Weasles

[roosterhavoc]

This is her currently. Shes still a chick. But she lost one of her legs so shes much smaller than the others.

Hmm. Does kinda look like a weasel or a mink. How did she lose the leg? Where about do you live? State or country is fine. Weasels are much more prevalent in northern states.

 

[Folly's place]

Smaller and moving slower will make her a preferred target for any predator! Do keep your chickens inside until this one is eliminated, if possible.
Poor girl!
Mary

 

[Quiggy]

Hmm. Does kinda look like a weasel or a mink. How did she lose the leg? Where about do you live? State or country is fine. Weasels are much more prevalent in northern states.

Massachusetts, near New Hampshire. And it was an accident when we first got her, nothing to do with predators, it got caught on something and that was the only solution.

 

[Quiggy]

Smaller and moving slower will make her a preferred target for any predator! Do keep your chickens inside until this one is eliminated, if possible.
Poor girl!
Mary

Okay I will put them away. I feel very bad, I left the door open like I had before, I never thought it would happen. I'm new to homesteading so I guess its a learning curve.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Legally you can really only set cage traps in Mass but rat traps in a box work too. Bloody fresh meat works best for weasels and mink.
Sometimes they can be easy to catch but they can sometimes be impossible.
If you’re gonna free range birds it would help a ton if you trapped around your yard or even better allow someone else to do it that knows what they’re doing.

 

[Quiggy]

Legally you can really only set cage traps in Mass but rat traps in a box work too. Bloody fresh meat works best for weasels and mink.
Sometimes they can be easy to catch but they can sometimes be impossible.
If you’re gonna free range birds it would help a ton if you trapped around your yard or even better allow someone else to do it that knows what they’re doing.

Okay I'll definitely put traps around. I'll call and exterminator or wildlife control. I didn't know ours classified as free range sense they're in the yard, but that helps to know. Thank you!

 

[cmom]

Sad to say but when you free range, that is the risk you take. Sooner or later when free ranging you will loose a bird/birds. I'm sure the varmint will be back. I have several game cameras up. I love my cameras. I would set both live traps and rat traps. Look on YouTube. I saw a video not long ago about catching a weasel in a rat trap like @roosterhavoc said. Worked like a charm. Good luck...

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Do a Google search for your state’s trappers association. They may have a list available of licensed trappers to help you. These are experienced individuals who probably have the equipment, scents, and bait to specifically target the predators lurking around your flock. That is my best advice. They may be able to identify tracks in the area (take photos of any odd tracks you see for now maybe?). Get yourself a game camera to put outside the pen or a nest cam to help identify the potential predators.