weasle question

[rrrmamma]

I lost a rooster this week to a predator during the day. We were gone all day and came home to find one of my roos dead in the run.. we assumed it was the neighbors dog because we saw dog tracks, but when my husband retreived the bird only it's neck was eaten. Everything else was intact. My neighbor suggested it might be a weasle or mink. we have both but I thought they were nocturnal. Any ideas on what would just eat the neck and esophagus?

 

[Nslangton]

Sorry about the rooster. It was probably a mink. They sunbath on a bridge during the day at our house often. They can fit through a pretty small opening. Usually only weasels and minks eat the throat of chickens

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

It could have been a weasel or a mink. I've lost a couple of birds to them (only at night, but I've seen them playing in the river during the day), but nothing was eaten off of them. When I found the dead birds the looked flat/deflated. The weasels and mink drink up all of their blood leaving them squished looking. Now, the chickens I've lost to hawks looked like you are describing. The hawk stripped all of the neck feathers and skin to get to the breast meat. Sorry about your loss...

 

[animals1981]

you really think a weasel can kill a rooster during the day? My cat has killed them they are pretty easy to kill and not big at all.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

A Mink is much larger, and can kill things like Muskrats.
A Rooster would be easy

 

[rrrmamma]

Thanks for the replys. I'm glad I didn't approach the neighbors, since I didn't see their dogs. My cat has brought in small weasles and my friends that trap tell me we have mink. Guess I will set my small trap and see if I get anything. What would be good bait? I use tuna for racoons, but don't know if that would work for weasles.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Chicken livers, fresh and bloody are good for weasels

A Mink is one of the larger members of the weasel family

 

[darin367]

i caught weasels using the dead chicken carcusses that the coons killed......... now if i could out smart the coons i'd be happy!!!!

 

[duckinnut]

Mink was the first thing that came to my mind. Sorry to hear you lost your Roo but count your blessings. I had a friend lose 7 in one day to mink or minks. They didn't even eat most of them just killed them for fun.

 

[rrrmamma]

Lost two more hens night before last. We found a hole under the eaves that something could have gotten in. Again they just ate the neck and part of the head. Hole has been patched and no losses last night.