The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Shropshirelass on April 06, 2013, 10:53:50 am
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What is best way to get rid of flaming mink! So far in 2 days I've had my last hen turkey killed & nearly all our hens in the hen house, Do I trap it & get someone to shoot it as its really getting to be a major nuisance?!?
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They are easy to trap
http://www.diy-pest-control.co.uk/mink-pestid-61.php&filter=control (http://www.diy-pest-control.co.uk/mink-pestid-61.php&filter=control)
the biggest problem them is killing them afterwards. The humane method is to shoot them in the trap (don't get your fingers near them!).
the inhumane way is to pick up the whole trap (with something like a garden fork) with them in it and put it under water until they have drowned.
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We have mink traps set to TRY and catch it. It comes and goes at various times of the year but only ever take one bird. Sits and picks out its quarry and then nips out, snatches it and off it goes. It once went into the hen house and took one straight of the nest :rant: :rant: :rant: .
I'm PM'ing you too ;)
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For mink, you need to buy some Mk 6 Fenn traps, the Mk 4's are really too small.
Here are some pictures of the tunnels that I make and use to set the Fenn traps in. By law, quite sensibly you're not allowed to use them out in the open. Unlike the illegal gin trap, the Fenn is designed to kill by crushing the whole of the target species body cavity. The gin was a leg hold trap.
This is part of an article that I wrote sometime ago.
This is a likely spot for setting a trap. Its at the back of one of my chicken sheds which has a little ditch come soak away to take the rain water from the roof. Any visiting vermin would be quite likely to have a quick scoot along what would appear to it to be a natural highway.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q1-1.jpg)
Here are three unset Fenns.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q2-1.jpg)
Heres one of the simple tunnels that I mentioned earlier.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q3-1.jpg)
Here's the inside of the tunnel to give you an idea of its construction.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q4-1.jpg)
Heres the Fenn in almost the set position. The jaws have been pressed apart and the safety mechanism is now keeping them open.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q5-1.jpg)
A blurred finger showing the safety mechanism.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q6-1.jpg)
The foot plate is then set but the safety is still kept on. Note the peg which the trap is anchored to the ground with.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q8-1.jpg)
The trap is set in the ditch sideways to the tunnel entrances. Now and only now do you release the safety.
The white wire is my electric fence that i have to keep foxes at bay. It doesn't work for mink, rats or stoats.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q10-1.jpg)
The trap is fixed with a peg and the tunnel placed carefully over it. The tunnel prevents non target species from being caught in the trap.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q11-1.jpg)
I've placed a couple of strategically placed stones to try and guide my prey towards the tunnel and the waiting trap.
(http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m180/kcooper2006/farmyard/q12-1.jpg)
Thats about it then. its not rocket science but do watch your fingers. :innocent:
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Its thanks to Over The Gate that we went down the Fenn Trap route and followed all his advice. Still haven't caught the b*****d, but got a fair few rats in the interim and no sign of the mink for ages now (that's gonna be the kiss of death now, isn't it !!) :thumbsup:
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Just watch your fingers. A Fenn 4 may bruise them but a genuine Fenn 6 will break them (there are copies and the 6 has the same spring as the 4). Legally they must be covered and checked every day. Over here you have to get a licence to trap- which means a written and practical exam.
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I was after something more like a fox trap as with the fenn traps we have cats around the farm so thats a no go ???
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The hole at either end of the tunnel is made way too small to allow access by a cat.