The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Chris01 on March 10, 2022, 09:40:42 pm
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Ive just had another visit from the mink today, he got a rooster and couple of hens. Last time he cleared out a shed of young turkeys and quail.
Any suggestions on handling this in the future?
Last time this happened; about 6 months ago and in a different county completely, (moved since then) I bought a mink trap and had it set up in the turkey shed and feed store with a carpet over it. I used raw fish/ cooked chicken in the trap but no luck!
Keep in mind, last time this happened the mink was still in the shed when I discovered the dead turkeys. This time around, I didn't get a look at him and the hens were free ranging and the bodies left scattered.
Any help welcome, thanks!
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How do you know it was a mink if you didn't see it?
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Leaving the bodies scattered around sounds like a fox. Could you see torn flesh? The scourge of free rangeing.
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... or a badger.... (but they are usually at dusk or very early in the morning). Depending where you are - otters and pine martins are also partial to a free chicken dinner.
Electric netting (on mains rather than battery) is - in my experience - the only relatively safe solution, and of course a very strict shutting-in time).
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Sorry to hear you have lost some birds, it is always very upsetting :hug:
First time I lost birds, we assumed fox but it turned out to be a local Jack Russell. Chicken Knox was erected thereafter, and the chickens safely enclosed (in mahoosive pen, 3 times larger than needed to comply with "free range" standards) whenever we were were away from the premises (plus automatic pophole closers to keep them safe overnight, in case the electric fence ever shorted out or the fence battery was flat and we didn't notice.)
So yes, a bit of sleuthing might be required to identify the species of the culprit. Scattered bodies (as opposed to a line of bodies) less likely to be mink than other predators, I think. Can you identify bite marks? That will usually help. Also any footprints if there is any mud about.
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This time around, no I didn't get a look at him. Reason I'm thinking mink was that the head's were off/ small bites to the neck which was the previous case with the turkeys and quail.
It could of well been a fox or badger as their a regular sight around here but would these not have taken the dead with them as a feed rather than rip the heads and leave?
I'll take steps in both directions. The fence could be an option as i have a spare solar set up, just need to get mesh! I could also try a fully enclosed pen but would love to keep them out and about in the chicken tractor if I can
In terms of baiting the mink trap, is smelly fish the best way to go ?
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Foxes will kill for fun and leave the dead birds.
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When we had fox attacks in the UK (confirmed by sighting) they always killed all the chickens in the pen and took the heads off, then took one and left the rest.
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I'll take steps in both directions. The fence could be an option as i have a spare solar set up, just need to get mesh! I could also try a fully enclosed pen but would love to keep them out and about in the chicken tractor if I can
If you run electric netting on a solar charger then you could keep them in a chicken tractor kind of set up, just more work on moving them along (with the fence). But you need to make siure that the charge in the fence doesn't drop on cloudy days - I don't know much aboput them as we run ours off mains.
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Maybe the fox then. The mink has just got a bad name for itself I guess. Usually my border collie is free around the yard too but on that day we were both away.
Thanks for your replies !
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Bait the trap with a dead hen. No point in using fish if he's after chicken .....
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A few options for finding what you are dealing with.
Firstly and cheaply, lay a layer of sand down by the exterior of the chickens enclosure you should be able to see footprints or scat.
Or a trailcam, I've spent a fair bit on them in the past and they have been unreliable, but you can have a three year guarantee with Aldi which is most welcome with this tech:
https://www.aldi.co.uk/wildlife-camera/p/715253571066700
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Don't know where in the country you are but up here in the Highlands I've had 2 visits from the local pine martin. First time it took 5 birds and then on Xmas morning all 10 had been killed and the bloody thing was still in the arc.
So I took the executive decision to borrow a large trap, caught the evil so and so and drove 30 miles away and dumped him/her in a very rural and no chickens new abode!
Pine Martins will go for the eggs mainly but will do exactly like foxes and kill just for the heck of it.
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If you are in Scotland, you ay be able to get help here https://www.invasivespecies.scot/
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... Pine Martins will go for the eggs mainly but will do exactly like foxes and kill just for the heck of it.
I once read that foxes kill whatever they can when they can so that they can come back to casually pick up another bit of prey they've already killed. I'm not sure how that theory developed (thinking about the few wild-prey circumstances when a fox might be able to do that leading to it becoming a learned and in-grained behaviour), but it doesn't sound impossible. Perhaps Pine Martin or Mink have the same mentality/instinct !??