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??

 

[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.

 

[cgmccary]

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

Right. No, it could not have been Otters. Not possible unless they got loose from a zoo or something and were playing in the Coop. I suspect she doesn't know her mammals. Instead, it was probably that popular chicken killer, the MINK.​

 

[MissJenny]

Oh, how awful and completely devastating for you.

It probably doesn't matter what it was... though I am thinking muskrat, which can live in creeks and ponds, any ol' body of water will do. I'm not sure if muskrats eat chickens... but I wouldn't put anything past them.

I am hoping that however they got in you can shore up the weak places in your run so's you don't lose any more.

Big Hugs,
Jenny