Early morning Mink battle *pictures* graphic

[Jamie]

sorry for the long reply.

I believe it was one of his dead chickens he used when trapping. We figured the skunk was being curious.

 

[Pumpkinpup]

I am glad you got him! I can't stand the thought of something like that happening to me again. I lost my favorite hen to something a few months back. I never did catch the culprit!

 

[firedove]

Gypsy, I just saw this post tonight. Very sorry for your loses, just not your luckiest year, I guess

I'm glad you got the bugger and dispatched it! I saw my first coon track around my coop day before yesterday and now I'm thinking I might have to bite the bullet and buy a big ol' Have-a-Hart. Trap the coon at night, dispatch it in the morning.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Definately trap that coon it will take out your birds as fast as a mink. and like a mink rehoming the bugger wont work. it knows where the food is now.
4 years ago one got all my duck and geese. when we caught him in a trap and weighed his dead butt he weighed in at 40 lbs. that was one OLD Coon.

Do you have anything heavier than a .22 to put it down with? coon are not easy to dispatch. If you need help yell and I will come over and knock it into the light.

I was lucky, the heavy weight birds I have , the Austrulorps Orpingtons Comets, and RIR's made enough noise to sound like a weird thunder that didnt stop. go out and caught the bugger in the act before too many birds were lost. stupid was trying to shive a broom handle through him (lol)
only lost 2 comets, a silky and my beautiful Gold Lace Cochin Roo.
Could have been much worse, probly good thing I am such a light sleeper.

 

[lindamass15]

Sorry for the lost, but look at it this way you got up and you save eveyone else that the mink would have gotten too if you didn't go check it out ok.

.

 

[SpottedCrow]

Dang! So sorry about your roo...Glad you got mr. mink.

 

[firedove]

Gypsy, I'm glad that your losses weren't higher! It's still got to be sad having lost any. I'll readily admit though that I am not overly attached to the older hens we have now since they never became friendly despite a ton of handling and food bribery from chickhood through now. I still wouldn't want them to get hurt though and I know DH would be far more upset if something happens to the ladies since he is very attached to our original group.

As you know I am usually up all night. If I spend the night at the computer w/ no music playing I can hear any night time commotion that happens out there but our coop is pretty far from the house so if I'm watching TV or sleeping I can't hear jack about what is going on at the barn or coop even during the day. That's why when the hens are out free ranging around the coop and barn I check on them every half hour and do a head count if I've been busy with something else for a while.

Right now there is no way for a coon to gain access into our coop because it is locked up tight when we aren't around to supervise (however loosely) the hens, especially now with no roos on patrol to keep the hens safe. I've only been letting the hens out for a few hours on nice days. Once the little peeps turn into full sized roos I will be much happier with letting the hens out to roam with less worries, but that will be several months yet.

As for dispatching the coon, we are well armed here

I'm not sure if you knew but DH and I are hunters (plenty of guns to go with that) and we have a 9mm on hand for personal protection. Not sure our neighbors are going to be too happy about us firing a gun in the yard. Are you sure a .22 wouldn't do the job because we have sub-sonic rounds that sound about as loud as a door slamming. One shot from the 9mm *might* not draw too much attention because there is a gun range just a few miles away and although it will definitely sound closer it's not an outlandish sound for our area. We will have to carry the trap into the middle of the yard though since anywhere else we'd be too close to another person's house to legally shoot something. I really wish we lived on more acreage! If it were hunting season nobody would even notice one more gun blast in the woods

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
If you have the heavier rounds then yes the .22 will work. but keep in mind Coons are tough little buggers.
and i forgot about the gun range near by. one of these days when my hand decides to behave itself I will have to come over and we can go target practice.
No a 9MM wont attract a whole lot of attention.

And you are correct even losing ones you are not close to bothers me. the 2 older hens were not overly friendly but its sad to see them trying to shake off a critter.
I still cant believe I was dumb enough to take on a wild mink with nothing better than a broom, b ut had the kids left the pichfork where it was supposed to be, Oh well the ballsy little critter had the nerve to come back in broad daylight and that was his downfall.

Spotted Crow,
This was the first Rooster in a long line of Roos I have ever had that was so friendly. usually they are rotten little leg slicers. I got him and his ladies, a partridge OEG, a black OEg, a white chochen, and an old lady NHR over a year ago from a friend who had to move and didnt want to leave her flock for her ex.
It was this tiny flock that got me back into raising layers.
the OEgs sit on your shoulder when you go out to feed and water.
thankfully the mink didnt get either of them, the grankids would have been devistated.
Are You comiing to the Swap on the 21st.
I hadnt seen you post in a while. we missed you at the last swap.

 

[MichiganWoods]

Quote:
How big was that crack? Sorry for your loss.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
How big was that crack? Sorry for your loss.

not more than an inch and a half, I was totally blown away I have seen ferrets get into some tiny places but who would have thought those bodys could squizzel through such a crack. like I said Had I not been standing right there and saw it with my own eyes I would have never believed it.

The trapper did say though if they can get the head through the rest ust follows, needless to say there is no longer any cracks.