Mustelids......and why the Least Weasel can kill a chicken.

[aart]

Just watched this PBS Nature show, it's pretty good.
Most interesting for chicken owners might be the part about the strength of the Least Weasels bite strength.
Stronger than most all carnivores despite being the smallest one.
Bite info is at about 47:00 minutes, iff'n you don't want to watch it all.
https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/the-mighty-weasel-yne7yt/21226/

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I've witnessed mink hunting and killing chickens during the day. They are so fast and when they finally get a bite on the neck, they just hold on till the bird is dead no matter what is going on in the vicinity. The last attacking mink was at about 9 AM. It was running amok among a flock of approximately 3 month old cockerels/pullets.
It finally caught a cockerel by its neck and by the time I reached it, two other cockerels were attacking the mink to no avail. It wasn't giving up its prey and didn't care I was there.
I stomped the mink to death but it wasn't easy since it had rained so much the ground was very soft. Good thing I was wearing boots because he let go of the cockerel to bite my foot.
I thought the cockerel was dead but after carrying the mink away, the cockerel jumped up and flew up into some brush. He freaked out when I walked past with the mink in hand.

 

[Howard E]

Interesting program. What would also be interesting is the backstory of how a whackadoodle like Rob wound up on a country estate in the midst of a mustelidae research farm......who financed it and why. Beyond that, pretty typical of PBS nature films......gotta give the animals cute names and present them in favorable light so viewers are rooting for the poor soul.

The bite thing was interesting, but they left out some of the critical stuff......like the role weasels and stoats have to play in nature.......how they kill and how many at once and why. Showing a wholesale slaughter of a colony of rats....a good thing.....or a flock of chickens......not so much.

As interesting as the bite thing was how they are able to shape shift to enable them to get into small tight places and still move along at a fast clip. So to keep one of those 6" least weasels out of a coop takes some doing. That would be lethal 6" least weasel.

 

[aart]

What would also be interesting is the backstory of how a whackadoodle like Rob wound up on a country estate in the midst of a mustelidae research farm

Was thinking the same....obsessive passionate hobby funded by who knows<shrugs>

And yes the pretty pictures are enjoyable, but those shows always leave me with many questions and wanting more info.

As interesting as the bite thing was how they are able to shape shift to enable them to get into small tight places and still move along at a fast clip. So to keep one of those 6" least weasels out of a coop takes some doing. That would be lethal 6" least weasel.

Those were the best parts for sure, and why I shared here.
The bite thing is fascinating!
Smallest and yet most lethal bite of all carnivores.
The comparisons to larger carnivores was incredible.
I collected skulls back in the day, so was drooling at that collection.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I watched that episode twice.
I've lived here for decades and never seen one.
Am glad to not have had to experience the bite first hand with my chickens.

An acquaintance has a pet ferret. They sure are cute. GC

 

[Molpet]

I watched that program too
and was wondering the same. He is an artist .. and it appears not starving
https://www.robertefuller.com/acatalog/About.htmlhttps://www.robertefuller.com/diary/designing-a-wildlife-garden-the-history-of-fotherdale-farm/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_E_Fuller

 

[Folly's place]

It was a very interesting program! I also watched last week's NOVA, about dogs, and this weeks show about cats, right after the Nature program.
In one hour, a lot interesting material is left out, can't be helped. A six hour show would be good, but not feasible.
Mary

 

[aart]

I also watched last week's NOVA, about dogs,

Saw that one too.

 

[Cupcake1243]

Tried to watch it but says the video is unavailable......

 

[aart]

Tried to watch it but says the video is unavailable......

Bummer.
Search for it by name, probably still out there but you may have to pay for it.