Mink's

[Rambo34k]

This morning I went to let out my flock cause I've been locking them down after I lost half the coop but while I was there I found another hen dead head attached to the body only by the juggler nothing left of the neck found fresh dug spot under the front side of coop to small for opossum our coon's what should I do here don't have trail cameras to find out what it is

 

[bobbi-j]

This morning I went to let out my flock cause I've been locking them down after I lost half the coop but while I was there I found another hen dead head attached to the body only by the juggler nothing left of the neck found fresh dug spot under the front side of coop to small for opossum our coon's what should I do here don't have trail cameras to find out what it is

"What it is" really isn't as important as making sure "it" can't continue to dig into your coop. Without pictures of your setup, it's hard to give suggestions as to how to secure it better.

 

[Rambo34k]

I'll take some so you guy's can see it k and thanks for the advice I got a trap ready and a bluegill in water it's frozen hope it works to catch the mink that's behind it all

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Put an apron of welded wire around your coop. Sounds like you don't have a solid floor so need protection from diggers.

 

[Rambo34k]

Your right it's just solid dirt but it was my friends coop mine now I took over and I don't like drama at my coop but I was thinking of chicken fence not wire for the floor and fill back in with dirt this fence is thick so there's no way a mink can get in nor anything else

 

[Blooie]

I replied to you on your other thread. You'll find it's easier to get answers if you just post in one place, then all the responses and your replies are in one spot. And that way others know what has been suggested already, and you don't have to hunt all over to find everything.

As I said on the other thread, more information and pictures will help. So take a deep breath, calm yourself down a little if you can (I know it's hard after such a loss) and then help us help you by being as clear as you can.

 

[Rambo34k]

OK then I'll stay hear on my mink thread so it's easy trying to get pictures to go through not haven any luck

 

[Howard E]

Rambo:

If you have a digging predator, you need an apron or some such thing to keep them from digging under. The way I did mine looks like this:



Make the mesh as small as it it needs to be to keep the varmint out. This is 1" x 2" welded wire, but could have been 1/2" x 1". Part next to the coop/run (about 4 inches or so) is bent upwards 90 degrees to fasten it to the side. The remaining fall is then left spread out, flat on the ground. Varmint probes the mesh up and down the line at the vertical / horizontal joint, but never figures out then need to move back about 2 feet or so and start their dig way out there. You can cover this with mulch, or do as I did and let the grass grow up through it. This is still there, but you would never know it. It looks like part of the lawn next to the house. As effective as digging a trench and burying it and about 1,000X easier.

 

[Rambo34k]

Thank you Howard but at the moment can't afford the fence for it saving money up for my deer Mount and I do think it's mink's now locked down my bird's tonight didn't take long they killed another hen with head missing but body in one piece trap's where set with fish they avoid them my bird's is what they want not my trap's I'm about to give up here down to six bird's now

 

[Teila]

Hey Rambo34k as I mentioned on your introduction thread, I am so very sorry that you are going through this.

I confess to not having a lot of experience with predators, only having to deal with the very rare stray dog and/or overweight, pampered, neighbourhood pussy cats. However, I was hoping that I might be able to help you.

I am not familiar with a “deer mount” but if my research is correct, it is for a taxidermied deer? Please do not take this the wrong way because as I said I am not sure what a “deer mount” is but I think the safety of your live chickens would take precedence over the dead deer?

In the meantime, I have a couple of suggestions. Do you have anything on hand that you could lay around the outside or inside of the coop? Sleepers, pavers, bricks, rocks .. anything to temporarily deter digging in the short term?

Is there anywhere else your remaining 6 girls can sleep until you get this sorted? A shed with a solid floor, a basement, a bathroom etc?

This predator knows where your chickens are and unless you can stop it getting into the coop immediately, you will need to get them out if you want to save them.