Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[desertmarcy]

What I think is that we very seldom know what is working our territory, unless you have camera's like I do. I don't see anything here, I just find the results or movies of them. A mink or weasel can go right through a 2X4 wire fence. I didn't have coyotes here until a year ago and they caused some serious damage and I had to change my mode of protection. After leaving a foot here they haven't come back...yet. Overall this place is pretty secure, but I don't beleive anything is totally secure. Electric fences are good. I have had two mink attacks here and they were devastating .... they kill everything in the pen. They are very curious though, so they are not that hard to catch. The two here were out during the day, so they went to mink heaven very quickly.

Walt

I second what Walt says. I suggest building your pens as tight and secure as you can because it is cheaper in the long run to do that then to have to re-do when some predator you didn't know you had comes looking or new one moves into your space. That happened to friends here, 20 years with birds and they never had a skunk. Then a skunk came in and dug under a pen and killed birds.
I use chain link fence on most of my pens, lined with chicken wire to keep out thieving wild birds, quail and doves are plentiful here. A few pens are 1" X 2" welded wire and I use that wire for tops on the chain link pens. I also keep turkeys and the chain link is good since they are big strong birds, they are not going to be bending wire.
Bobcats will do the same thing as minks, get in a pen and kill everything. I have not had a bobcat breach my pens the way they are set up now and there are lots of them around here.

 

[3riverschick]

Well, I can only afford the 2 types of fencing I mentioned.
Guess I will have to do the best I can.
Thanks,
Karen

 

[finnfur]

They are moving down the east coast so you will need to watch for them. Mink are becoming a nuisance and some places are allowing trapping of them again.

Well we do have them in the more western part of the state and Weasel also.
Just don't know of any reported sightings for either at this area .

 

[ronott1]

Well we do have them in the more western part of the state and Weasel also.
Just don't know of any reported sightings for either at this area .

The population of Mink Weasels is recovering and they are moving into new territory. They will be in your area eventually.

Predators are recovering all over the USA.

 

[gjensen]

They are moving down the east coast so you will need to watch for them. Mink are becoming a nuisance and some places are allowing trapping of them again.

We have maintained a healthy population of Mink. For the most part, we find them associated with bodies of water. They are most common along our coast with the tidal marshes

 

[Regin]

Quote: Well, keep them on your side of the state. wedon't need them over here !

 

[gjensen]

Well, keep them on your side of the state. wedon't need them over here !

You would be more likely to see a weasel.

It is actually a treat to see a mink(s) come out in the evening and forage at low tide.

 

[3riverschick]

This brings to mind the situation years ago in England when the AR activists decided the
farmed mink would be happier if they were free. So they turned loose 10,000 from mink
farm(s). Whew! They ravaged chicken coops, got run over on the roads. It was a mess.
Best,
Karen

 

[Lacy Blues]

... but were they happier? I imagine they were. Bleeding hearts!

 

[chicken farmer2]

What would be a great heritage breed to get right now I breed bbs Ameraucana, blrw wyandottes and I want to get a nice heritage needs but in not sure what?
I'm thinking of adding German New Hampshire or white wyandottes