How to trap Minks

[chrisdecker]

In less than an hour. .in the middle of the afternoon. .a mink got into our two runs! It killed 5 babies and the hen with them..then got into our main run and killed another hen. The rest got up on the highest roost out of reach. We assume it's a mink because we have seen them around before we got chickens. Also it didn't eat the chickens it just ripped thier heads off. One was stalking my small dog last year. What is the best way to trap them? we lost more than half of our chickens. .I guess there won't be any for the freezer this year.

 

[chrisdecker]

He took 3 more this morning

 

[Eric 2016]

Use a live trap with one of the dead chickens for bait

 

[chickengeorgeto]

A foot hold trap or a 110 or 120 Cone bar trap set in a floating mink box (provided you have flowing water) is a great way to send mink to the promised land.

Fleming who is a sponsor of BYC is a great place to purchase traps. I also recommend that you get your chickens a Dog Proof coon trap or two.

YouTube has many good videos on how to catch chicken killing vermin like mink and raccoons..

It is not a matter of IF a varmint kills your chickens but rather a matter of WHEN and HOW MANY the varmints kill each time they pay your hens a visit.

 

[carlf]

Small cage trap baited with one of the chicken carcasses.
Or #1 foothold or 110 conibear. If you dont know how to use these, search for trapping best practices.
Mink, especially males, normally make large circles through there territory, sometimes it will take weeks for them to complete a circuit. If it doesnot come back within 24 hours, keep the traps set.

 

[chrisdecker]

We are devastated. . Looks like he came through the brook running next to the coop. Only the rooster and one hen left now

They seem to be safe in the coop. And that's where they will stay for a while. . We baited a trap with one of the hens he killed and are hoping for the best. The dogs seem nervous outside tonight. .he might be still around. Thanks for the advice. .we're kind of new at this and really just shocked. Maybe chickens are not for us

 

[chrisdecker]

Just wondering why a dog proof coon trap? Will that catch a mink or weasel?

 

[carlf]

Makes sense. Mink are aquatic so they are almost always around water bodies and small streams are the favorite habitat next to freshwater marshes. You might want to put another trap next to the brook. Probably have raccoons too.

 

[chrisdecker]

Yeah I should have known you all meant for raccoons! No worries about them. .no raccoons on this island! Lol ..And we may be in a rough spot for raising chickens. .I can throw a rock and hit the ocean from the coop.

 

[carlf]

Dog proof coon traps only catch coons.