Unfortunately, many poultry owners have faced the problem of an empty chicken coop at least once in their lives. The signs are the same: sucked blood, severed heads and bitten off paws. This is the work of a ferret. At first glance, this is a funny animal with a cute and pretty muzzle. But behind this mask lies a dangerous predator. He considers it a matter of honor to destroy all the birds in the area.
At the first sign of the appearance of this animal, you must immediately begin to fight it. By taking all the appropriate measures, you can prevent a series of further victims. So how do you get rid of a ferret? Poultry farmers offer many options for dealing with this animal. They use both homemade traps and hunting traps. In addition, there are many other methods of dealing with this predator.
Features of a predator
Probably every farmer who breeds poultry has at least once encountered the problem of night robberies. The behavior of this predator is always the same: he will not calm down untilexterminate all the birds in the chicken coop to the last. Therefore, if at least once a ferret has been a guest in a poultry house, remember that he will definitely return.
Do you have a wide variety of birds on your farm? Intoxicated with so many potential victims, a ferret can even attack a goose. He is unlikely to be able to carry such a heavy trophy into the forest, so he often leaves half-eaten carcasses in the chicken coop.
Ferret is a small animal. The trunk can reach 45 cm in length. But this does not prevent him from limeing a huge amount of poultry in almost one run. 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 take care of the safety of poultry in advance and think over all the options for protecting them from the visits of weasels and ferrets. But if they appear, you must immediately find a way to get rid of the ferret.
How does the animal work?
How does a ferret attack? This cute animal is quite aggressive. He imperceptibly sneaks up to the victim, jumps sharply and strangles her with his paws. After the ferret regales on the trophy. As a dessert, the predator prefers small chickens. But the bulk of his diet is chicken.
The style of a ferret's behavior is described by the proverb: "If I don't eat, I'll bite." His greed sometimes reaches the point of absurdity. Indeed, after the visit of the ferret, you can find many birds dead, but not eaten. Having attacked a bird, the ferret does not touch its head. He gnawsbird's throat. Soft tissues decompose quickly. It is impossible to use such a bird for food after the visit of the ferret. To know exactly how to get rid of a ferret, you need to know all the signs of the appearance of this uninvited guest.
Signs of a ferret
This predator is active at night. You can catch him red-handed only early in the morning or at night. The presence of an outsider in the chicken coop can be indicated by the behavior of the bird, if it survived. If, when you enter the chicken coop, the birds do not leave their perches, then you can be sure that a guest came to them at night. Therefore, you should immediately think about taking some measures to protect your pets.
After sneaking into the chicken coop and killing at least one chicken, the ferret considers the entire nursery to be property. From this moment on, all living creatures are considered a strategic reserve for the future for the animal. Of course, you can replace a dead bird, but other birds are in great danger. Therefore, everything must be done in order to decide how to get rid of the ferret forever. After all, this thief will definitely find a way to cope with the new number of birds.
How to get rid of a ferret in a chicken coop?
The ferret is nocturnal, so you can try to watch for him at this time of day. But this animal is quite agile and dexterous. It is almost impossible to catch him alone. In addition, you should worry not only about the safety of the bird, but also about your own. After all, defending itself, this predator can attack a person.
Want to catch a ferret yourself? Then you need to act according to this scheme:
- When a ferret is seen, a heavy cloak or coat is thrown over it.
- The animal is quickly wrapped in cloth and placed in a pre-prepared cage.
It is necessary to get the animal out of the cage with thick gloves so that it does not bite through the tissue and human skin. The predator must be held tight. If a dexterous predator has bitten you, you need to pinch the nose of the animal, while inserting a small wooden stick between the teeth. Scrolling it will open the ferret's jaw, freeing your hand.
What to do next?
How to get rid of a ferret in a chicken coop if it is already caught? As soon as the thief got into the cage, his fate directly depends on the will of the farmer. But remember that during a fright, a rather unpleasant smell emanates from the animal. The stench is exuded by the anal glands of the animal. How to get rid of the ferret smell in this case? It is necessary to wash your hands well with soap and water, you can add a few drops of essential oil to the water. Fortunately, this strong odor dissipates quickly.
When choosing what to do next with the animal, remember that the animal acts according to its nature. There is no malicious intent in the ferret's act. Therefore, before harming an animal in a fit of rage, you should think carefully about your act.
How to get rid of a ferret in a chicken coop? You can try to tame a ferret. You can keep him as a pet in a cage. But many preferuse a more humane way - the animal just needs to be taken out a few kilometers from your place of residence.
This method of catching the animal is not very reliable, because it is quite difficult to cope with a dexterous ferret on your own. In addition, you can be scratched and bitten. Therefore, it is better to resort to a safer method, using a live trap or trap.
Catch trap
Many do not know how to get rid of a ferret at home. Experienced farmers recommend using traps. This method is effective, repeatedly tested in practice. At the first alarm bells, it is necessary to correctly place hunting traps. But remember that a small, nimble predator is quite cautious. In addition, he has a good sense of smell. Therefore, the trap must be treated with a special solution that will well erase the smell of human presence.
