Mink Stole

[Dailypix]

I thought my run was very secure but there was a small gap between two overlapping hardware wire. No more than an inch by two or perhaps three inches. It was enough to let in a mink. It killed 17 8 week old babies between about 10:30 last night until I woke up around 6 am. I noticed the security alarms on my cell phone in the morning and video definitely reveals a bloodthirsty mink. it just dragged the chicks out of the coop one by one and killed them all. The run was a horror show this morning.
Just a reminder those varmints can squeeze through a pretty tight opening.

No more chicks until spring. I set a live trap in the run with a dead chick as bait perhaps one of us will get lucky tonight.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Good luck with your mink, you're going to need it.

When life hands you a chicken killing mink then make a mink stole. LOL

 

[Trish1974]

How awful! So sorry that happened.

 

[Going Quackers]

So sorry to hear this! i know all to well, we spent two years battling mink dozens dead... it was just awful. We even had one get in with a Muscovy mum and her almost fully feathered clutch... she lived but sadly lost all her babies...

They are horrid animals.

 

[Ms Biddy]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Can I ask where you are that you have mink? I'm feeling very thankful we don't have them here.

 

[Folly's place]

So sorry! I do hope you can get this one, and reinforce your coop to prevent another episode like this!
Weasels live almost everywhere, at least in North America. Ms Biddy, look on your DNR/ wildlife page. Here in southern Michigan, we have weasels and mink.
Mary

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I'm very sorry for your loss. Can I ask where you are that you have mink? I'm feeling very thankful we don't have them here.

As far as I know mink are everywhere in North America and they are likely an introduced species in Europe and Asia, if not elsewhere. The thing with mink is that depending on now productive the environment is mink will inhabit a range of anywhere from 5 acres to thousands.

 

[Ms Biddy]

So sorry! I do hope you can get this one, and reinforce your coop to prevent another episode like this!
Weasels live almost everywhere, at least in North America. Ms Biddy, look on your DNR/ wildlife page. Here in southern Michigan, we have weasels and mink.
Mary

I imagine mink as a cold climate mammal. I'm in CA and we do have weasels but they aren't common. I've seen one in my lifetime so far.

ETA: looked at a map. Wow, they have an all encompassing range. Finally a reason to be thankful to live in an arid climate, lol.

 

[Sirens04]

How horrible!! I am so sorry for you losses

 

[Folly's place]

I've seen two weasels, one dead in the road, and one black mink, in 50+ years of living here. It's not relevant to how many there actually are! Beautiful little critters, deadly hunters.
Mary