hartleyhare
Warren Scout
A couple of months ago I was walking across the garden. It was a nice day so all the buns were in their runs. As I passed by Aubrey and Smint's run ( real name Peppermint ) I caught a flash of movement by one of the Lavender plants. I almost didn't stop as thought it was a mouse or bird but some sixth sense or whatever did make me stop and turn around. A Stoat popped out of the Lavender and sat looking at me. The Lavender is planted against the run so the buns can nibble it through the wire. Obviously this Stoat was on it's way to kill my rabbits . They were about 8 -10 feet away from it. It ran off when I yelled at it. I promptly got all the buns back indoors and they've not been out since. I'm still shuddering when I think how close they came to being attacked.
A friend has loaned me a humane trap but I've delayed using it ad still have hedgehogs around and don't want them to get stuck in the trap. I haven't seen the Stoat again but that doesn't mean it is gone and I'm inclined to think it will keep coming back to check now it knows there are rabbits here. I have no idea what I am going to do long term about the buns going out into the garden again. I can't keep them indoors permanently, they love going outside in the warm weather and get fed up being confined during the winter - my furniture and other stuff gets a hammering during the winter
Just wondering if anyone has had this problem and what they did about it ? At the moment I'm thinking they will have to take it in turns to go out and I will have to sit next to the run. It will only be a short run as cannot sit around for 8 -12 hours, which is the time they usually spend outside.
A friend has loaned me a humane trap but I've delayed using it ad still have hedgehogs around and don't want them to get stuck in the trap. I haven't seen the Stoat again but that doesn't mean it is gone and I'm inclined to think it will keep coming back to check now it knows there are rabbits here. I have no idea what I am going to do long term about the buns going out into the garden again. I can't keep them indoors permanently, they love going outside in the warm weather and get fed up being confined during the winter - my furniture and other stuff gets a hammering during the winter
Just wondering if anyone has had this problem and what they did about it ? At the moment I'm thinking they will have to take it in turns to go out and I will have to sit next to the run. It will only be a short run as cannot sit around for 8 -12 hours, which is the time they usually spend outside.