Chicken Life

[Tailfeathers]

Well, it finally happened to me.  This potlicker got 40 of my juveniles down in the lower coop 2 days ago.  Mostly pullets too.  I had just sold 40 cockerels last weekend and was down to mostly pullets.  Thank God it didn’t get my one Welsummer cockerel that I kept.   He’s a beauty!  Best one I’ve ever had.  Pretty excited about taking him to the show in November.  He also didn't get the 5mo BW cockerel I saved.  I don't know if he'll be a breeder yet or not but he's a possibility. 

You’ll probably notice it’s a female.  Teats were dry but I’m leaving the trap out for another day or two.  Btw, I went to look for a fresher bird to put in the trap and all 40 birds that I chucked over the fence are gone!  Hated to do that but they just weren't big enough to be worth the time and effort to butcher or even breast out.  Amazing that all 40 would be gone in just one day.  I imagine the coyotes got most, ff not all of them, but I also had buzzards sitting on the fence posts outside the coop.  Which was the first sign that told me something was wrong.

When I think of all the time, effort, and expense I put into raising those birds up just to 3-4mos old it is VERY depressing.   They were mostly EEs but it also pert near cleaned me out of the Spangled & Mahogany Russian Orloffs.  Then there's money that was thrown away. I was selling the pullets for $15-20 each.   

I’m gonna try to find a taxidermist and see how much it’ll cost to get a full mount made so I can remember that such is Chicken Life.

[Jessica Rodgers]

Oh no! I’m so sorry! Glad you got the culprit.  Those things are my worst nightmare.

[Mike Gilbert]

So glad you got the culprit.   After we moved here in 1978, I saw two mink in the back yard the next spring.  Have not seen one since.   Thanks for sharing your story.   

[Christopher Bodin]

When you have it stuffed, have it mounted to the outside of the coop as a warning to others  I'm sorry that happened to your flock. We had a raccoon problem a few months ago. Predation is always frustrating.

[John W Blehm]

Did it look like she killed them all or maybe many piled on top each other and died?  Did she eat some or just go on a killing streak?

[Tailfeathers]

She killed them all, John.  Heads were missing on some.  Most were drug out and under the coop to the back where she tried to pull them thru the fence.  A few where still inside the coop.  Other than the few with missing heads the only one really eaten on was the one in the trap after I caught her.

[John W Blehm]

It or they killed 42 of my bantams and 6 large fowl last night.  The biggest one day loss for me in many years.  I hadn't seen a mink here in nearly 40 years, but yesterday afternoon my son and I were sitting in the backyard and watched one go thru the yard from one section of woods to another.  I've had a few coon and possum problems in the spring, but they only killed the few they could reach thru the fence.  This mink killed mostly in two outside pens, but also went into the coops and killed one there or maybe the chicken was able to get inside before dying. 
I figured the mink got thru the 2 by 4" welded wire, but after examining the wire I found some of it loose enough, were it is stapled to a 2 by 4, for a critter to crawl in.  I added a lot more staples!
The good news is it didn't get any of my bantam buffs...yet. 

[John W Blehm]

I've added leg traps, live traps and "other stuff", but the mink is ahead 63 to zero.  Sunday morning 7 more bantams were dead and it actually came around and killed 5 more late in the afternoon.  This morning 3 LF lavenders and 1 LF black were added to the list.
I've built a wooden box to put a couple traps into and I'm hoping get some revenge soon. 

[Mike Gilbert]

Wow!   Sorry to hear that.    You might have to set up at night with a shotgun.   Where there is one, there is bound to be more.   If you have any pets, try setting out poison in a place where other animals can't get. 

[Russ Blair]

John Minks natural inquisitiveness makes them investigate any hole or tunnel. So I have found a short piece of 4” corrugated pipe works great for trapping them. Just put a slight bend in it so you can’t see straight through it, place either a leg hold or cut a slot in it for a 120 conibear at each end. Short pieces of rebar work for shaping and pinning the pipe down. Mink will naturally walk through it looking for a meal.

[Tailfeathers]

Sorry for your loss, John.  I got mine the 2nd night she came back.  She's now a nice mount sitting on my bookcase.  Thankfully, I've had no more show up but I have little doubt it's only a matter of time.  Hopefully it'll be another 10yrs or so.

Btw, I doubt it'll make a difference but I got her the second night in a box trap with one of the carcasses she had killed the night before.  Set up in back of the coop along the fence where she had piled all the others up.  Tossed them all over the fence in the back corner and they were ALL gone the next night.  Coyotes ate good that night.

[John W Blehm]

I talked to Bill Wulff of the Poultry Press the other day and he said the 1st night of mink attach, a few years ago, claimed 61 birds.  It was months later before they trapped one.
From some online searches I learned many use #110 Conibear traps for mink and place them in wooden boxes.  A friend said old plastic mailboxes work too.   Most use 1 by 8" lumber (3/4" x 7 1/2"), putting a trap by the opening and bait in the back.  After getting ideas from several I came up with the idea of having live bait in the middle with traps at openings on both ends.  I made two that are 42" long with a wire bottom in the middle where the live chicken goes.  Let me know if you would like more details.
I haven't seen or caught a mink yet, but I'll have traps on hand for any future visits.  As the county drain that runs thru my property dried up I believe the mink has moved down closer to water.  On the bright side I have killed at least 6 coons over the past couple weeks!     

[John W Blehm]

It was too time consuming housing live birds in the trap boxes, so I cut one double trap box and made two singles out of it.  I've placed them just inside a couple chicken pens and cut away the wire, of the pens, so a mink or other varmint will feel invited to walk in.  I haven't caught anything lately, but these require no upkeep and I plan to leave them permanently.
I do block the openings when small kids come over, just so they don't get a foot or hand in a trap.