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Mink or fox or other?

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  • 12-08-2014 6:33pm
    #1
    Stressica
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭


    posting here as thought you'd all have experience with these animals.

    Had one of my chickens killed today in broad daylight (2pm)
    Found partially disemboweled and no head along with the back all torn up.

    rest of the chickens were scattered about 50-100m meters away on to s neighbors farm.

    The chickens free range in a large run but whatever it was chased them out. No sign of animal entering the run whatsoever.
    No feathers anywhere, body was found near the road so I think whatever it was got disturbed and dropped the hen.

    Father is sure it's a mink (we have a few around the place, rarely seen) but a few foxes.


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    #2
    deeksofdoom
    Registered Users Posts: 2,022 ✭✭✭deeksofdoom


    A mink will grab a bird by the neck throat area and kill it.

    A fox will grab it by the body under the wings, it will leave bite marks and crush the ribcage, the bird will be broken up.

    Sounds like a mink.


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    #3
    skipking
    Registered Users Posts: 287 ✭✭skipking


    with the head missing you may get out the mink trap or you will be missing more chickens best of luck with the mink hunt


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    #4
    Eddie B
    Registered Users Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭Eddie B


    If the carcase was found a good distance away from the kill site, then maybe your looking at a fox say, more than a mink! Mink are strong, but would take a long time to drag a heavy chicken carcase away!
    Fox, Mink, and Marten, all tend to remove the heads, so could be any of these!


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    #5
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,640 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    A feral cat could do that sort of thing too. Best thing to do would be to install a few mink traps and fox snares and see what happens. One of those cheap trail cams would also be handy to id any unwelcome visitors.


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    #6
    Theshooter2012
    Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭Theshooter2012


    I would say mink. With a fox there are usually a good few feathers as the bird is practically crushed to death. Get the Mink Trap out. Just a tip, animals are usually creatures of habit when it comes to food so keep an eye out around the same time if possible.


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    #7
    deer chaser
    Registered Users Posts: 6 ✭deer chaser


    A dog?Whatever it was,it will come back


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    #8
    thehound
    Registered Users Posts: 74 ✭✭thehound


    trouble myself put 80 pheasants in release pen the other day 10 killed so far traps set fence on made no difference bird scattered all over the place only 14 birds left in pen know its a martin they are a real problem worse than fox


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    #9
    garyc007
    Registered Users Posts: 411 ✭✭garyc007


    Have seen this come up a lot this year.id say pine martin or mink


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    #10
    Stressica
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Stressica


    Think its defo mink, will set some traps, best bait?


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    #11
    Eddie B
    Registered Users Posts: 1,974 ✭✭✭Eddie B


    Stressica wrote: »
    Think its defo mink, will set some traps, best bait?

    Fish heads, which can be got from local butchers, fish mongers for free, if you ask nicely! Or sardeen in sunflower oil, just open tin slightly, to let the smell out!


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