How to prevent weasels when raising free-range chickens?

When raising free-range chickens , many farmers will look for a place with trees to provide shade in the summer. However, it is inevitable that weasels will come to steal the chickens. What worries many farmers is that weasels are one of China’s “three protected animals ” and individuals are strictly prohibited from hunting and killing them privately. So how can free-range chickens prevent weasels? Let’s take a look below.

1. Install protective fence

Install a sturdy fence around the breeding area. The fence should be at least 1.8 meters high and buried a certain depth underground to prevent weasels from digging holes underground. The material of the fence can be barbed wire or sturdy wooden boards.

2. Raise guard animals

You can raise some animals that have the ability to guard your house, such as geese. Geese are very alert and have loud voices. Once they discover an intruder such as a weasel, they will call loudly to warn them and may even actively attack the weasel. In addition, dogs are also a good choice. Trained dogs can guard the chickens well and act as a deterrent to weasels.

3. Use Traps

Set up some simple traps around the breeding area, such as traps made of iron cages or wooden boxes, and place some food that weasels like as bait. But you need to be careful to check the traps regularly to avoid accidentally harming other beneficial animals.

4. Lighting and sound equipment

Install sufficient lighting equipment in the breeding site to keep the site bright at night. Weasels usually like to move in dark environments, and strong light will have a certain deterrent effect on them. At the same time, you can install some devices that can make noise, such as speakers, and play some loud sounds at regular intervals to scare away the weasels.

5. Keep the environment clean

Regularly clean up debris and garbage in the breeding area to reduce hiding places for weasels. At the same time, clean up the remaining feed in time to avoid attracting weasels to come for food.

6. Use repellent

There are some repellents on the market specifically for animals such as weasels. They can be sprayed around the breeding area, and their special smell can keep weasels away.

7. Reinforce the chicken house

Make sure the doors and windows of the chicken coop are secure and have no gaps to prevent weasels from entering the coop and stealing chickens. Some obstacles, such as baffles, can be set up at the entrance of the chicken house.

That’s it