What pest is that?

[Mellish 0]

Something smalll killed four of my 2 month old guinea fowl one night last week. The cage was, I thought, well protected with small guage chicken wire (1cm) in a converted stable. All had the back of their neck bitten into, to suck out the blood, no body parts removed. I assumed a weasel, but none of my other full grown chickens or ducks has been struck. Looking down the sides of the wall with a torch, I spotted a rat with a hole leading outside, and a further body at the entrance of its hole. So, either it was the rat - or it was weasel using the rat hole. Any views on the back of neck killing method - rat or weasel? Usually rats eat baby chickens right next to the mother in the dark, half a chick or so. I've only seen the back of the neck kill once before a year or two back, when the back of the head of the victim was also bald - which is is weasel consistent. That time the small chickens were killed one night after another. However, I would've thought a weasel would take grown chickens as well, and so far none have gone.

Edited November 4, 2008 by Mellish

[Guest little_lloyd]

Rat would not be using the same hole as a weasel. IMO.

[SMOGGY 34]

Definetly not a rat, as they don't go for the back of the neck.

 

It would be either stoat or weasel, if only the small have been killed, i would say weasel. One things for sure they'll be back, once they know there's food there.

 

As for stoats and weasels using rat tunnels they definetly will, Ok they won't want to fight then but will use their tunnels

 

atb

 

smoggy

[Big bald beautiful 1,231]

stoat

[Guest little_lloyd]

Its a stoat then i would say,, I came across a few pheasant poults earleir in the year with injuries like this and it was the work of a stoat.

[Netter 0]

I'd say stoat.

[Mellish 0]

I'd say stoat.

 

Looks like I better get me a stoat trap. I'm gutting some pheasants in the next few days, so a liver or two might be good bait.

 

Thanks guys.

Edited November 4, 2008 by Mellish

[murraywatt 0]

if the stoat kills again, set a fenn trap at thr back of the dead birds neck and cover it with feathers straw etc so it is hidden, obvoisly youd need to do it inside the cage so nothing else can get into it and keep the rest of your chickens away

[Matt 160]

Stoat.

 

No doubt at all.

[Guest blackntan]

VAMPIRE BAT

[rabbit tourmentor 29]

just remember a rat can sqeuze through a size mesh as my finger nail ive got photo evidence if needed lol

[John Keswick 119]

As for stoats and weasels using rat tunnels they definetly will, Ok they won't want to fight then but will use their tunnels

 

atb

 

smoggy

 

I wouldnt be so sure of that, i have witnessed a stoat pursue and catch a fully grown rat, and in a flash picked it up and proceeded on its merry way...

[BBB 7]

stoat's and weasel's use rat run's regulary. i have seen a weasel kill and drag away an adult rat. despite there small size. weasel's are nasty little feckers. and will take on and kill prey much larger than themselves..

[Mellish 0]

stoat's and weasel's use rat run's regulary. i have seen a weasel kill and drag away an adult rat. despite there small size. weasel's are nasty little feckers. and will take on and kill prey much larger than themselves..

 

Yes, I'd heard that they'd clear out a chicken house one by one, but so far none of the big birds have been attacked. I've got an old wildlife book from near the beginning of the 20th century which has a black and white photo of a weasel chewing on a rabbit, which the author said he saw chased down in a field and killed. The author also says he'd seen weasels kill rats easily. Not many people though will use a ferret to get rid of rats, but the author reckons the one good thing about having weasels move in was that all the rats and mice disappeared. Not many of them about these days I guess, so hard to say from experience.

 

Anyone ever seen a shrew??

[BBB 7]

i used to ferret rat's years ago. and it takes a certain type of ferret to work rat's consistently . i have seen many ferrets after taking a beating of rats . refuse to enter on em again . one reason people dont use ferrets for ratting is the ferrets dont usually last that long. gangreen from rat bites genrally ensures most ferrets dont have a long carreer in ratting.