken wire under the eglu run skirt and extended/ buried over the far side of the plastic skirt. This morning found evidence of more digging inside the run but not via the skirts so presumably through the bars of the run. More disturbing were small droppings (definitely not rodent) about 5mm (quarter inch)dia and 10-15mm (half inch long) light brown in colour outside the run (sorry for the graphic description). We live in semi-rural location. Could this be weasel/ stoat? Can they get through the Eglu run bars? Could they be cat droppings from a moggie hunting whatever is digging in the run at night? Any advice please? Blodwyn - now laying - 8 eggs in 9 days Gladys - not laying yet but the adventurous one - Ira (cuckoo maran) not laying yet and a bit of a bully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 There have been one or two incidents of " something" getting in through the hole in the nesting box underneath the eglu or cube. I should make sure these are blocked off as well. It's getting to that time of year when its colder, darker and food becoming less plentiful so I guess we all need to be vigilent. Roll on spring! Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmasonry Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Tricia Thanks for your message. We'll plug that hole as well. Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPoule Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Have you Googled to see if you can find anything similar for identification? Weasel droppings Stoat droppings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaPoule Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 I have also found this website for comparison purposes. I have posted a photo of Bingley, my ferret, inside the eglu (no chickens were anywhere in the vicinity when this was taken ), so that you can get an idea of scale. When comparing the ferret on this site with the weasel, I can easily imagine that they could get at chickens via the holes in the nesting box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 ooher..... must bung them up! But he is a handsome chap! Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillH Posted November 9, 2009 Share Posted November 9, 2009 Rhoderunner, I wonder if it was a mink. Do you by any chance have a river, stream or lake nearby? I've seen a mink a couple of times during the day in parkland with a river and lake near where I live. This particular mink had very dark coloured fur, almost black. There used to be a large duck population there a few years ago, but in the last few years it has decreased significantly; I rather suspect mink are the culprit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldmasonry Posted November 10, 2009 Share Posted November 10, 2009 Thank you all for your advice and links. The drain hole now has a 'cigar' of chicken wire in it. However that hole is smaller than the gaps in the Eglu run bars and stoats and weasels aren't just nocturnal hunters apparently, so...... Our son, who knows more about these things has set up a couple of Fenn traps in wooden tunnels along the base of a wall and judging by the diameter of the droppings it is probably a stoat. As they're supposed to be solitary, hopefully if we get this one our problem will be solved...for now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
