Hawk killed my duck

[JulieNKC]

This morning a hawk killed and was eating my full grown khaki campbell duck. My yard is around 2 acres. The back and fence line are fairly heavily wooded. There are a few brush piles in the yard I leave for the chickens to play on and hide in. They also hang out quite a bit of the time under our cars and boat. The hawk had the duck about 10 feet away from a brush pile (where 2 of my chickens were hiding). Is there anything I can do to make sure it doesn't come back for another easy meal? They have a covered run I can lock them up for a few days, but I would rather not imprison them permanently. I have a rooster, and my turkey is usually fairly good about sounding out alarms. I understand I'm going to lose a few birds free ranging, I'd just like to make sure I am doing everything possible to keep that from happening.

 

[7L Farm]

The hawks are bad here this year. I've decided to quit free ranging for now. I don't want to loose my girls.I only let them out when I'm watching them. Theres really nothing for them to eat right now & I do have a garden full of greens for them so why risk their lives.

 

[Kevin565]

Sorry for your loss

 

[nickie]

Wow, I've never thought to worry about hawks getting my ducks (I know, silly me, but they are big even for Pekins). I don't know if there is much that can be done other than keeping them penned with overhead protection. I do know that when the hawk buzzes our yard it seems to ignore the quack pack (who loudly scramble to the shrubby corner of their little pond) and heads for the chickens.

Maybe you could provide a sort of brush cover for their water spot... That is if you have a pond and not a tank modified to allow ducks. We dug a decent sized backyard water feature and lined it with an old pool liner probably a little over two feet deep, and blended it in with large rocks from the side of the highway. During non freezing months I run a pond pump in it for a water fall the like to swim under and drink out of. I let the field brush grow up around the back side of it to provide shade and that is where they hide in the water and lay eggs on the land.

 

[Vamvakas]

Wow, Im suprised a hawk would attack an adult duck... I have chickens and they don't bother my adult chickens only the chicks. Use chicken wire fencing that's is high up, hawks wont dive into cages.

 

[centrarchid]

I do not keep ducks but know how wild species avoid hawks. They seek refuge on and sometimes briefly underwater.

A neighbor has geese mixed in with flock of ducks. I see red-tail hawk messing about his water-bird flock but it appears the geese as a group can repell red-tail hawks and the ducks are safe so long as within the group.

 

[JulieNKC]

I think I'm just going to leave them locked in their run for a few days. They have a lot of cover along the fence, a small brushpile, and their covered run and coop attached to it. I'll let them out on nice days a few hours before dusk. Once spring gets here I'll be outside more, and have my windows open to be able to hear anything going on, and will feel better about them being out.
I was already planning on a pair of geese in the spring, maybe they'll help alert the flock.

 

[desertdarlene]

Sorry for your loss.

Predators in my area are really bad right now, not only coyotes, but lots of raptors. I saw a small, male Cooper's hawk attack a coot that was bigger than him. Totally surprised me. I thought he was just gowing over there to scare up some doves or small birds when he, all of a sudden, pounced on the coot. The coot may have gotten away, but I coldn't see.

 

[b.hromada]

I'm so sorry about your duck.

 

[deserthotwings]

So sorry for your lose but during the winter months owls and hawks are low on grocerys sinse most of the rodents are hibernating. We don't have the harsh winters here in the desert that you have in KC, but I have had a lot of hawks checking out my birds. I raise mostly pheasants and they are all in enclosed pens, but I have been letting our chickens (bantams) free range up until a week ago. Too big a gamble to free range during the winter. Hope you decide to keep them confined for a few months. Good Luck Amigo..