Unknown predator killing my baby chicks (IN ENGLAND)

[Cherlyn]

Quote:
The area is reinforced very well - but I failed to lock the coop up last night.

My bad.

~Cherlyn

 

[Cherlyn]

What we have around here:

Foxes
Mink
Stoat/weasel
Cats

I will call my vet to see if they can help me out.

~Cherlyn

 

[Bizzybirdy]

WOW! No racoons in England???

I need to move there.

I HATE racoons!

Hope you get whatever it is.

 

[Cherlyn]

Quote:
Nope, none, but plenty of weasels! I think a stoat got to my chicks, in fact. But hopefully we shall see. And I hear weasels can dig.

That is not good.

~Cherlyn

 

[sfw2]

My first thought was weasel or stoat, too. Particularly when I looked Alconbury up on a map, and saw that there's a nearby "Ermine Business Park".

And you know how to tell the difference between an weasel and a stoat, right?

 

[Cherlyn]

Quote:
What is the significance of the business park??? Ermine is the name of the street that runs along it. The business park has lots of shops and... well, yeah, businesses.

No, how do I tell?

~Cherlyn

 

[sfw2]

An ermine is a member of the weasel family. Their winter coat is white, with a black tail-tip. They use the tails to trim royal robes.

And sorry, but the identification of weasel versus stoat is a really old, really bad joke:

A Weasel is weaselly recognized, but a Stoat is stoatally different.

You may groan, now.

 

[sfw2]

And whatever your predator turns out to be, I hope you manage to catch/exterminate it successfully.

Good luck!

 

[Cherlyn]

Quote:

Nicely done!

Hm, well, I hope to be rid of this guy soon! Apparently he has made off with several of the village ducklings as well.

~Cherlyn

 

[PortageGirl]

Quote:
ROFLOL You BETTER hide under a chair!!! Yes, I'm groaning while I'm L-ling OL!

I suppose the mistake about the 'business park' could be excused, there used to be a mink farm nearby, about 30 years ago in fact, that got sold/abandoned. We now have mink all over because towards the end of the farm's life, the owners let the 'unsaleable' ones go, not to mention the ones that simply escaped over the years.

We are quite rural, and there's still people who trap for fur, so yes, they get thinned and avoid humans, but we have mink that would love a chicken dinner if it was easy enough!