Suspect mink picking off my ducks

[goats-n-oats]

Hi, I'm in NE Ohio. Last year had a problem with minks and foxes attacking my chickens. I think I got the foxes with my 22LR and the minks by dropping rat poison in their burrows in the creek by the coop. But this week 3 ducks have disappeared suddenly midday. I don't think I should do the rat poison this year because I have a new dog (a jack Russell) that likes to scavenge for live and dead meat around the property. There is a lot of brush still by the creek that needs to be cleared out. What can be done? Keep the ducks in the barn with a kiddie pool until the minks are trapped?

 

[McChooky]

If your new dogs trained not to kill poultry and you know a weasel is killing them get some weasel box's with rat traps inside .Bait them all with fish and set them around your pens.(no poison)Weasels love a tunnel and easyto trap in these box's.

 

[McChooky]

https://www.minntrapprod.com/Wooden-Weasel-Box-Complete/productinfo/WB-COM01/

 

[goats-n-oats]

If your new dogs trained not to kill poultry and you know a weasel is killing them get some weasel box's with rat traps inside .Bait them all with fish and set them around your pens.(no poison)Weasels love a tunnel and easyto trap in these box's.

Ok I'll try that thanks

 

[McChooky]

Ok I'll try that thanks

Those boxes are made to fit a rat trap inside.The one with the yellow 'landing ramp' is the one you need.not sure if the rat trap comes with this one.The mink has to step on the rat trap to get to the bait in the opposite corner of the entrance. He can't drag the rat trap off inside the box.You might want to put a cable on the box so nothing carries the box off.They're easy to make once you see one

 

[Huntmaster]

.

 

[goats-n-oats]

My new dog is actually not trained around poultry. There's been a real issue with her and the chickens. But she usually just roughs them up. The ducks disappearing suddenly, and the remaining ducks going to the far end of the pond, seems like it's a mink. Is there any way to be sure?

If your new dogs trained not to kill poultry and you know a weasel is killing them get some weasel box's with rat traps inside .Bait them all with fish and set them around your pens.(no poison)Weasels love a tunnel and easyto trap in these box's.

 

[goats-n-oats]

How big should the hole be, 1.5" diameter?

https://www.minntrapprod.com/Wooden-Weasel-Box-Complete/productinfo/WB-COM01/

 

[McChooky]

My new dog is actually not trained around poultry. There's been a real issue with her and the chickens. But she usually just roughs them up. The ducks disappearing suddenly, and the remaining ducks going to the far end of the pond, seems like it's a mink. Is there any way to be sure?

If you know your dogs not trained and has access to the ducks and chickens it should be contained. They'll rough them up and play with their new squeaky toys until they stop moving and making noises(or are dead) Untrained dogs aren't safe to release around poultry.I spent a couple years training 2 adult dogs because they trembled at the sight of them for a year.If your dog roughs up chickens that explains why the ducks are on the other side of the pond

 

[McChooky]

How big should the hole be, 1.5" diameter?

Approx. 1 1/2" diameter hole should work fine