Weasel!

samssimonsays

Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres
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Last night while out walking the property with the goats I was about 100 ft from the rabbit barn when I spotted a weasel under the semi trailer we have with junk and rough cut lumber piled under it from the previous owner... This put me into a panic as I have baby bunnies in the barn and a lot of show rabbits. I get attached to my rabbits and I have had a lot of bad luck with everything BUT predators! :hit How can I catch the thing to make sure that my rabbits are safe!

:fl I put the 4 litters into my show carriers that have 1x1 wire for the sides and tops in hopes that it keeps them safe but I just have this sinking feeling that I am going to be suffering a big loss shortly as weasels are a ticking time bomb with rabbits. I also have had the dogs out patrolling and getting their scent all around the barn a lot more, walked them over to the trailer where it was seen and so on. But when I saw it, it actually wasn't afraid of me or the goats. It didn't run but kept popping up behind or under things closer to us. :rant
 

Bunnylady

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Frankly, I think you are better off concentrating on making sure your animals are in predator-proof quarters, rather than in trying to get rid of a single predator. Anything a weasel can get into, a snake can too; snakes will kill things that are too big for them to swallow. Of course, I have had many losses to snakes over the years (birds as well as rabbits), and only one suspected weasel attack, so I'm a bit more concerned about the snakes! (And dogs. Dear Heavens, don't get me started on dogs!):barnie

I have live-trapped several raccoons on our place, but it hasn't made a bit of difference. I may have gotten one raccoon out of my hair, but there are always plenty more waiting to exploit the gap created by taking that one out. And then there's the problem of what to do with the predator once you catch it - there are laws against relocating them (rabies concerns). Unless you have the means and the will to kill it once you catch it, perhaps concentrating on keeping the predator out would be a more profitable use of your time and energy.:idunno
 

samssimonsays

Milo & Me Hoppy Tail Acres
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Frankly, I think you are better off concentrating on making sure your animals are in predator-proof quarters, rather than in trying to get rid of a single predator. Anything a weasel can get into, a snake can too; snakes will kill things that are too big for them to swallow. Of course, I have had many losses to snakes over the years (birds as well as rabbits), and only one suspected weasel attack, so I'm a bit more concerned about the snakes! (And dogs. Dear Heavens, don't get me started on dogs!):barnie

I have live-trapped several raccoons on our place, but it hasn't made a bit of difference. I may have gotten one raccoon out of my hair, but there are always plenty more waiting to exploit the gap created by taking that one out. And then there's the problem of what to do with the predator once you catch it - there are laws against relocating them (rabies concerns). Unless you have the means and the will to kill it once you catch it, perhaps concentrating on keeping the predator out would be a more profitable use of your time and energy.:idunno

We actually do not have snakes as predators here... it seems to bee too cold of an environment for them. But my rabbits are in a barn and since anything a mouse can got into a weasel can too it is worrisome for me because over the winter we did have a few mice move in due to the lack of snow we had for them to burrow beneath to keep warm. So far all is ok and I do bring the dogs out to keep their scent in and around the barn often along with having all of my littles locked in 1x1 wire walled carriers in hopes that would be too small for one to squeeze into. But with 2x1" wire making up the majority of my cages for my French lops I know a weasel could get in not to mention they will bite their feet and drain them of blood from the bottom and/or they will break their backs trying to get away (I have open bottom cages as they are meant for the droppings to go to the floor and or slanted pans that bring them to the floor for ease of shoveling. My building is predator proof where larger things are concerned but Not rodents or anything that can contort as such. The only way to fix my barn to make sure nothing can get in is to demo it and start over, since we just bought the house and the house itself needs some TLC it is not in a budget to do so as of now.
 

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