[arthur cooke]

Hi guys,I'm going to start keeping chicken next year as this is when I move to living full time in Italy. I live in the Ligurin mountains, a friend on another mountain has given up keeping her hens because either a stoat or a weasel keeps killing them. Any suggestions on how to keep them away.
cheers Arthur.

[jack russell]

no first hand knowledge but i would suspect a fully enclosed set up would be required i would use weld mesh, bury it aprrox 18" I would also have it on the run floor  stopping them altogether.  It is a real extreme but if you want them alive do everything you can before you get them to ensure their future well being

If you want i can come over and be their security guard,  just meagre accommodation is required

[too many girls]

no idea about the stoats, just wondered if you get Italian chickens will you need to speak Italian to them? i mean when you say "get yourselves to bed" they may not understand  :roll:

[arthur cooke]

No, what worries me is if they speak Italian to me.
cheers Arthur

[Jellyhead]

Have you got doggies Arty, we have 5 dogs n loads of cats, I am sure they keep most orriblies away and other than that cant you just put rat poison down :?:

[arthur cooke]

Hi Jelly,we have a shelty,if a leaf russels, she's gone.There are about 16 semi ferral cats and kittens in our village.Would a cat take on a stoat?
cheers Arthur

[Jellyhead]

oooh how exciting, my hubbies cousin has a place in Italy, however, not had experience personally of the cat X stoat thing :? I do think tho that just the smell of the jellybelly shelty will help keep other things away. But I would ask what other chook keepers in the area do  

[muntjac]

order some fen traps and put them in tunnels made from planking around the coops and hedges check daily and dispose of any caught ,, werks for rats etc and they are legal
just search for stoats on the site    
http://www.molemann.co.uk/

 this should sort the problem out

[arthur cooke]

Thanks guys,I will see what other chicken keepers do and I'll get some traps. I've plenty of time as I'm as I'm not planning to get any till next year.
cheers Arthur