Otter, mink or weasel attack!!!

[North Casceggs]

Wow how awfull. I lived in Wenatchee for 20+ years and while I've seen river otters preying on fish (esp. in the fish ladder at Rocky Reach Dam) I've never hear of them attaking chickens! Hope you do some heavy pred proofing so you don't loose anymore to whatever it is!

 

[mmwb]

Otters are common throughout a great portion of the US. In some states they are protected, in others they can be trapped as furbears (in season, with a license). Check YOUR state laws regarding animals in your area and exemptions for damage control.

I'm sure an otter would be glad to make a meal of a chicken, but wouldn't expect it to be a common experience unless the coop is very close to a major waterway. They, like coon, are tenacious beasts with an amazing amount of strenth for their size. As stated above, they are large relative to mink or the diminutive weasel. If you are in an areas with mink farms, they occasionally have escapes and those mink will be signficantly larger than the wild ones.

 

[Scott]

There are river otters.... we have them in this area of the country. You must live near a river or major creek. Sorry about your loss.

 

[ADRIANNA]

It happen again!!!
I don't know for sure if it was an otter or something else ( it is really fast) But this morning I went to the coop to feed my chickens and ohhh god I found my flock dead!!! all of them, I am crying as I write this. What animal is it!! They are all headless and blood everywhere, this ANIMAL killed my flock, 47 chickens

I though it was an otter because I saw it going into the river, but now I am not so sure. I live a few feet from the river.

I don't know what to do???
I don't have any chickens anymore!!!

 

[Sillystunt]

FIRST, i am soooo sorry

ok, now for the hard lesson! Your set up was not predator proof. I know, it happens! I am so sorry, i am tearing up for you!

If you get more chickens and please do! ELECTRIC fence or netting! Zap those sucked right in the

Wild animals are clever and once they know where the free food is they will come back!

Please don't give up! Take this as a lesson, a very hard one. it will get better, i promise....give yourself time to grieve

 

[Sitka]

I'm extremely sorry for your loss.

 

[BluegrassSeramas]

Bloodthirsty stupid mink!!!!!!!!!!!

Im SOOOOO Sorry!

 

[Wolf-Kim]

If the chickens are headless, I have to agree that it sounds like a weasel or a mink. They are NOTORIOUS for mass killings and eating just the necks or heads.

I am soo sorry for you loss. My coop is dog, coon, coyote, and fox proof, but if a weasel or a mink shows up, I'm done. They are just so small and vicious, that unless you make your entire coop hardwire cloth, make it dig proof with hardwire cloth and close any gaps that have just a few inches of space. Weasels are the size of ferrets, and can literally squeeze or climb into just about everything.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

It's a mink. They are semi-aquatic and are vicious killers that almost never eat a majority of what they kill.

Here is your killer.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mink

It says they are seldom found far from water, which expains it escaping to the river. I don't put it past an otter, but this is a CLASSIC case of a weasel or mink.

Trap it and kill it.

-Kim

 

[robbdebbie]

I am so sorry for your loss. I hope that you can find the courage to start over again.