The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: jameslindsay on May 28, 2009, 10:41:08 pm

Title: Otter
Post by: jameslindsay on May 28, 2009, 10:41:08 pm

I have just had the dogs out a walk accross the old bridge, the tide is quite far out so saw something swim about. At first thought it was a seal but it turned out it was an Otter, a huge one. Is this a threat to any of my birds?

Title: Re: Otter
Post by: northfifeduckling on May 28, 2009, 10:53:40 pm

It would surprise me here, but according to some pages American otters apparently do. I would have thought they were more into anything fishy.
:&>

Title: Re: Otter
Post by: Crofter on May 29, 2009, 07:53:24 am

We have quite a lot of otters here on Lewis and have never heard of one being a problem to anyone.
Enjoy them!

Dave

Title: Re: Otter
Post by: Fluffywelshsheep on May 29, 2009, 10:56:40 am

otters are mainly fish/shell fish eatters but they will take what ever is around eg eggs and stuff similiar, I don't think an otter would kill a bird but might finish it off if it come across a fresh kill

Linz

Title: Re: Otter
Post by: Birdie Wife on May 29, 2009, 04:01:45 pm

My neighbour had most of his ducks killed by an otter sadly.  His pond was part of a big ditch that ran through the farm which he had widened and dammed at one end.  He put out a trap and caught it but another neighbour found it and released it as it's illegal to trap them (I think). it was definitley an otter that killed the ducks and not a mink, there's no mink up here to my knowledge but it's swarming with otters. Not a lot you can do about it if it does take one of your birds (not sure if you have ducks). They're usually not a problem having said that, and it's the only otter-related predation incident I know of in poultry circles.