Dead duck, legs look like this:

[Homesteadin]

We found one of our khakis dead in the coop this morning, laying on her side. It doesn't feel like she was egg bound, and she had no bodily injuries -- except both of her legs look like this. Does anyone know what might have happened?

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

That looks like a predator issue to me. Anyone else know?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am so sorry for your loss, but I can't imagine what could have done that and not eaten on anything but her legs. So you have anything besides ducks in your coop? Chickens will eat other birds. So if she died and you have chickens that may explain.@Homesteadin

 

[Homesteadin]

I am so sorry for your loss, but I can't imagine what could have done that and not eaten on anything but her legs.  So you have anything besides ducks in your coop? Chickens will eat other birds.  So if she died and you have chickens that may explain.@Homesteadin

Thank you, Miss Lydia. We only have ducks, so no chickens or anything else that would have eaten at her. As we've been musing about it during the day we have started to wonder if she was laying outside and her legs froze to the ground either last night or the night before -- we had a couple very cold nights suddenly. And then maybe she just couldn't handle the cold after the injuries and then died during last night.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you, Miss Lydia. We only have ducks, so no chickens or anything else that would have eaten at her. As we've been musing about it during the day we have started to wonder if she was laying outside and her legs froze to the ground either last night or the night before -- we had a couple very cold nights suddenly. And then maybe she just couldn't handle the cold after the injuries and then died during last night.

Could have been possible but most of the time ducks sleep on their legs so unless extremely frigid and she was in water I can't imagine her legs freezing to the ground. Or if she was sick and didn't sleep on her legs maybe that is what happened. Your absolutely sure no pred could get to her including rats? Mink can also get through 1" holes.

 

[Homesteadin]

Could have been possible but most of the time ducks sleep on their legs so unless extremely frigid and she was in water I can't imagine her legs freezing to the ground.  Or if she was sick and didn't sleep on her legs maybe that is what happened. Your absolutely sure no pred could get to her including rats?  Mink can also get through 1" holes.

There are no signs it was a predator, but I suppose it is always a possibility since they can be very sneaky. We don't have rats or weasels/minks. However we did have a skunk in our garage some days ago... But from what we can tell, nothing that we do have as predators in this area could have gotten through. It's weird to me that the only injuries we could find were these on the legs. Though I know they can die of being frightened.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

See, my thought process was, ''That looks like frostbite or something, but you dont die from that...and that does look like it could be bitten off...''
Maybe it was a combination of things, like she got sick, so was sitting somewhere she shouldnt of been, and froze her legs and died coz it was too much...I dont know

I am very sorry for you

 

[Homesteadin]

See, my thought process was, ''That looks like frostbite or something, but you dont die from that...and that does look like it could be bitten off...''
Maybe it was a combination of things, like she got sick, so was sitting somewhere she shouldnt of been, and froze her legs and died coz it was too much...I dont know

I am very sorry for you

Thank you. It's the first time we've lost one.

I wish I would have noticed something was going on because it does seem like it may have been a sequence of things, like you said. Well anyway, I'll just watch the others extra-close for a while.

 

[Miss Lydia]

There are no signs it was a predator, but I suppose it is always a possibility since they can be very sneaky. We don't have rats or weasels/minks. However we did have a skunk in our garage some days ago... But from what we can tell, nothing that we do have as predators in this area could have gotten through. It's weird to me that the only injuries we could find were these on the legs. Though I know they can die of being frightened.

No rats minks or weasels? gosh where are you? I'm so sorry for all the questions I only wanted to try and help you get to the bottom of this. I think just making sure no entry can be made by anything and watching closely is best thing to do. They are locked in at night right? Lots of hay straw or shavings to bed down in?

 

[Homesteadin]

No rats minks or weasels? gosh where are you? I'm so sorry for all the questions I only wanted to try and help you get to the bottom of this.  I think just making sure no entry can be made by anything and watching closely is best thing to do. They are locked in at night right?  Lots of hay straw or shavings to bed down in? 

Haha, yep none of those. At least not that we or anyone else have seen. We do have mice, though, and if the wounds on her legs happened after she died I wonder if mice were chewing on them once she passed. Which would still leave us wondering about the cause of death. The coop is warm, but we usually leave the little door open to the run unless it is extremely cold and blizzardy. We had no troubles with them during winter last year. I'm thinking now that might not be such a good idea if there's a possibility of a duck getting a "wild hair" thinking it will be okay to sleep outside.