Weasel in the Hen House

For the past few day we've had trouble with some animal attacking our birds.  We thought it was a weasel 'cause it only took what it could drag through the fence.  Fisher Cats are good climbers, so they wouldn't stop with just what they could pull through a fence.  Weasels are small enough so they can squeeze through a 1"x1" hole almost, so that didn't make lots of sense to me either.  Why would they just stop with the head when they could have feasted on the whole beast. 

Well this morning at 4:30 am we had the answer to our question....

the mink who was killing our poultry

It was neither of those, but a mink.  When Mr. D brought it up for me to see I was suprised that it wasn't white.  Weasels turn white in the winter.  This guy was chocolate brown.  Wouldn't mind having a few to make a nice fur coat.    But only if they were attacking our livestock.  I don't think I'd just go out and hunt them down.

These little guys are ferocious.  When the dog got anywhere close it about went through the side of the trap, hissing and screeching.  I'm not sure how we are going to release it.  I don't really want to kill it, but then again it may work it's way back if we don't drop it off far enough away.  There are quite a few people in the area who raise poultry too and I'm sure they don't want a preditor around their farms either. 

One good thing.  I think it got rid of all the rats before it attacked any of the birds. 

Mr. D had to go to Boston today to get some work done on his teeth and he took it in MY car so he can stop by the game warden on the way home.  Perhaps they have a trick to get them out of these live traps. 

We're just happy he's not eating our poor chickens and ducks anymore.

this little guy was hissing all the time I was taking his picture

More snow yesterday and more predicted for the weekend.  Will it ever melt?

I don't think it will be an early spring and it probably will be an incredibly muddy "mud season". 

snowy rides to work



the back yard with big snow piles





the same view... what it will look like in about 3 months

Yeah!  Summer will come... lupines and daffodils and green leaves and WEEDS. 

 

Hope you all have a great weekend!