Lost our best layer hen last night

[scootrd]

This morning , I went down to the coop , sometime between midnight and 5 am we lost our New Hampshire red. My guess is either a fisher or mink. (I am ruling out an ermine as the whole carcass was carried off over a fence). two years ago we lost two silkies to an ermine one silkie each night until my ol gal Tessa could corner the ermine on the third night where it met it's demise via 22 rat shot.

Last year we lost a beautiful golden Buff the same way . Tessa and I never did catch that culprit though we did did see it return the second night (it was a medium sized fisher, I just could not get a shot off as it passed in front of barn door).

The tracks pads as far as I could follow them (lost them in the soft pine forest floor) are about the size of a Susan B. Anthony an from what I can discern though the impressions were not well defined (tracking across a frozen granular field) , claws were moderately small. Given the granular terrain the depth of the impressions were not deep. but if I had to hazard a guess the culprit weighs in maybe between 7 - 12 lbs

I will have to beef up the coop defence's today,  no doubt there will be a return visit tonight. unfortunately I will be at a dissadvantage in the darkness, ie: old eyes,  and my ol' gal Tessa passed away this past summer of old age. She was a great dog and great companion for many years and an awesome protector of what she claimed as her extended family and responsibility to care for .. chickens , goats, pigs etc..

and she loathed anything even remotely associated with the weasel family of critters.

[Sourdough]

Beef up the defenses on the coop, but also set out a bunch of snares or traps around the coop.  If you don't catch the  culprit, it will keep coming back till it finds a way into the coop.

I'd leave an opening in the coop for it to get in through.  Inside I would set one of those cage traps, in a way that the chickens could not get into it.  Then when the intruder comes in he will run into a familur place expecting an easy meal.  That will put it in the trap and spring it. 

[DDZ]

A few years ago a mink or minks got into my cousins pheasant pen and killed, if I remember right, about a hundred birds. They didn't really eat any of the birds just bit their throats and went on to kill another one. Rats will also kill young birds. My Grandfather used to raise chickens, and I remember him telling, that a day after he got some peeps, rats killed a bunch of them.   

[Dee]

Beef up the defenses on the coop, but also set out a bunch of snares or traps around the coop.  If you don't catch the  culprit, it will keep coming back till it finds a way into the coop.

I'd leave an opening in the coop for it to get in through.  Inside I would set one of those cage traps, in a way that the chickens could not get into it.  Then when the intruder comes in he will run into a familur place expecting an easy meal.  That will put it in the trap and spring it.

Now THAT! Is a good idea.

[KIMBER45]

A few years ago a mink or minks got into my cousins pheasant pen and killed, if I remember right, about a hundred birds. They didn't really eat any of the birds just bit their throats and went on to kill another one. Rats will also kill young birds. My Grandfather used to raise chickens, and I remember him telling, that a day after he got some peeps, rats killed a bunch of them.

I've heard that about minks. What causes them to do that?

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Kimber45:
  I've always heard that they are after the blood.
  HM
 

[Dee]

A lotta plain ole house cats will kill for fun like that.

[smokehouserex]

 
 
  Hello Dee:
  We used to have cats that would kill chipmonks and chew a hole in the side of their neck and never eat them.
  How do you get the reply to come to the thread as opposed to going to the GB post.
  thank you
  HM

[Dee]

 

[scootrd]

When the ermine took the silkies , that was their exact modus operandi. The ermine only took the neck , and left the carcass.

In this case the NH Red last night , she was a pretty heavy Hen , appears she put up a fight of sorts before succumbing Judging from amount of lost feathers everywhere , and once done in she was carried off over the fence whole .  so I'm still guessing fisher or mink.

It's times like this I miss my ol gal Tessa. I could have put her out for the night, turned in.  and in the morning chances are problem would have been resolved, and all she would have asked for in return was a good pat on the head, a little praise,  a good dog treat, and a warm place by the woodstove to get some much needed rest. 

well in any case , coop has been fortified , Gun loaded, have binocs  by window, and I placed a small light on down by the coop in hopes to catch a moving shadow,  I will stay up till about 1am in hopes of catching the culprit.

Maybe for the new year I should think of getting another dog , but then again it's hard when you have already had the best companion you could ever have.

[tigger]

Can't  believe a mink can take a fully grown hen over the fence.   Biggest threat here is hawks when they're out free rangeing, and the occasional loose dog.   Coons and possums, maybe.    Had a German Shepherd dog until he died two years ago pushing 15 years.  The chickens knew to run to him if there was anything threatening in the neighborhood.   Raising Buff Orpingtons now, and the rooster really looks after the girls.   

[mcbammer]

Have  you  ever  tried  trapping  ?   Its  been    effective   for   me   for   years.  But   cant   let   your   dogs   roam   around  free   or   you  will   have   a   3   legger.

[KIMBER45]

this may answer the question-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DCTYPTsTuc

[Sourdough]

All mrembers of the weasel family are blood thirsty little creatures.  they kill just for the practice of killing.  Be thankful you don't have Wolverines, they woud just rip the door off.

[Dee]

I have met, and know people like that Sourdough.