Otter, mink or weasel attack!!!

[ADRIANNA]

I am sooooooo angry and sad, I lost three of my favorite hens to an Animal (otter, mink or weasel could not see clearly).
It was about noon when the chickens were all making lots of noise, so I went to the coop to see what was going on and I saw three animals killing my chickens!!

I don't know what to do??

 

[MsMelvin]

The first thing you need to do is secure your coop to protect the remaining birds! How did the "critters" get in...was the door open?

If they didn't come through the door, get yourself some hardware cloth (wire fencing) and hammer and cover every possible entry point.

THEY WILL BE BACK!!! (If you have birds left). Count on it...and prepare yourself Adrianna. Go get 'em girl...

Sally

 

[gypsy2621]

First off Mink are extremely hard to shoot, kin it to trying to take a shot at a ferret, they can actually see the bullet coming and WILL avoid it.
get a hav-a-heart trap, you can bait it with one of the dead birds, tie it securely to the back of the pan area. once the mink is inside, a pellet gun will take care o the problem, put the muzzel in the cage , wait for the mink to bite the barrel and pull the trigger, quick painless and instant.

The only problem I am seeing with this situation is there were 3 of them meaning mother and 2 kits. you have to get over the cute little fur bearer syndrom and dispatch those babys also.
If you dont you are going to continue to have problems.


Brush up with a local search for preditors in your area. know what your looking at and for. It will help you in the long run.
Mink can get through amazingly small cracks in the walls, floors, wire etc, and they are not beyond pulling the wire off in order to get inside.
There is no such thing as 100% completely mink nor weasel proof, unless you are going to put them inside a total steel building.

those who dont think Otter leave the streams, I hate to correct you but they will in fact follow up tiny streams to find new breeding grounds, food, love etc. They will also leave the water and cross dry ground for many miles searching for another stream or river.
Mabe some also need to know their fur bearers as preditors.
I am in NH and live off a tiny stream and we do have the occasional otter here, in season the Trappers have taken them out of our stream.
Never assume you know everything there is to know, especially where as we all know the meaning of the word assume.

 

[cgmccary]

Very sad for you, hmmmm,

but Otters? That will be a FIRST I've heard of River Otters attacking & killing chickens. They eat mostly rough fish, but also crayfish, frogs . . . BUT CHICKEN? Come now. You live on the edge of a body of water or stream? Might you have your animals mixed up?

River Otters have webbed feet, are about 2.5 feet head and body length with at least a 1 foot tail foot (12-17 inches) for animal with a total length of about 40 inches (MORE THAN 3 FEET)-- some are even close to 4 feet long & you had 3 of those large creatures in your chicken coop?-- how'd they even get in?

{If it is a Sea Otter you are talking about, then they are a protected species-- federally-- you can't kill 'em}

Mind you that even a Red Fox has a shorter head and body than a River Otter. Perhaps you had 3 Minks? Shoot the Minks.

 

[Sillystunt]

so sorry

I say mink~ But you saw them

 

[redhen]

Otter!

I hope we dont have any of them here...I live right by a river..

 

[WisconsinChick]

I dont think it was an otter!!! Do they even do that?

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

aaaaaaaaaw im sooooo sorry

 

[Imp]

Wenatchee is not near any sea or ocean. Pretty much in the center of Washington State. There's a mountain range and a couple hundred miles to get to the coast. Do sea otters travel up rivers? There is a river that runs right through Wenatchee. If I remember correctly I think I saw an old show on PBS a couple months ago about river otters in Yellowstone??? and they went after small mammals as well, and a fox. Ran the fox off. Maybe they were just being playful otters.

Imp- So sorry for your loss ADRIANNA.

 

[beefy]

they eat ducks.