mink proofing coup and terrified chickens

[Howard E]

On the metal and potential for it to short out, that is the issue created by tight gap or close tolerance required to work. What is directly below the hot wire MUST be a good ground contact. Whatever you put down, just make sure it will conduct electricity, since if it doesn't, it will work like an insulator and the animal won't get shocked as he passes. Wood, plywood, rubber, plastic, plastic mulch, plastic weed barriers, etc all are poor conductors so won't make a good ground. Metal is a good one. I also think 8' x 16" paving stones would work well and you can weed whack along the edge of them all day long.

 

[Morrigan]

On the metal and potential for it to short out, that is the issue created by tight gap or close tolerance required to work. What is directly below the hot wire MUST be a good ground contact. Whatever you put down, just make sure it will conduct electricity, since if it doesn't, it will work like an insulator and the animal won't get shocked as he passes. Wood, plywood, rubber, plastic, plastic mulch, plastic weed barriers, etc all are poor conductors so won't make a good ground. Metal is a good one. I also think 8' x 16" paving stones would work well and you can weed whack along the edge of them all day long.

Excellent point on the rubber and wood being poor conductors. I won't be doing that, lol.

 

[Morrigan]

I think I'll probable stick with gravel and a weekly weeding program.

 

[Howard E]

You might also try a layer of newspaper or brown grocery bags or similar under the gravel. Do a test run to see if the gravel over paper will still work as your ground. Those paper products will suppress weeds and grass better than nothing and might work for you.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Wow, those are quite the traps. I'm always fascinated by the traps and such I see on Youtube. Definitely beyond my scope of expertise...lol.

Thanks Howard. Ive set out haveahart live traps with chicken meat with no takers. I'e done rat kill traps around coup and gotten small mice. We don't have rats, we never leave feed around at the end of day. We do have a small creek behind house and a pond nearby. New housing encroaching behind us and pushing wildlife to our small 2 acres,some woodsy.
How about conibear 1? Along creek?

The only suggestion I can add to this thread is that since you have the Havahart live traps...possibly trying a different bait in case you have success.

I was aware that there seemed to have a new predator last fall. I caught a glimpse of a mink and set my live traps. I used a rat I'd trapped and dispatched, for bait. I caught a small mink mid-day, the next day. That night I came upon this evidence of something that "almost" got into the rooster shed.

I set more traps around this area and one more where I'd seen the mink. I used past date sandwich meat and my staple of marshmallows. I caught this larger mink early afternoon the next day in the same trap. It appears that he liked the sandwich meat. Perhaps a different smell than chicken might catch his nose.

 

[Morrigan]

That's great trapping. We used this same trap to try to catch a weasel. Baited it with parts of the chicken that the weasel left behind. Only think we caught was a skunk!

 

[Wickedchicken6]

That's great trapping. We used this same trap to try to catch a weasel. Baited it with parts of the chicken that the weasel left behind. Only think we caught was a skunk!

Lol!! Oh no! Not what you want. Did you catch the weasel?

I've caught three darn skunks in my coyote trap.
The cage is 100% open wire, no solid door to approach from.
It's a little unnerving.

 

[Morrigan]

Lol!! Oh no! Not what you want. Did you catch the weasel?

I've caught three darn skunks in my coyote trap.
The cage is 100% open wire, no solid door to approach from.
It's a little unnerving.

Nope. We tried a couple more times but no luck.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Nope. We tried a couple more times but no luck.

That's frustrating! Weasels are such nasty little critters.

 

[Howard E]

A weasel may not be big enough to trip the trigger on the havahart live trap....or at least one of that size.

If you think he is still a problem, try making yourself a weasel box and use a Victor wooden rat trap.

About 1,000 how-to videos for weasel boxes on youtube.