A mink killed a third of our flock.

[lacyloo]

:aww

 

[picklespickles]

 

[seminolewind]

I guess I would use hardware cloth.
If that mink came back with you there, do you think he might have been rabid?

 

[princessthelmared]

Its very common for the weasel type animals to be aggressive. They don't think about the size of the things they attack. The weasel that attacked my SO was tested and it was negative.

They are also a very fast moving animal so its very uncommon for them to get rabies...per Fish and Game.

I have some type of wire that is very strong, but similar to the screen used on my windows, just much, much stronger.

I now have my 1 remaining chick and 1 other my Farrier gave me living on my back porch in a very secure area because I'm so paranoid over the weasel attack.

Its not an animal I would want to encounter again.

 

[howlingwoodsfarm]

I agree princesthelmared- They are just plain balsy animals. This one was not aggressive toward us, just came in when we were in there talking which sure scares me. I will look into what kind of screen we have around here that I can use. p.s. sorry for your losses also. chicks really don't have a chance. My girls were grown up and could fly and had lots of room to do so but he still got them. I imagine a weasel could go through 50 chicks in 10 min.

I am so paranoid now. I hear my girls laying early am and since we all know how much of a ruckus they make when laying it reminds me of the ruckus they made when the mink was in there. so I keep opening up the door and listening, if it is one fussing it must be laying, they were all fussing when the mink was in there. I tell you, once you have a predator get your flock it REALLY changes things. I now see how people go out and spend HUNDREDS on their coop, it is a tough choice. spend the money or lose your birds and sometimes those are the only choices. I am definately getting the baby monitors like I have seen people on here get.

Even if it was rabid, it has no head to be able to test it, They have to cut open the brain to test for rabies if I am correct, and lets just say the animals brains are no longer in the correct anatomical location(splattered on the door).

 

[princessthelmared]

I was terrible at first allowing my 1 remaining chick to live in the house. She didn't seem too bothered by it or by being the only chick left. I had mirrors set up for her and she followed me all over the house and got spoiled (thank goodness for floors that could be washed) I put news paper down all over the place and pulled up all my throw rugs.

Red thought when I got the new chick that she actually had the company of another because of the mirrors. She wasn't very nice to the new chick until I took the mirrors away.

I am also doing the same thing as you...I hear them squaking and automatically assume something is after them. I have run down from the barn several times thinking they were being attacked only to find them just talking.

I guess I've been fortunate up until now. Many people around us have lost their flocks to bears and others to weasels.

I'll get a picture of the screen I'm using and post it on here for you. Its actually a bigger square than screen, but very tough stuff.