Egluntyne Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 I expect that you could scrunch up some chicken wire and bung it in those areas, rather than using something solid, which will interfere with ventilation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted June 30, 2010 Author Share Posted June 30, 2010 Good idea. I didn't want you to think that I am ignoring your advice - or that of Redwing. I am very grateful for it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted June 30, 2010 Share Posted June 30, 2010 Thanks meezers and tom. I had a look at the forum too, and it certainly sounds as if the most likely culprit is a mustelid - the head and internal organs were eaten on all my birds. My eglus are pushed up against a wall at the back, with bricks filling in the gaps at the sides, so hopefully nothing will be able to get in that way. However, if a mustelid can get in through a 1.5x1.5 inch gap, I am a bit worried about the ventilation holes at the front of the eglu.I didn't think about covering the poo tray gap on the cubes either, and will give that serious thought tomorrow. I will have to devise something with mesh to cover those options, unless anyone has any better ideas. That would be no problem for a weasel and a stoat could probably manage it too, but mink are quite a bit bigger (and voracious killers). It might be a good idea to find a permanent solution to securing the ventilation holes by fixing some weldmesh over them, a small mesh size obviously. I'd urge you to set some traps too as you really need to find the source of the problem so you know how to deal with it, before you lose all of your chickens. Stoats and weasels may possibly move on, but if you have rats, the population only goes one way without any form of control. I haven't personally experienced any losses to rats, but I sadly know of others who have, both chicks and fully grown birds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Since my last post, pest control have been and set traps and put down rat poison in the run, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we catch or kill the culprit(s). But in the meantime, the sad tale continues. Things had been fine until this morning, with the girls locked in to their respective eglus and cubes overnight, all ( or so I thought ) points of entry blocked with wire mesh. However, this morning when I went to let them out I found that something had bitten through 2 layers of eglu plastic to enlarge the hole in the nesting box - and this eglu is on a concrete floor so I stupidly thought it was safe - and had got in and killed and eviscerated one of the 4 bantams in there. The other 3, miraculously, seem to be unharmed. I am so depressed about the whole situation that I am seriously thinking of rehoming my girls and calling it a day. I have now put 2 layers of wire mesh underneath the eglu, plugged the hole with scrunched up wire mesh, put another layer of mesh inside the nesting box and hemcore on top. I have also built a low wall all round the eglu with bricks, and hope that this will be enough to keep the bantams safe. Does anyone have any other brilliant ideas please? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 How awful. It may well be something mink like. It is clearly not a problem between your chickens. What sort of traps have been put down? I wonder if it would be worth getting a larger fox or squirrel sized live capture trap and baiting it with meat to try trapping it. I know that they are quite small but they may be too wiley to go for a rat trap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 That's awful . Sounds like you're taking every possible precaution so something is certainly very determined . I'm so sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doody Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Since my last post, pest control have been and set traps and put down rat poison in the run, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that we catch or kill the culprit(s). But in the meantime, the sad tale continues. Things had been fine until this morning, with the girls locked in to their respective eglus and cubes overnight, all ( or so I thought ) points of entry blocked with wire mesh. However, this morning when I went to let them out I found that something had bitten through 2 layers of eglu plastic to enlarge the hole in the nesting box - and this eglu is on a concrete floor so I stupidly thought it was safe - and had got in and killed and eviscerated one of the 4 bantams in there. The other 3, miraculously, seem to be unharmed. I am so depressed about the whole situation that I am seriously thinking of rehoming my girls and calling it a day. I have now put 2 layers of wire mesh underneath the eglu, plugged the hole with scrunched up wire mesh, put another layer of mesh inside the nesting box and hemcore on top. I have also built a low wall all round the eglu with bricks, and hope that this will be enough to keep the bantams safe. Does anyone have any other brilliant ideas please? This maybe a crazy idea, but im unsure of your set up without seeing it. But obviously we need to find out what is doing this, big, small, animal etc. Can you lay sand around the coop? You could see footprints, direction the killer is coming from etc. Make sure you firm it down so its smooth like a piece of paper and hopefully you would be able to see prints of what this animal is etc? Only other way would be a camera, or stay up through the night and see if you can see it for yourself.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 2 types of trap have been put down - one rat trap, baited with sardines, and one larger trap which has been baited with meat. As you say Chucky Mama, thankfully it is not a problem between the chickens, and hopefully we will trap whatever it is sooner or later. The pest control guy couldn't rule out a rat as the culprit, which really surprised me as 3 of the victims have been large healthy chooks and I had not realised that a rat would go for something so big. He suggested taking the girls out of the run and letting them free range all the time , which I could do as we have got enough space outside, but there are plenty of foxes and birds of prey around here too so I'm not sure that they would be much better off! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tara.F Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Hi, sorry you're having such an awful time! I got an excellent tip from a rentokill man. It's mainly for rats but I bet it applies to mink and such too. He said that rats can chew through pretty much anything, even concrete so no matter how the hard the barrier, if they really want to they can get through. So, he suggested trying a different tack. Rats (and I suspect mink, weasels, ferrets and stoats) have very sensitive noses. The absolutely most irritating thing to sensitive noses is wire wool. Your good old fashioned brillo pad stuff! We had a real bad rat problem where I used to live, sandwiched between the river Thames and a railway. No poison, traps, barriers had ever helped. We had been advised to keep our loo seat (on the second floor!) weighted down with bricks! We stuffed every cavity with wire wool (which incidently still lets air through) and guess what? We never saw a rat again. I bet it would work for whatever is killing your birds. And it's so cheap it's just got to be worth a try! good luck, Tara. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 How awful for you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Sorry to hear that the trouble continues. Very upsetting for you. Am impressed with the wire wool idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meezers Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Sorry to hear this is still an ongoing problem, especially as you've tried everything to prevent it. Can't imagine you're frustration. I was also going to suggest trying to get paw prints or tracks so you'd know what you are dealing with. I wonder if flour sprinkled over a concrete floor or large sheet of cardboard would show you what you are up against ? Or what about dogs ? I'm not sure if a musteloid would attack a dog - you'd have to ask an expert, but if they wouldn't be in danger ,maybe you could shut a couple of proven 'hunting ' dogs in the stable for a few nights ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweety Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Thank you all for your suggestions. The wire wool idea sounds great, and I will go and get some in the morning. The sand/flour idea is brilliant too, and I must admit that I had considered the dog option as a last resort myself. At least I feel that I have now got something to work with if the traps and poison don't do the trick, so am really very grateful for your help everyone. Don't feel quite as depressed as I did.Will keep you posted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Oh goodness I'm really sorry you are still having a bad time of it, I've run out of suggestions I'm afraid but do hope that you get the problem sorted out soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 The pest control guy couldn't rule out a rat as the culprit, which really surprised me as 3 of the victims have been large healthy chooks and I had not realised that a rat would go for something so big. You'd be suprised, I worked somewhere where pigeons were being taken (a rescue centre). Someone sat up all night to find the culprit - a hedgehog Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 OMG you poor thing! I still say it's rats, particularly if three of your bantams were left unharmed. Good luck with sorting the culprits, whatever they are. I shall remember the wire wool trick for the future, thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
