A mink suspected of killing 25 chickens and several doves on a farm near Berthoud last week has been captured and relocated. Farmer Kathy Busch preferred this to killing it.
Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman Theo Stein would not say where the mink was released, but noted that the native animals are typically found in riparian areas of the state.
Minks live across the state but are most common in the mountains near beaver ponds. The division notes that minks sometimes kill more food than they can eat at once and store the excess, which likely accounts for the apparent overkill on Busch’s farm. Researchers are unsure how frequently or why they overkill and cache food, Stein said.
Minks are members of the weasel family, along with badgers and pine martens.
