Something ate my ducks!!

Hello everyone
I live in Concord, NC and the night before last something got in my duck pen and ate every one of my mallards (3) but one male, I can not see anywhere that it could have gotten in at, the pen has a top on it, everything is still intact as far as the pen goes, no holes dug under, only a puddle of blood and a very small amount of feathers in the pen, I set a trap outside of the pen last night and apparently what ever it is was to big for the trap bc the trap was sprung, bait was gone and the trap was about 20 feet from where I had it. Does anyone have any suggestions to what it may be, and where I can get a bigger trap, the trap that I have, I bought at Lowes and it was the biggest one they had, about 2.5'x 1'

o gosh ! im so sorry ! . thats so weird... no holes anywhere? even under their house ?theres gotta be some way this sneaky thing got in.and out. and you never heard it . it will prolly come back for your lone male if hes not gone already im sorry . i have no better advice than i would put bait out & stake out w my gun hahaha - i totally would too . JUSTICE be served for my ducks! lol good luck tho!

What type of material is the pen made of? If welded wire, what size openings? Where were the blood and feathers located in the pen?

Ugh - sorry to hear that.

Barred is right - whatever it was it will be back for your last duck. And any new ones you get in the future now that it's tasted blood.

The people here can help solve it - pics of the pen would help.

If there were any openings bigger than 1/2' then some of the smaller predators could have gotten to them. Or raccoon hands. Whatever set off the trap is not necessarily the same thing that got to the ducks.

If there are no bodies inside then you have a breach in the pen, and a big one.

I found how it was getting in a small hole about 2"x2" hole under leaves and under pen that is why I did not see it, I have tore the pen down and am in the process of making a pen that nothing can get in, a 12" deep footing to set pen on and anchor to the concrete, basically I am going to do the foundation like we do a house foundation, I have caught 2 raccoons since, but they were to large to get in the pen, I have another pen with 1 Chinese goose (scarface) he got his name bc a neighbors dog got 1of the ducks and scarface beat it up and has a scar on his head now ( dog has not returned) and 6 ducks nothing bothers them at night, I think because of the goose or it just can't get in. I found what looks like a den in a old tree stump near my chicken coop, my son and I are going to dig it up today to see what it is, I have had a trap in front of it for a week and nothing, hopefully I will have the pen done before eggs in incubator hatch, mallards and pilgrim geese, thanks to everyone i

Iluvmallards said:

I found how it was getting in a small hole about 2"x2" hole under leaves and under pen that is why I did not see it, I have tore the pen down and am in the process of making a pen that nothing can get in, a 12" deep footing to set pen on and anchor to the concrete, basically I am going to do the foundation like we do a house foundation, I have caught 2 raccoons since, but they were to large to get in the pen, I have another pen with 1 Chinese goose (scarface) he got his name bc a neighbors dog got 1of the ducks and scarface beat it up and has a scar on his head now ( dog has not returned) and 6 ducks nothing bothers them at night, I think because of the goose or it just can't get in. I found what looks like a den in a old tree stump near my chicken coop, my son and I are going to dig it up today to see what it is, I have had a trap in front of it for a week and nothing, hopefully I will have the pen done before eggs in incubator hatch, mallards and pilgrim geese, thanks to everyone i

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Well thank goodness you found out how it got in and are making an new and much better pen for your new geese and ducks. Did your one drake live?

Yes, and I think it was a fox, I am not going to stop until I catch it

Iluvmallards said:

Yes, and I think it was a fox, I am not going to stop until I catch it

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Let us know when you do.

In terms of bigger traps, you might try a farm supply store like Tractor Supply. I'm glad you found out how they got to your ducks, though I must say I'm surprised they took so many without leaving much trace. My guess in this case is that you're looking at more than one fox, like a pair trying to feed babies, so if you catch one, I wouldn't stop right away in case there's a mate that would come back.

Yes, i am watching for them, where I live there is woods around me and a creek about 150 feet behind my house so I am sure there is a lot of critters going up and down that creek, my vet also told me there have been coyote sitings as well out here, I have came home late and seen a fox run across the road before, but people dump their unwanted cats and dogs out here as well, I have trapped a lot of cats and took them to the cat shelter in Charlotte in the past, but since I started with my chickens I have bought a BB gun, I give it a few pumps not enough to break the skin but enough to sting, I got a few cats with that, but I haven't seen a cat near my house in a good while, I have a neighbor up the street that feeds them, I think that is why there are so many, I also have 7 dachshunds that might be one reason they don't come around my house any more, my vet says that is why the coyotes don't come near my house bc the don't like all the noise that my fur babies make! I will keep everyone posted on what I catch so far just 2 raccoons.