Weasel – Trapped!

  • Post published:02/28/2011
  • Post comments:8 Comments

Saturday morning I substituted for our wonderful Assistant Librarian, Lyra, who is on maternity leave and tending lusty young Jupiter. Needless to say the three chickens I had lost to a weasel during the week was a topic of conversation with library patrons. I said we put out a rat trap and a Havahart, but did not think that peanut butter was the kind of bait to attract a weasel. Everyone agreed that peanut butter did not sound like weasel food – and one knowledgeable patron confidently suggested liver.

When I got home I learned that another chicken had been killed. The traps were empty. Liver was our next strategy.  We found frozen liver at the supermarket and briefly balked at the $3.50 price tag. If successful we were only going to use an ounce or two; if unsuccessful we were going to give the chickens away and save them from certain death.  Finally we did toss the beef liver into our basket.

Sunday morning Henry gritted his teeth and tromped out to the hen house through more inches of new fallen snow.

He came back in the house and made me scream; the weasel had been seduced by the bloody liver. I will say no more about the weasel’s fate.

This Post Has 8 Comments

  1. Lisa at Greenbow

    You wouldn’t think a cute little animal like that would be large enough to cause such havoc. I am glad he has been sent on to the great hen house in the sky.

  2. Pat

    Lisa – It was such a relief to trek out to the henhouse this morning and not expecting more carnage.

  3. janice

    I would still put the trap out for a few more days. Rodents are a communal creature.

  4. Layanee

    Well, his fate started as a weasel and ended the same. I am happy to hear your chickens are safe.

  5. Mary Schier

    Critter trapping is so much fun! I think Janice is right, though. If there is one, there’s usually more.

  6. Paula B

    Does weasel taste like chicken?

  7. Pat

    So many people have buttonholed me on the street about my weasel I was inspired to do a little research. It turns out that weasels are not, strictly speaking, rodents. They are of the genus Mustela of the Mustelidae family. They are territorial and live alone except for mating season in midsummer. Amazingly the young, who weigh 3 grams at birth, are not born until late May or June. In two months they can kill prey on their own and soon live independently. I found no research that says they taste like chicken. lol

  8. Carolflowerhill

    Oh! I would have welcomed your weasel here Pat!! If you catch anymore may I please have them. They will help me with the rabbits! Weasels are very helpful wildlife in controlling voles, mice and rabbits! Not great for domesticated chickens I can see that too.

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