Mink Proofing - Can It Be Done?

[Mtn Margie]

Hey Margie! Saw your post and meant to say HI but go involved answering the OP. How's things up above cloud level? Hope your winter hasn't been too tough. I've had CO cold down here in TX when I thought I'd left it behind!

Easy, windy, no snow, sunny and warm up here above the clouds so far... Just waiting for that 7 footer to happen, though!


I hope you can beat the minks Nwygle93!

 

[itsasmallfarm]

Do you thin the #110 is too small?

i have seen/heard of guys using 110 for mink, i just used the 120 for two reasons, one, they are legal for both muskrats and weasels on land. (i live in canada so we have to deal with legal traps/brands that we can use on said species, but oddly enough mink are not covered with legal traps that we must use), and the other reason is i like that 120 come with safety's for the springs where i have to add them to 110s.

but to answer your question, i think a 110 would work i mean we use them for muskrats, (well i don't, yet to trap a muskrat) but if you use them in an open face box you can catch a big old coon and am not sure how humane a 110 is on a coon (we have to use 160s and bigger where i live) but i make my boxes like a weasel box, with a conibear inside with a door with a 2 and half inch hole so i really can only catch weasels and mink in this system. (don't want to catch a coon or cat)

 

[Nwygle93]

I will show my husband this info. On the traps. I would not think to just trap them for no reason..but now I'm hurt and want payback. He wants to learn to trap them and muskrats because they have over run the pond and are messing with the water levels. I like the option that won't kill them right away because I could not bear it if something that shouldn't get caught, got caught and killed. We have a seasoned trapper coming to help teach him how to do it right. I saw another neighbor out yesterday trapping yotes as well. I worry about them with my outside cats.
I can see that I will definitely need a new type of coop. I don't mind that, as long as they stay safe. I'm also getting the impression that maybe a couple of Roo's would not hurt to have to keep the girls safe...though I hate how they tear up the girls feathers and Chase people

 

[Howard E]

Go to post #13 in this thread and you will find a fully assembled box of this type, complete with 110 body trap:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/a-better-rat-trap.1212757/page-2

I built it with rats and weasels in mind, but should work on minks too.

Wire over one end allows you to block off the back end, so you can put your mink/weasel/rat bait in the back.

My preference for this is the BMI traps due to a lot of reasons, the bells shaped trigger being one of them.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Welcome, so sorry about your beautiful hens. I have some young buff Brahmas and they really are sweet birds.

Mink just suck. They are here in a little creek sometimes, plus fishers right across the road. I once found a mink on a hen trying to kill her on a cold winter day. From my observation no rooster would win, they go into a blood lust so badly it never heard or saw me. I stomped its tail and shoved it into a cage that was sitting nearby. Craziest thing. Couldn't happen again in a million years. So I thought until I read @Egghead_Jr post, so similar! It continued to try to get at that bird, bloodied its face all up in a second on the bars. Awful thing. I have a pic somewhere.

Take your time, you can make a safe and happy area for future chickens. My Brahmas came from my pet chicken, although I believe they are Myers birds. Very calm and sweet, can't recommend these enough for temperment when you are ready. Don't be hard on yourself, you are in good company here for grieving. We understand.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I will show my husband this info. On the traps. I would not think to just trap them for no reason..but now I'm hurt and want payback. He wants to learn to trap them and muskrats because they have over run the pond and are messing with the water levels. I like the option that won't kill them right away because I could not bear it if something that shouldn't get caught, got caught and killed. We have a seasoned trapper coming to help teach him how to do it right. I saw another neighbor out yesterday trapping yotes as well. I worry about them with my outside cats.
I can see that I will definitely need a new type of coop. I don't mind that, as long as they stay safe. I'm also getting the impression that maybe a couple of Roo's would not hurt to have to keep the girls safe...though I hate how they tear up the girls feathers and Chase people

If you have enough hens, they won't go bald from over mating. They don't all chase people.
After about 15 breeds of roosters, I've only had a couple that attacked.
I've had hundreds of Penedesenca cockerels/roosters and never a single human aggressive bird.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

A good rooster shouldn't chase anyone. I've had probably 20, only one jerk ever. Mostly I've had cochins though, they are peaceful and gentle, even had one that helped sit on eggs. Others will know good breeds.

Many people recommend not handling roos and making pets of them. The one I had that was mean was extremely loud as a chick so I picked him up alot. The only one I ever handled lots ended mean so that theory rings true to me. Get one then ignore him. Keep an eye on his spurs, they often need trimming.

 

[Nwygle93]

Those two mentioned breeds are very gorgeous roos. I remember as a kid, we were given an easter egger type, and he was a devil. We had to carry 5 gal. buckets around with us because he would pop up out of nowhere and chase. Like. Give me a break lol. I will consider getting a couple roos when/if I get chickens again.
If they are brought up at the same time, will they fight when they get older?

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Those two mentioned breeds are very gorgeous roos. I remember as a kid, we were given an easter egger type, and he was a devil. We had to carry 5 gal. buckets around with us because he would pop up out of nowhere and chase. Like. Give me a break lol. I will consider getting a couple roos when/if I get chickens again.
If they are brought up at the same time, will they fight when they get older?

I only know my experience, my cochins sometimes sparred a bit then moved away from each other. Everyone had their territory in the yard. But those were fully free ranging birds. I don't think you can bank on it.

 

[Mosey2003]

Personally, I find the idea of using roosters as protection for hens rather impractical. Anything that's really going to kill a chicken is not going to be thwarted by a rooster, so at best the point of the rooster is to die trying. That seems a bit crappy to me, and then you'll have to find yourself a new rooster, too. They seem useful at alerting to things like hawks, but that's about as far as I trust them.

If you raise two males together they will eventually fight if they're both in with the hens, yes. I think you'd want at least 20 hens to have two roosters at the same time.