Varmit stealing eggs

[MugsyM]

I looked out the window the other day and saw a varmit coming out of my duck house with an egg in its mouth. Yesterday my husband went into the house to check on a duck we have that has gone broody and is sitting round the clock. When he went in the varmit was in there, looked at him then ran. I looked it up and thought what I saw was a mink. He thought he saw a weasel but after looking at pictures, he now also thinks it was a mink. We have set a trap but I am worried and I don't understand why it isn't bothering my ducks. I have to figure out how to get rid of whatever it is and it certainly isn't shy about running around in daylight but not at any particular time of the day.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Get a havaheart ready but preaper to kill it

 

[Miss Lydia]

It will kill your birds, keep your birds locked up till you catch and dispatch it.

 

[Isaac 0]

x2! And more will be back after you kill this one.

 

[MugsyM]

I don't know what it is...it has been around for 2 weeks and only takes an egg. So far it hasn't bothered the ducks. I am getting ready to isolate the brooder in our maternity ward and I'm not sure how to protect her and her eggs and I'm not sure what the varmit is. I set the trap with sardines but wonder if I should just use an egg.

 

[MugsyM]

I am not built for this duck business. Reckon the humane society would track me down and return them if I drop them off in their field during the night?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please explain what you mean?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you tried to identify it by looking up predators of poultry on line?

 

[RichL]

Hi,
If you are done with duck, please just post them on Craig's List, Letgo or some other social media outlet. A few picks with a title like "Free Ducks, good egg producers" should do the trick.

As far as the predator goes, Mink, Ferret,Ermine, Polecat or Weasel, they are all carnivores and will go after the birds when an egg is there to take. You are lucky it is only taking 1 egg a day, it shows that it is smart enough not to kill the "golden duck" just for sport.

You can try a Have-A Hart trap baited with cat food, I also hear KFC chicken works very well. But unless you can make your entire duck run out of hardware cloth, it will likely get in again and again until dispatched.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please don’t dump your ducks out somewhere what @RickL recommends is the best way to rehome. They will be killed in one night if you go an dump them somewhere.