Mink!

As you know, I raise chickens.  Chickens can be prey for many different types of wildlife.  Over the last three weeks, I have found a dead chicken in one of my chicken coops almost every other day.  Not to gross you out, but their heads would be biten off and their bodies left in the coop.  Long story short - I was aggrevated and disgusted.  Action must be taken on whatever was killing my girls.

For two weeks, I was on patrol of the coop.  I would sneak down once it became dark (which right now is by 5:30 P.M.) with my pistol in hand and my two labs walking next to me.  We would search all over the coop to see if we could find the predator.  The coop would smell a little like a skunk, but I knew in my research that skunks don't usually kill chickens.  Although the dogs and I found lots of night time wildlife, I couldn't find the one killing my chickens.


Last Wednesday night, while feeding, my dog Libby started barking and scratching at a small opening in the side of the coop.  After a little further inspection and prying one of the boards loose, I could see two eyes staring at me.  We had FINALLY found this creature that was killing the chickens.  I went to get my pistol while Libby kept the creature in place.  When I came back, the creature had turned itsself around, but I had a clear shot, BOOM.  There was the first shot.  I saw it move again toward another small opening, so I shot it a second time.  Yes!  I had killed...what?  What was that thing?

Our friend Joey heard me hollaring with glee and came over to see what was going on.  He pulled the creature out and I thought it was a weasel, but it was actually a mink.  Long, slender, and dark in color it was finally dead.

I'm no Annie Oakley, but wildlife beware - Don't mess with the chickens!