Trap can be coated:
- manure;
- slaked lime;
- dried lizard skin;
- can be boiled in spruce needles.
After processing the trap, it can only be handled with gloves. Before setting the trap, it is necessary to examine the area well. If the animal settled in a hole next to the poultry house, the trap must be placed at the entrance to the tunnel. The trap can be camouflaged with a bunch of bird feathers. This inquisitive predator will definitely want to explore such a place.
Using a trap
Experienced farmers recommend purchasing 2 traps. When choosing a model, it is recommended to pay attention to a sensitively tuned gatehouse. Suchthe model will definitely work efficiently, and you can quickly catch the attacker. How to get rid of a ferret in a barn with a trap?
The first trap must be placed directly at the entrance to the structure. It is recommended to use a bird strangled by a ferret earlier. It is hung on a hook at a distance of 10-20 cm from the floor above the trap. The trap should be set in the evening, when the bird is settled in its place, calm.
Many summer residents complain that the ferret does not hesitate to visit residential buildings. How to get rid of a ferret in the house? The principle can be the same - setting a trap under the door. In this case, a previously killed bird can be hung on a doorknob. The second trap must be placed at the entrance to the mink. For greater persuasiveness, you can treat the body of a dead bird with poison or sleeping drugs.
In the early morning you need to look through the traps. If the animal did not come to visit that night, the traps can be left until the next time. Acquired live traps will allow you to catch a live animal. Remember that pets can also fall into traps. Therefore, take care of the safety of domestic cats and dogs.
Repellers
Today in specialized stores you can buy modern devices that can scare away predators. They can be:
- light and sound;
- ultrasonic.
Light-sound repellers create sound noise when an animal approaches and blink. They are equipped with motion sensors. The instrument starts atthe moment when a warm-blooded creature appears in its radius of action. At the same time, an infrared sensor is immediately triggered, which provokes the generation of light and sound, which scare away the predator.
The device is compact in size, can operate both from batteries and from the mains. Some models may also include an ultrasound generator. Ultrasonic devices make low-frequency sounds that scare away animals. Therefore, the predator will not come close to the place where the apparatus is installed. In addition to ferrets, such a device acts on mice, rats and moles. There is a wide variety of models. Such a device is safe for pets (except hamsters and decorative rats) and people. It works both from batteries and from the mains.
Pets can help too
How to get rid of ferrets in the country? Pets - cats and dogs can help you with this. Directly at the entrance to the barn, you can place a booth with a dog. The dog can also be tethered in the vicinity of the ferret hole. But remember that in this case you can not use poison in the fight against a predator. After all, it can be quite dangerous for your pet. It is rare that a dog can catch a cunning ferret, but it is quite capable of frightening it with its presence or smell. In addition, you can understand that at night uninvited guests come to your barn. A cat will also help scare away a ferret. It can be run into a chicken coop. But remember that a pet can be harmed by a ferret's sharp teeth.
Folk methods
Many summer residents are interested in how to get rid of a ferret in the attic at home. After all, often these animals try to settle on a roof that is secluded and protected from wind and rain. In this case, you can use folk methods to scare away ferrets. Both in the attic and in the chicken coop, you can hang goat skins. They have a specific smell, which scares off these cute predators. In the poultry house, you can coat the walls with tar. Ferrets can't stand this smell either. Therefore, the animal will definitely not climb into such a room, even for prey.
You can set up a few simple traps: just set a large pot on a support, for example. The bait is placed inside. As soon as the ferret gets close to the treat, it will hook on the support and the container will cover it.
How to prevent the appearance of a predator in your lands?
Don't want to fight the cunning ferret? Its appearance in its lands can be prevented. It is enough to follow a number of recommendations:
- The animal most often gets inside the house with the help of a tunnel. Therefore, it is recommended to pour a reliable concrete floor. It is also possible to construct a wooden covering covered with metal.
- Make sure that there are no gaps in the walls, doors, roof in the building. The roof must be reliable.
- If there is a ventilation system, it is imperative to install a mesh that will prevent predators from entering the room.
- No way to make a strong floor? Fence the house with fine mesh, which must be dug 0.5 m into the ground.
- Keep the area clean. Dump of old branches, garbage heaps attract ferrets.
If you follow these rules, you may not have to learn how to get rid of ferrets in a private home. The main thing is to prevent the penetration of this cunning animal into your possessions.
Conclusion
At first glance, a ferret is a fluffy and cute animal. But it can cause irreparable damage to farmers, ruining chicken coops and destroying poultry. Therefore, before you get a farm, worry about equipping a quality facility for their living. You can also place a dog house next to the chicken coop. If suddenly the animal began to climb into your yard, immediately declare war on it. Use all the above methods to keep your household safe from this intruder.
