lost 10 chickens yesterday

[Sandyd]

When I was at work during the day, something came in and killed 10 of my 43 chickens. I have a welded wire run with hardware cloth on the bottom half and welded wire on the top of the run for hawks, etc.. I was just sick. The girls were giving me up to 3 dozen eggs a day. I got a small live trap and put two chicken heads in it and set inside the run after i locked the girls up for the night. This morning at 6 AM nothing in the trap and there was no way I was turning the girls out into their run. Gave them scratch grains and hay to bide their time with. Got home from work tonight and was going to go out and get the trap out of the run as my DH and I were going to make a couple of weasel traps thinking that was what it was and low and behold I caught a mink in the live trap after the chicken heads. It came back today to have a killing spree. My run wasn't as predator proof as I thought. I have set the live trap again and am doing some reading on a mink. Girls were traumatized even today as they gave me just 11 eggs, but I gave them sunflower seeds, cleaned their automatic water and talked to them quite a bit.

 

[Reurra]

Grats on catching the mean little monster!!

What are you going to do with it???

 

[Sandyd]

Sad to say it has a bad case of lead poisoning. It was very vicious in the cage seeing our Jack Russels.

 

[Reurra]

I would have let the Jack Russels have a go at it, thats what they were bred for!!

Good riddance!! What a horrible little monster! I know its doing what weasels do best, but they also kill for sport!

 

[Conchis]

Sorry to hear about eh chickens, but I'm glad you found the culprit. I lost 8 chickens (really still chicks) and never did find out what got them. I would have never thought of a mink.

 

[leenie]

so sorry to hear of your loss but excellent job on removing the threat.

 

[aart]

Wow, good job! Mink and weasel are hard to trap, I guess they're often very trap leery.
I'd leave that trap set a few days until you can beef up the run, might catch a buddy.

 

[Sandyd]

It amazes me. 20 years of nothing bothering my hens. Running around in a open enclosure. We build a new chicken house with enclosed run thinking everything would be a little safer and wham. Mother nature decides to pull a fast one on us. Today I did not let my hens out of their large chicken house again as I have the live trap set again in their run. I know it sounds silly but I don't want to take the chance that there is more mink around to hurt them and I know it is not fair to the hens but I can't be there to keep a eye on things. It has been so cold here that the Jack Russels aren't out patroling the farmstead instead they are curled up napping on their sun porch.

 

[Tarac]

Wow good catch! We have very few sneaky predators in Florida besides the occassional snake and the ever-present racoon- no minks or weasels or the like. My grandparents have issues with weasels and even a wolverine once too.

Good news for you is that minks are highly solitary- very territorial, very aggressive towards conspecifics. Probably the only mink in that range (although now that it is... "lead poisoned" lol... there is an opening which might allow a new individual to take up residence). Did you figure out how it got in? Just climbed and squeezed through the gaps in the fencing maybe?

Since I don't have them around I think all these crazy predators you folks out west and up north have are really neat-o. I'm sure I would hate them too if they were bothering my coop though, I have a special place in the dark side of my heart reserved for coons.

 

[jnntefend]

So sorry for your loss. Did you figure out how it got into your run?