Weasel

[WthrLady]

Kill it if you catch it.
Did it get them in a coop, or.....??
If so, tighten up your coop security.

Same family, yep...do other weasels have webbing too, or just mink?

Only the mink, who is semiaqautic, has webbed toes.

 

[Tuhmu]

Hi Tuhmu, I'm also in ND and currently having trouble with a mink. although it left my silkies alone (they free range the barn) it took out 90% of my guineas (all roosters) 9 of them in one night. I currently set up 3 live traps using them as bait. any other suggestions?

Sorry to hear that. You're doing pretty much everything I did. Though the one thing different is that mine was actually living under the hen house. So I was able to put one of the live traps right in front of the hole he had dug.

I'm not sure if that's a common thing for a mink/weasel (or whatever it is)...to move in like that? Maybe you could see if you see any tracks in the snow, to find out where he comes/goes from and then set one in line with that.

 

[WthrLady]

Baiting with fish is even more effective.

 

[Howard E]

Sorry to hear that. You're doing pretty much everything I did. Though the one thing different is that mine was actually living under the hen house. So I was able to put one of the live traps right in front of the hole he had dug.

I'm not sure if that's a common thing for a mink/weasel (or whatever it is)...to move in like that? Maybe you could see if you see any tracks in the snow, to find out where he comes/goes from and then set one in line with that.

Out of curiosity, PRIOR to the mink moving in, did you have any issues with mice or rats that you know of?

 

[pepe1]

I had a mink kill one of my hens this spring, used her as bait in a havahart trap and the mink was in there next morning, i put the barrel of my 22 in the cage and he bit it so i squeezed the trigger, problem solved but they are vicious.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I also had some sort of weasel go on a killing spree in my run. Killed 10 out of 16, 7 of which out right and the other three I had to put down. I did what I could, which was to shore up my defenses. I haven't had an attack since ((knocking on wood.))

 

[Tuhmu]

Out of curiosity, PRIOR to the mink moving in, did you have any issues with mice or rats that you know of?

Not that I can recall, not a major problem anyway.

 

[SimoneG]

Out of curiosity, PRIOR to the mink moving in, did you have any issues with mice or rats that you know of?

not at all. I have 8 pretty effective barn cats. I do live on 30 acres and with the wet summer I do have a large lake in the back pasture now. I know a gal about 5 miles away had trouble with mink last year. they are surrounded by water.

I had a mink kill one of my hens this spring, used her as bait in a havahart trap and the mink was in there next morning, i put the barrel of my 22 in the cage and he bit it so i squeezed the trigger, problem solved but they are vicious.

I ended up using my dead guineas as bait in live traps. set 4 traps. I caught him! (and 3 cats ) Nasty thing! He also bit at the barrel so the trigger was squeezed. The guy that comes around and picks up hides traded me a pair of gloves for him. apparently they aren't worth much anymore. (mink farms & people not wearing fur have taken the price down) He said it was one of the biggest males he had seen in 50 years of trapping.

 

[SimoneG]

Here he is. Pretty but nasty.

 

[WthrLady]

WHoA! he is a big one!