I had my group of once 14, now down to 12 juveniles in a smaller brooder (approximately 12x12) that is in my goat lot but they were getting crowded. They are about 10 and 11 weeks old now and getting big so I moved 4 jakes and a jenny to a larger run on the opposite end of my property the other day. The coop/run used to be for my Marans before they were all free ranged. The coop is made out of pallets so it has openings that keep it well ventilated and varmints could potentially reach into it and try pull a roosting bird through. I've had that happen before. The run is fenced with 2x4 welded wire and is covered with black bird netting with 1x1 holes, I think it's made of nylon. My husband reinforced the bottom of the fence with deck boards. He did 2 rows of deck boards all around the bottom of the run. The ground is very rocky and difficult to dig. Completely sandstone once you get past a few inches of topsoil......
Please - someone w more experience correct me if I’m wrong!
But my understanding of mink/ weasel kills is that they tend to bite the back of the skull / neck and the kills can be (somewhat) identified by the close spacing of the canine teeth - mink/ weasels have a smaller mouth than opossums / raccoons.
But. Based on my research (I do have some weasels here but
-knocking on wood-
they have not managed to get into my coops)
....the weasels/ mink tend to go for the head/ brain and leave most of the rest of the bird intact. And you will often have several/ heavy losses, if that is the predator that made its way into your coop.
Based on what you are reporting..... I’m thinking that the mink happened upon a kill and tried to take advantage of the situation. They don’t tend to do the type of damage that your bird had.... The “feathers around” sounds more like a raptor kill- hawk, eagle, ...maybe owl. but most likely a hawk.
They are more prone to pull feathers and then tear up their kill.
It’s - possible - that it was a raccoon (possum, skunk) but. Those critters tend to drag the birds away (esp coons) and you will just find someone missing- esp a youngster :/
A raccoon will grab one and take it right over the fence, even if you only have a small hole in any cover / top netting that you might have.
So. Do you have a cover over your run to keep the predatory birds out?
The mink also now knows there may be a meal source there... so. Do you have a secure coop adjacent to their run?
Mink -tend- to be most active at dawn and dusk. If you have a secure coop, you may want to consider letting them out a little later in the morning, and putting them to bed a bit before dusk.
....they are very savvy. Keep trying with the traps.
Or. If you have the “constitution” and are in and area where you can, I might just put some raw chicken out and wait with a shotgun to take care of the (secondary?) predator quickly and humanely.
If your run isn’t covered, I’d suggest pulling netting over the top.
Also, what type of fencing do you have on the run?
How is your coop set up?
My Pyrenees is confined to my goat lot so when I lose birds it is usually ones roosting in trees outside of his perimeter or the ones on the opposite end of my property where he can't patrol. I am giving it a little time before I move the rest just in case. I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket (all my turkeys in one pen) and lose them all. Eventually, most of them will be turned out in my goat lot where my Pyrenees can protect them but they are not out of the tender age yet where I need to watch them like a hawk. I was told that once they are 4-6 months old they are sturdy and out of the tender age where you are most at risk to lose them so that is what I'm going by. I do have blackhead in the ground on my property so I've been dealing with that off and on since they came outside.
