How to rid your coop of rats--and a few chickens

[roosterhavoc]

The white animal is a winter weasel, aka ermine, that is in the process of consuming a rat. I lost a couple of chickens to it as well but the worst killer was a mink that went though a dozen birds in one night. I've eliminated the weasel but the mink is still out there someplace, hopefully by lining the inside of the coop walls with hardware cloth will keep it out until I can trap it.

Here is a picture of him trying to figure out how to get through the door and ignoring the trap to its left. You might need to enlarge it to see him.View attachment 1694400

What kind of trap do you have set? I can’t really tell from the pic. Mink are about as bold as they come huh.

 

[woodmort]

Havaheart

 

[roosterhavoc]

Havaheart

Do you have or can you get a 110 sized conibear trap? You might be able to build a small tunnel nearby or build a box w/bait in the back with the entry guarded with the trap. Sometimes mink won’t go completely in a cage but they’ll stick their head in and that’s all you need.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

The white animal is a winter weasel, aka ermine, that is in the process of consuming a rat. I lost a couple of chickens to it as well but the worst killer was a mink that went though a dozen birds in one night. I've eliminated the weasel but the mink is still out there someplace, hopefully by lining the inside of the coop walls with hardware cloth will keep it out until I can trap it.

Here is a picture of him trying to figure out how to get through the door and ignoring the trap to its left. You might need to enlarge it to see him.View attachment 1694400

That dirty bugger. Well, I sure hope you snag him. Kinda wild about the weasel eating rat!

 

[woodmort]

While I’m quite ready to take that mink out I’m not at ease in setting a trap that like that if I don’t have to. (This is coming from someone who trapped as a kid and uses mouse and rat traps.). I’d be worried I’d kill something I didn’t intend to. I don’t use rat poison for that reason. Besides, technically it is a fur bearer and out of season now.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

While I’m quite ready to take that mink out I’m not at ease in setting a trap that like that if I don’t have to. (This is coming from someone who trapped as a kid and uses mouse and rat traps.). I’d be worried I’d kill something I didn’t intend to. I don’t use rat poison for that reason. Besides, technically it is a fur bearer and out of season now.

We had minks suddenly appear last winter about this time. One of them "almost" got into my rooster shed. I normally bait my box traps with marshmallows, but for the mink I used old sandwich meat. It worked very well for me...if this information can help at all.

 

[ColtHandorf]

Wow. You wouldn't thing the little snake cats could damage a door like that. But they are super persistent so I suppose with enough time and determination anything is possible.

 

[woodmort]

We had minks suddenly appear last winter about this time. "One of them "almost" got into my rooster shed. I normally bait my box traps with marshmallows, but for the mink I used old sandwich meat. It worked very well for me...if this information can help at all.
Thanks for the tip. I tried cat food. and he turned over the trap to get it. Next is a piece of fish anchored inside. However, right now everything is covered with snow and I haven't spotted any tracks in the area so will wait. My coop is secure but I want to remove it before I let young birds out in the spring. There is a big fisher in my woods and I really don't want to lure it closer.

 

[woodmort]

asel eating rat!

I'd been trying to get rid of a family of rats all summer, trapped a few but they were getting trap shy. After the weasel came in the rats are completely gone. Trouble is once he ran out of rats, he started on chickens.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Wow. You wouldn't thing the little snake cats could damage a door like that. But they are super persistent so I suppose with enough time and determination anything is possible.

That damage was done in the time we had supper. The door had been secure when I left the shed to go for supper. The doors were hollow core wood, but they fit securely.
I guarded that door the entire night from the truck; all my roosters were housed in that shed. My husband manufactured plywood to secure the door in the morning. Thankfully I caught two the next day and our LGD caught one. We had obligations and were away for 3 days. The dog terminated another one while we were gone and I got the last one the day after we got back.