We think it's a mink...now what!?

[bobbi-j]

Mink can also carry off chickens. My neighbor had that eperience. She saw the animal in her coop, and we don't have fishers around here.

 

[silkielover88]

My boyfriend traps and sells furs in the winter so yes we know it's a mink. It's a small female, body length is a little over 12in.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

There ya go.

 

[Toons]

Ah ok, it looked larger in the cage. Or I'm assuming the cage is larger...

any way

No fishers, no fishers.

 

[patvetzal]

I always figure that if it makes its own hole, it's a raccoon (or a red squirrel)

 

[Kerwood]

Minks are no fun!

Here is ours...

http://www.billkerwood.com/?p=1174

 

[19disbre]

A mink or weasel are so light, they aren't likely to leave tracks. They're also too light to trip a #1 leg trap, possibly a #0 if you can find one.
That's why the conibears are better.
They can climb and anything but 1/2" or smaller hardware cloth or expanded metal will keep them out. Predators scoff at chicken wire and netting.

Also, rest assured, you have more than 1. I killed one and the next night I caught another killing chickens in another building.

Just before I lost the 5 flocks of chickens last summer. (one each night) I had 2 broody hens free ranging with their chicks. In 2 days the mink killed all the chicks in the middle of the day.

The difference between a #1 and #0 is just jaw spread and most trap companies use the same spring on both trap and thats what makes the difference they will trip either trap, I trap also

 

[19disbre]

My thought exactly! I have the live trap set with a dead chicken and still nothing has been caight. We're setting up a bunch to catch mink today. We did see where it went after it ran out the door. It's got a nice little hole in the barn bords where it's been going in and out of the lower part of the barn, which is a totally separate area, but still, good place to set a trap

Mink do not go after dead animals in traps, their killing instinct is based on the prey's movement and panic. At least that's what I know.

True to an extent, If there is live birds you will not catch them with bait period. You must blind set them, footholds and conibears work 10x better, not saying a live trap won't work though, find his way(s) into the coop set them with 110's or 120s should I repeat should not will, be dead next time he returns which can be up to 3 weeks

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The difference between a #1 and #0 is just jaw spread and most trap companies use the same spring on both trap and thats what makes the difference they will trip either trap, I trap also

Thanks, I did not know that.

 

[newsleet]

Caught this on a IP camera I set up after losing 6 hens, think it"s a weasel
took 3 days to catch it in a live trap I framed into the coop door, I think I'll put the trap back up to see if he has any friends.
Didn't use any bait but the rest of the hens were in the coop