White mink

[Shadrach]

What gauge would keep them out?

16 guage minimum is what I would be looking at.
The only sure method of keeping rats out is not to have food in the run to attract them. Yup, I know it isn't practical for many keepers but it works.

https://www.weld-mesh.com/welded-mesh/10011-galvanised-weld-mesh-1-2-x-1-2-16g-4ft-x-30m

 

[Squawkers]

16 guage minimum is what I would be looking at.
The only sure method of keeping rats out is not to have food in the run to attract them. Yup, I know it isn't practical for many keepers but it works.

https://www.weld-mesh.com/welded-mesh/10011-galvanised-weld-mesh-1-2-x-1-2-16g-4ft-x-30m

Thanks! So you think anything 16 or thicker would keep them out? Or is there still a risk?

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks! So you think anything 16 or thicker would keep them out? Or is there still a risk?

There is always a risk. What heavy gauge welded mesh will do is reduce the risk, not eliminate it

 

[gimmie birdies]

I locked down my hens, (4) they are in a coop 10'x12'. They had a favorite roost forever on the west side of the coop. I laid in my bed and thought of of an electrical hole I had in the SW wall to feed plug in for a light/water heater. I thought I am going to bring in an SOS pad to shove in that hole, (as big as a toilet paper tube.) I didn't want the weasel getting in there, so in the night I went out to the coop, the hen's were roosting on the east wall that night, and I think with my locking down the coop, the weasel was probably peeking at them through that SW hole.

 

[gimmie birdies]

This morning I when to the coop gate, I opened it, I saw one of the big spring rat traps, that I had baited with chicken meat, near the gate, not where I left it, and it had some blood on it, (the chicken meat was not bloody) and by where the blood was a bit of flesh(from the mink/weasel) left behind in the spring trigger thing. I am not sure where on the mink/weasel's body it was caught, but it dragged that trap quite a ways, and then used the gate wire to pull off the trap.below gate by the driveway, coop under tall tree to the left.

The chicken meat was missing from the trap. Weasel flesh in left corner

I see a few black hairs, it may have only caught the tail portion of the weasel, since it was all white with black tipped tail.

I had a skunk trap set up too, it was too small to trigger, but it ate all the flesh off this chicken bone.

I did look around and didn't see any trail of blood.

 

[McChooky]

This morning I when to the coop gate, I opened it, I saw one of the big spring rat traps, that I had baited with chicken meat, near the gate, not where I left it, and it had some blood on it, (the chicken meat was not bloody) and by where the blood was a bit of flesh(from the mink/weasel) left behind in the spring trigger thing. I am not sure where on the mink/weasel's body it was caught, but it dragged that trap quite a ways, and then used the gate wire to pull off the trap.below gate by the driveway, coop under tall tree to the left.
View attachment 4002465
The chicken meat was missing from the trap. Weasel flesh in left cornerView attachment 4002466I see a few black hairs, it may have only caught the tail portion of the weasel, since it was all white with black tipped tail.View attachment 4002469I had a skunk trap set up too, it was too small to trigger, but it ate all the flesh off this chicken bone.View attachment 4002470
I did look around and didn't see any trail of blood.

It'll probably crawl off and die fortunately

 

[gimmie birdies]

Nope- saw it run past me tonight, I put out more traps. WA suggests not re-releasing.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Try a rat trap with mackerel, works wonders.

I have successfully lured mink with mackerel but the Hav-a-hart trap couldn't contain the little Hudini.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Nope- saw it run past me tonight, I put out more traps. WA suggests not re-releasing.

Right! Most state agencies aren't fond of catch and release. If released in the same area(within the culprit's native range) it will be back. If released elsewhere, it won't know where to find food and water, it may have to fight existing wildlife for territory and most importantly, can introduce disease to the new range.
As a furbearer, there are separate harvesting regulations and trapping rules are different from hunting regs. In Missouri, a furbearer doing damage to livestock can be trapped and killed but they want to know about it. I suppose to track numbers and locations for conservation efforts.

 

[gimmie birdies]

Before anyone feels too bad for poor little mink-y, It just wiped out the last of my 4 young pullets. That is the end of my adult hens. I have nothing left but a goose. Is he next?

6 chickens total.