oh that totally sucks...we too recently have had attacks,and lost a bunch of our friends :(
I have to re-do the fencing in the spring,but like you...I have the same problem with the snow. I have to keep my hens inside all winter,or until the fox is gone for good. I hate it when a wild animal outsmarts us,and we have to take another approach to their safety ect...I hate it!!

Chicken wire has but 1 purpose, to keep chickens in; it will keep out nothing. Mink are loners but they can devastate a flock in no time. I lost over 20 birds in 1 nite to a mink, she came back 2 more times killing more animals. I finally got her. She never took a bite out of anything. Small critters such as mink and weasels are hard to toatal secure against. Just killing machines.

I guess weasels and mongooses are not related by genetics but they share common hunting desires and abilities. You gotta watch out for them.

Minks can squeeze into the tinest spaces imaginable... my parents raise chickens and have mink problems sporadically throughout the year; pesky little buggers they are!

My dad's only solution has been to securely pen the chickens in at night. They have a large fenced "flight pen" area for the daytime, but for coops, he used converted army communications boxes-- and they get locked in every single night. It never seems to fail that, just when he thinks it's safe and stops closing them in at night, a few weeks later another mink or weasel is at it again.

I really don't think there's any way to use fencing to protect the flock, unless you plan to dig footers and bury the bottom in concrete-- and that's assuming the fence has holes small enough that the vermin can't get in. Probably better to try and figure out a secure (and SOLID) enclosure for nighttime instead.

We have minks here--they devastated the wild mallards on our lake this spring. We even saw a mink pull an adult mother duck under and destroy her. The kids found the carcass in the shallows. I think traps wisely placed are he best solution--and you can profit by reducing your predation. The folks that lived here 20 years ago also had problems with otters, but so far eagles have been our greatest predator (we cannot do anything about them)

People use dogs/llamas, etc to guard their flock. Wonder how difficult it would be to raise a puppy or kitten to live with the chickens/ducks.

A link that might be useful:

Poultry Predator Identification
The First Step to Deterrence
www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/2/2-4/Gail_Damerow.html

Thankfully we haven't seen another one since (knock on wood) and the duck has faired well since the ill-fated day. As with most things on the farm it was hard but well learned lesson.

We had a horrible Fishercat attack this fall, first it ate our cat, then came back three weeks later, broke into our coop and took a chicken. Only fur and feathers were found not a drop of blood. We tried contacting the Mass. Wildlife county person to ask for help but they never responded.

After the coop attack we bought a trap and got it the second day it was put in place. It was disposed of and will not be bothering anyone else's pets. It is a horrible feeling to think your livestock is safe and then to have a break in. My dh installed a dead bolt on the coop door, but nothing will bring back our beloved cat and chicken.

Minks are in the same family as the fisher, our dogs did a good job of warning us but unless they sleep outside overnight the predators have their windows of opportunities.

I'm, glad your bird survived ok :)

-Sheila

We just had out first uninvited guest (mink) here are the sad but fascinating details.... http://www.billkerwood.com/?p=1174