What animal does this?

[Gray Farms]

Sounds like a weasel to me.

 

[NewBoots]

Mink or weasel would be my guess. There are both where we are moving to with a winter stream to attract them even if they aren't plotting the destruction of my flock. I am more and more convinced that I'll need to see to that.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Good luck catching that nasty critter and with protecting the rest of your flock!

 

[wigs]

Nothing again yesterday. And no sign of tracks anywhere on the fresh snow fall. Or maybe its been too darn cold. This week promises normal temps so we shall see.

I appreciate your input Kasilofchrisn, and I also appreciate the opinion of those that think we shouldn't kill them as we are the ones who have taken over their habitat. This is a debate that we have encountered many times over the last 6 years of dealing with these predators. We live in a rural area where we get everybody's unwanted. Cats, dogs, roosters and yes raccoons. People drop them off in this area all the time. We even get jerks that dump their household garbage on the sides of the roads. We run a 1 acre homestead and work hard to raise and preserve our food. Raccoons are the most damaging to both livestock and vegetable gardens. Imagine the horror of finding 8 birds, ALIVE, each missing a leg or wing, one missing a breast. Every couple of nights we would find more dead birds. There is 6500 acres of wetlands 25km from here plus many other areas where people don't live that we relocate. It is illegal to kill an animal in a live trap, it is illegal to relocate. It is illegal to kill it on your property then bury the carcass on Gov/Provincial property. It is illegal to put the carcass in the landfill. Animal rescue won't take them and vets won't lethal inject them in their office. A mobile vet for lethal injections cost large and do not take the carcass. We killed in the beginning but, staying up each night till they are all gone is not an option when you have to work in the morning. There is no balancing the scales on this topic. Whether you spread disease on your own property soil, livestock, or even children by a possible carrier or you take that possibility elsewhere and let Mother Nature and survival of the fittest take over, I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. Public Works shovel up road kill and toss in the ditches of rural areas if they are small or take to the landfill (somehow they are allowed) if they are larger than a squirrel. City animal services are seen relocating all the time. Caught a truck full of empty cages parked by a wooded area near us. Called the police and they just shrugged. When I catch this weasel, be it by the nasty trap or the live trap I will relocate as per usual. It's my best option right now.
Wigs

 

[bobbi-j]

Sounds like electric fence would be a good thing for you to look into.

 

[micstrachan]

Sounds like a mink or weasel. Wait, rats can kill adult chickens? Yikes; we’ve got a big one inside the run and have set a trap. Honestly, I thought in daylight a rat wouldn’t stand a chance against a flock of 9 chickens. Is there danger in both the day and night?

 

[wigs]

Sounds like electric fence would be a good thing for you to look into.

Yes I am starting to think that is our best bet for the meat birds. We did pick up some electric fence in the fall with the plans on setting it up around the pig pen this spring (darn pigs love to dig under their fencing). Now I'm thinking that we should use it for the chickens and grab another for the pigs. Last year, (actually every year) we renovated the chicken house for the meat birds but this time it worked. We also set live traps every night in their run and catch the predators before they get the idea of breaking into the closure. Last year we didn't suffer any losses. But there is always a flaw in the system as we discover. A hungry animal is pretty darn smart and seem to enjoy showing us how creative it can be. Stupid humans!

 

[wigs]

Sounds like a mink or weasel. Wait, rats can kill adult chickens? Yikes; we’ve got a big one inside the run and have set a trap. Honestly, I thought in daylight a rat wouldn’t stand a chance against a flock of 9 chickens. Is there danger in both the day and night?

I personally haven't had a problem with the rats after my big birds. It was when I had my chicks. I had 50 chicks at the time and they were maybe 3 weeks old when the rats discovered them.