[roddycm]

I have had an awful week. Yesterday a large wild ferret (not a true ferret see below) got into the bantam coups somehow and all my bantams have died! It only killed a couple but it seems the rest just died from the fright. I have never lost birds to predators before as my houses are very secure but this awful animal got in somehow and now all my breeding birds are dead. Its so sad. I had SL wyandottes, two types of modern game and black silkies. About 20 animals in total.

I managed to find the culprit, which struck bold as brass in broad daylight. I dispatched him and now I just have to start again. I am going to put the new houses on stilts. So gutted though. I get very fond of my animals as I am sure you all do, so its a hard loss. Has anyone else experienced animals dying of fright/shock like this?

Here is a link to what they look like for any one interested > http://www.savedarwinsfrogs.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/4.jpg Its rather like a honey badger. They are tough as anything and extremely vicious. They are part of the mustelid family and therefore related to ferrets, but they are nothing like our ferrets in the UK.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_grison

[Kimbo]

Jeeez! Is that what killed your birds? Its massive...at least the 1st one is.
Where the hell did that come from? Has someone released it?
I had no idea these things were roaming around the UK.
Im really sorry for your loss

[roddycm]

Hey, I should have clarified! I have moved to Argentina! Those b*stards roam free here, there has been a population explosion apparently! I am not sure how I am going to keep them away! The dogs are scared of them because they will just bite them on the nose and hang on! They are incredibly tough creatures. Amazing really, I just hope his friends don't come back for whats left of my large fowl!

[roddycm]

I also add that they absolutely stink! An acrid vile odour that is hard to describe.

[Marches Farmer]

We have polecat-ferret crossbreeds around here.  Our Border Collies once cornered one outside the dairy but wouldn't go close enough to attack it.  Very wise!  Is your coop on soil? Those varmints look as though they could dig the Channel Tunnel.. Most of our coops and runs are on concrete and I lay railway sleepers around the edges of any coops on soil.

[Stereo]

I had a fox attack a while back and one hen was just dead in the nest box with not a mark. I assume she just expired at the sound of what was going on outside. I would have thought some low level electric fence is your best bet. Can you trap them?

[roddycm]

I have cats so would worry about traps! But a low electric fence would be a good idea for sure!

My coops are old dog kennels so are made from bricks and cement and have a concrete floor! I thought they were predator proof but now I know different

[chrismahon]

Sorry to hear that Roddycm- sounds like a really tough place to keep chickens. The odd one may die of fright, or a heart attack essentially. But I think it more likely that in the ensuing panic there were a lot of internal injuries that were not immediately evident.

[DavidandCollette]

I lost twenty chickens yesterday.  I thought initially it was a Fox but after local discussions I now think it was mink we do seem to have a lot around here.
Sad day

[waterbuffalofarmer]

A type of skunk perhaps? Maybe you should put electricfied wire on the bottom of the fencing round the pen, that would sort em wouldnt it?

[roddycm]

I lost twenty chickens yesterday.  I thought initially it was a Fox but after local discussions I now think it was mink we do seem to have a lot around here.
Sad day

Mink are in the same family as this creature! Sorry to hear about your hens,  I know exactly how you must feel. A sad day indeed


And yes,  I am putting an electric fence around the bottom ASAP

I have a broody and have set her with a few ow my bantam eggs I had collected before they were all killed. I am just hoping some hatch. It's winter here so pretty cold but I will know in 19 more days!

[Kimbo]

good luck roddy.
I feel for you. If you were in UK you cd have my Wyandottes free of charge

[roddycm]

good luck roddy.
I feel for you. If you were in UK you cd have my Wyandottes free of charge

  Thanks for the kind thought!!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Am so sorry for your loss. Did the animal have a collar on it? Am asking cause rabbiters sometimes lose ferrets and they have collars.