Mink Proofing - Can It Be Done?

[leighks]

I hear about chickens, but what about ducks? I can't imaging laying down concrete in the run. My husband was planning on burying hardware cloth all across the bottom. Concrete seems like a fine idea, but ducks are so wet and messy, i see drainage problems....

If you look a few back on this thread to post #44, it talks about how to lay the hardware cloth. This is also how we did it and no mink problems. I have literally seen a mink run past the run about 5 feet away from it, and saw one in the barn which is maybe 15 ft from run, so I know they are around but have never gotten in.

 

[dishfickle]

My husband has a plan for our new mink proof

duck compound

 

[leighks]

My husband has a plan for our new mink proof View attachment 1734959 View attachment 1734960 duck compound

 

[MerryMeridional]

Can anyone who uses electric wire to protect their area vouch for its effectiveness against mink?

We have a secure coop for our ducklings with a sunk apron and hardware cloth over everything. The run is still under construction, with the plan being to use some garden fencing we have on hand and aviary netting. The run was supposed to protect against daytime hawks but I am pretty certain on 2 occasions I saw some sort of mink creature about half a mile away near a home with a stream and a lot of cattle, running from the home to the scrappy field across the street. I'm not sure what else this small brown creature may have been but I am alarmed because both sightings were during the day. However, it is spring (possible babies), and probably the most likely season to see them during the day.

We are in a small town, in a neighborhood but with plenty of small homesteads and farms around. There is a stream that cuts nearby, as close as 1/4-1/2mi away from our property as the crow flies. The coop is in our backyard behind a privacy fence. I am thinking about mounting wires on the privacy fence as a safe perimeter. I already have the charger and wires.

Thoughts?

My neighbor across the street had chickens for a few years but not currently. Her coop and run is enclosed with chicken wire only and she never had any losses or problems with any predators or rodents. I may need to talk to my neighbor with the stream running through her property. Not sure if she keeps poultry in the back but she sure has a lot of other animals there and might have some insight.

 

[Willowspirit]

Can anyone who uses electric wire to protect their area vouch for its effectiveness against mink?

We have a secure coop for our ducklings with a sunk apron and hardware cloth over everything. The run is still under construction, with the plan being to use some garden fencing we have on hand and aviary netting. The run was supposed to protect against daytime hawks but I am pretty certain on 2 occasions I saw some sort of mink creature about half a mile away near a home with a stream and a lot of cattle, running from the home to the scrappy field across the street. I'm not sure what else this small brown creature may have been but I am alarmed because both sightings were during the day. However, it is spring (possible babies), and probably the most likely season to see them during the day.

We are in a small town, in a neighborhood but with plenty of small homesteads and farms around. There is a stream that cuts nearby, as close as 1/4-1/2mi away from our property as the crow flies. The coop is in our backyard behind a privacy fence. I am thinking about mounting wires on the privacy fence as a safe perimeter. I already have the charger and wires.

Thoughts?

My neighbor across the street had chickens for a few years but not currently. Her coop and run is enclosed with chicken wire only and she never had any losses or problems with any predators or rodents. I may need to talk to my neighbor with the stream running through her property. Not sure if she keeps poultry in the back but she sure has a lot of other animals there and might have some insight.

Both times i have seen weasels i have seen them in daytime.