Duck predator

[quacksandclucks]

Jemima and Pickle on Easter when they were still little and fuzzy. The first time i filled up a tub of water for them to swim in outside. They LOVED water, even just a tiny little puddle.

My pekin and rouen, both had just turned 8 weeks old and hadn't been outside but for maybe a week. They disappeared with only pekin feathers left behind, and it was probably right around dusk, we arent totally sure since we had left their door open not thinking much about it since they usually stayed inside the pen without any issues. I would normally just close the door when it started getting dark and no problems, however, we found them not huddled in their house as expected and no sign of them whatsoever. We searched the woods for an hour or two without any luck other than a few feathers behind their pen in an area i had never seen them walk before. The pen is in our front yard, about 15 feet from the part of our hill with trees and brush, etc. We live in ky. Weasels arent something we hear of or even see, mind you, i have heard they are very stealthy but still, 21 years of life and my pappaw is a farmer and i have yet to hear complaints of any weasels ever. Now raccoon, opossum, hawks, coyote, owls, even bobcat are more of what i expect to see. In fact, when we first looked at the house there was a coyote walking up the hill beside our driveway. Only seen it twice though and that was in december or january. We did find my pekin (jemima) about 20 yards away from their pen, my husband wouldnt let me see her knowing how i am with things like this but he said she had blood around her neck, no feathers plucked(just the ones she lost while fighting or being carried off from the initial attack), she was completely intact pretty much. My rouen (pickle) we never saw any feathers at all until today we found one that appears to have been from his wing, it had blue coloring. But this happened monday night and its thursday so im not sure why a single feather has appeared all of a sudden. Anyway, my heart has been broken ever since and im determined to figure out what may have attacked them in order to better predator proof my chickens. Any ideas?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Quote:

Don't worry too much now however do worry about Varmint with fangs and claws that either walks, flies, crawls, or swims. What stops one usually stops them all. It will be back and the idea is to keep the vermin on one side of the wire and your poultry on the opposite side of the wire

 

[WPFarmstead]

Because we know we have coyotes, hawks and owls, we plan for ways to protect our livestock from such predators. We may not always know what killed them, but usually it's due to us not putting them up at night or letting them free range with no direct oversight.

 

[BTay]

We had virtually the same experience with our first flock of chickens. We had them near the house and only came inside for 5 minutes and they were gone. We are in England so Mr Fox is clearly the culprit. Foxes and other predators are as bold as anything and quick. And they will be back. We got a 50 ft moveable eletric fence net. It gives the chicks plenty of room to roam and keeps them safe. We still shut them in their house as dusk though. Try again and hang in there!

 

[carlf]

I doubt its a weasel, they aren't strong enough to drag the birds off. My vote is a great horned owl or coyote.
More likely coyote if the pen door was open.
Probably killed both and only managed to carry one off before it got spooked.