Have I introduced you all to my wabbit, Mustang Sally?
When I left the DNV shelter I took Sally with me. She’s a great big “meat” rabbit, a New Zealand White. She doesn’t like other rabbits, and she doesn’t like being a house rabbit either, plus she is a ‘boring’ white bunny with red eyes, so I knew she would never get adopted. And I like Sally, as far as bunnies go … she hurls her food dish in my direction when her pellets are all gone, which makes me laugh. So I rearranged the pullet pen and made it bunny friendly, and Sally enjoys hanging out in her outdoor pen, where the WooTWoo cannot grab her by her plush white fur (not for lack of trying).
This morning I was sitting at the computer wasting some time when I heard the most doG awful squealing noises coming from outside. I ran to the sliding door to see what the heck was going on when I saw Sally rocketing around her pen like a pinball on crack, being pursued by what looked like the world’s smallest, pointiest cat.
Weasel. Frickin’ WEASEL!
I ran outside in my socks and jammies, picked up a nearby stick, leapt into the pen and began thrashing the weasel. I am not ashamed or afraid to tell you that I was hoping I would beat the little bastard to death, but he got away from me :(
Poor Sally was more than a little frightened, and missing some fur, but after a cuddle and some fresh snap peas from the garden, she calmed down and hopped back into her home.
Weasels are a menace. I try to live in relative harmony with the wildlife around these parts. Just yesterday on the way home I caught an injured baby Chukar on the side my road and brought it into work today for Wildlife Rescue to pick up and rehab. I use the organic / environmentally friendly method of either a) The WooTWoo or b) flinging tennis balls to deter chicken-hypnotized coyotes. But weasels are a whole other ball of nasty kill-for-fun wax. They can decimate an entire hen house in a single visit, and can kill a rabbit 10 times their size. They are fearless, ferocious little predators and now that I’ve got one, it’s got to go by Any Means Necessary.
Yeah it does.
Later this afternoon whilst cleaning the hen house, I discovered that Killer Bastard Weasel has already begun his reign of terror in my yard. He killed one of my blue egg laying chickens, one of the ones with the twisted feet that is unable to roost, so he probably pulled her right out of a nest box whilst she was sleeping :( I found her under the hen house with her neck and chest stripped right down to the bone.
Alison says
I hear they’re allowing spectators this year, so I might get to see Tweed being awesome! Good luck with Nationals, and my condolences on the untimely death of your chicken. We used to have a little locking door on the hen house and would “put them to bed” every night with the door locked shut – if you’re not already doing that it’s something to consider. Mind you, weasels are kind of like vampires when it comes to getting into hen houses – they can get through impossibly small spaces.
Adrienne says
What does “double drop” refer to?
And how does one get rid of a weasel, short of trapping it?
Katharine Swan says
Poor chicken! And poor Sally! (But also kudos to Sally for holding out until you could rescue her!)
Any plans for protecting the chickens and Sally while you are gone? Because it sounds like this weasel may take advantage of the dog-free residence to clear out the hen house (and rabbit house).
Shasta says
Weasel. Must. Die. I am indignant on Sally’s behalf, and I don’t even like rabbits. :)
Good luck at Regionals, Tweed!! We’re rooting for you down here in Texas.
Abigail says
Does Sally have a tattoo in her ear?
Julia says
Ugh! Weasels are a HUGE PitA if you have livestock! If you don’t know somebody who’s a good shot, get a Have-a-Heart trap and snare the thing, then take it somewhere to be euthanized. (This can also involve someone with a rifle who can take a good, clean shot.) You should also see what’s necessary to weasel-proof your chickens. Don’t know for sure if that’s possible, but I know that one CAN raccoon-proof poultry pens, so it seems like weasel-proofing would be much the same, just with smaller gaps. :)
Good luck! (Both with the weasel AND at Nationals!)
Leila says
I SOOO feel your pain. Growing up, we had a small farm. We had gotten a new batch of Rhode Island Reds chicks. They were about 2 mouths old when the evil, horrible, monsterous weasal left us with a scene from a slasher flick. The worst part. When we discovered it in the morning, the little monster was returning for a morning snack. We referred, forever more, to the incident as the ‘Night of the Weasel’.
I’m sorry for your invasion and loss.
Good luck at Nationals.
Stephanie says
Yay – Good luck! Go Tweed!!!
Sorry about your chicken! It sucks that every critter in the world seems to find chickens as delicious as we do!
Kim says
An electric fence is the way to go. Place several wires low, a few inches apart, along your fenceline on the outside…the bottom and top wires should be “hot” and every other wire should be grounded. Any critter that sticks it’s head, or paw, between the 2 wires will get a nasty shock. If set up properly, it will deter 99.9% of all wildlife (coyotes, weasels, raccoons, skunks, WooTwoo…) that are interested in your chickens and/or Sally. Professionally, I teach people (for free) how to they can use electric fencing (creatively, not expensively) to keep wildlife from killing their animals…I’d be more than happy to help you out too :)
And, GO TWEED at Nationals!!
um, mystery woman. says
Hurray Sally! I’m so happy to see her (in more ways than one!). If not the weasel I was worried she might eventually look like a fantastic roast, to someone (four legged or two!?).
LOVE the Rooster photo… up close they are pretty awesome looking.
Best of luck with Teed at Nationals, enjoy!!!
Ann says
I like Kim’s idea of the electric fence, if you can keep the weeds from shorting it out. My advice short term is the Hav-a-Hart trap, baited with a fish.
Clairesmum says
Geez, hoping you can eliminate that weasel before you leave for Nationals! And hoping you and Tweed have some elegant runs (or elegant parts of runs) so that everyone can see Tweed’s wonderful ness before he graciously steps aside to allow others the chance to follow in his paw prints.
Laura in California says
Good luck at Nationals, what a wonderful way for Tweed to retire! I also have an angry, albino female bun that nobody would adopt so I took her. Maybe we could team them up and the could stare that little bastard down :-)
Kathy H says
Why doesn’t your evil little dog get the weasel’s? No weasel or rodent dare enter my yard or they are lunch, My dogs would dig a tunnel under that building where Mr Weasel’s bedroom is and serve him an eviction notice. They even fight off the skunks without getting sprayed themselves. Once, was all it took to convince them not to get sprayed again..