Ever have a mink chew through chicken wire?

bobbi-j

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Mar 15, 2010
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On the MN prairie.
So, I'm not looking for advice. I have a 16'x12'x6' covered run, made with 2x4" welded wire. It has been effective for years, keeping larger critters out of the run and coop. But I know that a mink could squeeze right through that. We don't get them often, but every now and then one finds its way into the coop and it's a mess. (The last mink attack was 4 years ago - door and pop door shut tight, and the darn thing still got in! Problem found and corrected.) I know that 1/2" hardware cloth is best, but I can't afford to put that over the whole run. My thought is to put chicken wire over the welded wire ti keep the occasional mink from getting in. I just don't know if they would be motivated enough to chew through it. I am wondering if anyone here has had that experience.
 
Only advice I have is a Hot Wire. Add about 2 or 3 strands on exterior of run fencing, and use the Welded wire fencing as the ground.
Mink can climb well, so if they do try to climb over, or thru, have a strand that would meet them happy:gig
Read that chicken wire is not durable enough to stop mink from chewing thru.:(
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:highfive:
 
My strategy was to build a Fort Knox coop and lock my chickens up every night. I built my pop door so that I cannot open it myself from the outside, so I hope that any mink, weasel, racoon, etc... would not be able to open the pop door either.

Chicken wire is basically only good for keeping chickens in the run, it will not stop a predator from chewing/tearing through that wire and getting after your chickens.

If you suspect a mink is snooping around your coop, maybe a live trap with bait could solve the problem. Certainly less expensive than buying 1/2 inch hardware cloth or adding an electric fence. It's always a balance between how much risk you can take and how much you can afford to beef up your anti-predation measures.

I have no love for minks/weasels as they attacked my rabbits when I was a young child and killed many of them just for fun.
 
Only advice I have is a Hot Wire. Add about 2 or 3 strands on exterior of run fencing, and use the Welded wire fencing as the ground.
Mink can climb well, so if they do try to climb over, or thru, have a strand that would meet them happy:gig
Read that chicken wire is not durable enough to stop mink from chewing thru.:(
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,:highfive:
We do have hot wire attached to and around the other coop. Too far away to run it off the same fencer for the coop I’m wanting to reinforce.

My strategy was to build a Fort Knox coop and lock my chickens up every night. I built my pop door so that I cannot open it myself from the outside, so I hope that any mink, weasel, racoon, etc... would not be able to open the pop door either.

Chicken wire is basically only good for keeping chickens in the run, it will not stop a predator from chewing/tearing through that wire and getting after your chickens.

If you suspect a mink is snooping around your coop, maybe a live trap with bait could solve the problem. Certainly less expensive than buying 1/2 inch hardware cloth or adding an electric fence. It's always a balance between how much risk you can take and how much you can afford to beef up your anti-predation measures.

I have no love for minks/weasels as they attacked my rabbits when I was a young child and killed many of them just for fun.
I don’t think I have one hanging around, just trying to be prepared for when one does show up as they occasionally do.

I don’t love them either. They are vicious and will take out many birds in one attack.
 
Minks are fairly elusive to see, I have seen some but rarely even though they are likely around more than one would think.I’ve only seen one weasel in the chicken coop over the years and it ran out when I come in. I patched the hole it went out of and never saw it again. I have had some chickens and quail killed over the years that I attributed to minks. A few years ago within a week of each other there were two minks hit in the road in front of our house. I figure they were coming to get in our chickens. My idea is to keep the coop and run pretty secure, and also trap for various varmits along.
 
Minks are fairly elusive to see, I have seen some but rarely even though they are likely around more than one would think.I’ve only seen one weasel in the chicken coop over the years and it ran out when I come in. I patched the hole it went out of and never saw it again. I have had some chickens and quail killed over the years that I attributed to minks. A few years ago within a week of each other there were two minks hit in the road in front of our house. I figure they were coming to get in our chickens. My idea is to keep the coop and run pretty secure, and also trap for various varmits along.
We have a big slough right across the road from our place. We know that there are mink living in or near it - they like the muskrats that live there. Every now and the one finds its way to my coops. I’m just trying to do some preventive maintenance.
 
I know that dogs, raccoons and other large predators will tear apart and chew through chicken wire. I’m not relying on the chicken wire to keep them out. I would use it in conjunction with the 2x4” welded wire. I’m wondering if anyone has actually had a mink chew through chicken wire. I don’t know if they’re that ambitious, or are lazy opportunists that just come through an easy opening.
 
Could one of those tiny weasels get through the chicken wire? They are pretty small. Do you have them in MN?
Mary
I’m sure they could, and yes we do. In over 30 years of chicken keeping, I have only had one weasel attack. And only 3 or 4 issues with mink, to be honest. The thing is, I have a roll of chicken wire that I can use. Farming being what it is right now, I can’t go out and spend money on hardware cloth. It’s just not in the budget.
 
We got away with a run of chicken wire with some welded wire for years; lucky, you bet! Any upgrade is better than no upgrade. We have weasels and mink around here, and so far have lost maybe one bird to them, once.
Other predators have been much worse here, but that could change any time. Having the birds in a good coop at night makes the most difference, usually.
Mary
 

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