What the HECK is this predator???

[sonew123]

Yesterday I went into the duck pen ( which has been empty since Nov-ducks slept in garage all winter) Now its open-pool set up and all. Well I had a large tucker tote in there on its side with hay in it for a shady spot for my 1 duck to go into if needed. I left it in there all winter. Yesterday when I was he@@ bent on cleaning the whole property I went to remove the tote and saw a curled up animal. I jumped back and though oh crap Im going to get bit or something??? SO like a moron I poked its back! Yah it was already dead! I reached in and grabbed it and thats what I found.... It must have starved or something-a week prior DH closed and locked the pen up to shovel the last bits of snow out. Poor thing? If you know what it is will it harm chickens??? We thought it was a weasel-muskrat?

 

[44Wolves]

muskrat!

 

[jerseygirl1]

That looks almost like a mutant mole or something, wow, but a really wierd tail on it, maybe a muskrat?

 

[44Wolves]

it could possibly harm them....

 

[geebs]

Eeewwwweeee!!!

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
I knew it! thanks do they eat chickens??? We have had this biting teeth marks on the barn door trying to get into it??

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
I know right?

I had a huge burn pile going yesterday and thats where it wound up when photos were done! bye bye!

 

[darkmatter]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskrat

A Nutria also looks simalar

 

[wildorchid053]

muskrats are vegetarian.. not meat eating. they live in holes by the water and swim. they eat the catails and reed like thing.. hubby used to trap them...won't harm your chickens. if you have water near by look for a hump of weeds, reeds, things like that and they are in there too. sort of like a beaver but not blocking the flow of water

 

[dchickenman]

Definitely a muskrat! They are not predators; however, where you have muskrats, sooner or later you'll have mink, which prey on the muskrats and are notorious poultry killers as well.