What killed the ducklings?

[gollum 1]

Hi folks,

A chap I work for has a large garden with chickens (cooped) and ducks loose in his pond.

2 days back he had 7 ducklings killed overnight. They were being kept in a concrete floored stable that only has one access point other than the door, which is a window about 5 foot from the floor. It has 2" weld mesh on the inside of it but on the night concerned, the window was open. All the birds seem to have been killed by bites to the neck and judging by the lack of blood, killed fast.

None were taken and they were all piled together in the straw.

I havent checked for any other access points because there is about 4 foot of straw covering the entire floor apart from the doorway, but the owner assures me that there are no gaps anywhere.

 

There is a ditch about 10 foot behind the stables but at the moment, no water.

 

He thinks its either Stoats or Mink... I know there have been Stoats in the area as I watched a couple hunting along a rabbit warren nearby last year but the nearest stream/brook is about half a mile away across cattle meadows.

 

Put a cage trap down last night with one of the dead ducklings as bait but no sign of anything today.

 

Anyone have any suggestions on who the culprit might be, and ways of clarifying it. Also, suggestions on best way to catch the critter would be appreciated.

 

 

HH all.

 

G.

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Gollum, it has all the hallmarks of a mink, set some more traps around up and down the waterway (even if it is dried up) and around any rabbit holes nearby. Kippers are good bait at this time of year as they do not get maggot infested so quickly as fresh baits

 

OTC

[Guest buster321c]

Dont know much about this kinda stuff but rats love ducklings

[poacher3161 1,766]

nobodys lost a ferret in the area by any chance.atb

[gollum 1]

Gollum, it has all the hallmarks of a mink, set some more traps around up and down the waterway (even if it is dried up) and around any rabbit holes nearby. Kippers are good bait at this time of year as they do not get maggot infested so quickly as fresh baits

 

OTC

 

Cheers OTC, any way I can confirm it's mink? Particular sign I should look for etc.

Would you set Fenns or cage traps? Got some MK6's (genuine ) that could be pressed in to service or I could borrow some more cage traps off another farmer I work for possibly.

 

Thanks for help mate.

 

G.

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Gollum, it has all the hallmarks of a mink, set some more traps around up and down the waterway (even if it is dried up) and around any rabbit holes nearby. Kippers are good bait at this time of year as they do not get maggot infested so quickly as fresh baits

 

OTC

 

Cheers OTC, any way I can confirm it's mink? Particular sign I should look for etc.

Would you set Fenns or cage traps? Got some MK6's (genuine ) that could be pressed in to service or I could borrow some more cage traps off another farmer I work for possibly.

 

Thanks for help mate.

 

G.

 

Either will do the trick, flood the place with them - he won't have gone too far and they are not trap shy

 

To be honest there is not much to go on, but what ever it is would be caught in a similar way as described above.

 

OTC

[gollum 1]

Gollum, it has all the hallmarks of a mink, set some more traps around up and down the waterway (even if it is dried up) and around any rabbit holes nearby. Kippers are good bait at this time of year as they do not get maggot infested so quickly as fresh baits

 

OTC

 

Cheers OTC, any way I can confirm it's mink? Particular sign I should look for etc.

Would you set Fenns or cage traps? Got some MK6's (genuine ) that could be pressed in to service or I could borrow some more cage traps off another farmer I work for possibly.

 

Thanks for help mate.

 

G.

 

Either will do the trick, flood the place with them - he won't have gone too far and they are not trap shy

 

To be honest there is not much to go on, but what ever it is would be caught in a similar way as described above.

 

OTC

 

ok, I'll try both.

 

Cheers, I'll post if we have any luck. The chaps wife was really upset so I'm sure they will be very pleased to see the back of the little devil.

 

All the best.

 

 

G.

[The one 8,463]

I think its rats as well i had that a while ago rats killed duckling's under a heat lamp

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

the exact same thing happened to my 5 ducklings except it was a fox. get some fenns down there and cage traps a.s.a.p. have you got something to dispatch it with? ( i suppose you could empty it in to a sack and give it a quick wallop to the head but they have got very sharp teeth and are slippery customers)

[gollum 1]

the exact same thing happened to my 5 ducklings except it was a fox. get some fenns down there and cage traps a.s.a.p. have you got something to dispatch it with? ( i suppose you could empty it in to a sack and give it a quick wallop to the head but they have got very sharp teeth and are slippery customers)

 

Would a .22 air rifle be suitable for a mink? If not, the landowner has a 22 rimmy.

 

Don't worry about the teeth...I am not going near em mate If its in a cage then its one gun or the other definitely!

 

HH.

 

G

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

i have shot mink at a fishery with air rifles and its a humane as long as your air rifle is above 10ftib at least.

[No1ShottySid 0]

I had my ducklings on my pond in my garden yesterday, i only went in for five minutes come back out and there was a huge crow with one of the chicks in his mouth on the floor it just flew off with it and i could see that the duck was alive, also these were quite decent sized chicks.Nature a.

[murraywatt 0]

id be wary of setting fenns until you know its not an otter, although all the times iv had them killing its been similar to a fox heads off and bodys burried,

 

if you find out for definate its mink try rail traps, (logs over the ditch and anything that flows into the pond with a trap on it covered with wire netting to cover the trap and limit non target speies getting in

[patdahat 41]

id be wary of setting fenns until you know its not an otter, although all the times iv had them killing its been similar to a fox heads off and bodys burried,

 

if you find out for definate its mink try rail traps, (logs over the ditch and anything that flows into the pond with a trap on it covered with wire netting to cover the trap and limit non target speies getting in

 

 

RAIL TRAPS???? what are these have you any pic's

[IanB 0]

id be wary of setting fenns until you know its not an otter, although all the times iv had them killing its been similar to a fox heads off and bodys burried,

 

if you find out for definate its mink try rail traps, (logs over the ditch and anything that flows into the pond with a trap on it covered with wire netting to cover the trap and limit non target speies getting in

 

 

RAIL TRAPS???? what are these have you any pic's

 

Just a log, post, or dead tree, over a stream, ditch or brook with a fenn or bodygrip placed on it, bodygrips being best... Easy access crossing point for little critters like stoats, squigs, rabbits, etc