I lost 4 feathered friends today (one sort of foe)

[Rcornerranch]

Forgot to add this. I’m going to rub a stuffed animal on my ducks and put it where I think the last duck was taken. I’ll have that spot included in the range of a trail camera and see if I can confirm it’s a fox (not a dog in the area).

 

[Chickeria]

I lost another duck today. I notice one Ancona was missing. I smelled something skunky in the tall weeds by the pond. I believe a fox got a duck that was hanging out on the dam that looks out to a field. It happened between 1-4 pm. I was outside a lot today. Dogs were out quite a bit too. My dad mowed all the tall grass, so we can see better and get rid of a hiding place for a predator. I’m starting to hear a lot more fox sounds. Weird thing is that there are no feathers indicating a struggle or trail. I couldn’t figure out where (the path) it took the duck after it grabbed it. The ducks are molting and loosing feathers very easily. There’s some disagreement about free ranging the ducks or keeping them in the pen. I’m stumped about wether I should allow them to swim in the pond anymore, and if I do, how to make it safer. I might need to put anti digging mechanisms around coops. I’ve been thinking about an electric netting around the coop. All the coops are designed to drag across the ground to give the birds new parasite free grass and natural forage. For now, I’m keeping them in their pen. I’m also going to put our Rooster, Tippy, back in with them. He lived with them over the winter. I saw him chase off a hawk once. He doesn’t have anywhere else important to be. I’m hoping foxes don’t try to go after the goats.

I'm so sorry about your duck.
A fox will probably start to dig ( a friend of mine has this problem at the moment) and I strongly recommend anti digging mechanisms around coops (and even runs perhaps). Electric netting sounds good

 

[Rcornerranch]

With two ducks having disappeared and my Saxony “drake” laying an egg today, I’ve decided to buy more ducks.I just made the purchase from McMurray. I bought 3 unsexed Blue Swedish ducks and one female sexed Blue Swedish duck. I bought the one and only Saxony male available. Unfortunately no females were available. There’s someone with a Craigslist ad selling unsexed Saxony ducks about 2 hours away but the listing is 20 days old. So, I’m just going to cross my fingers the “drake” from Mcmurray is really a drake. The drake from Meyer was not. I also purchased one male sexed Welsh Harlequin to hatch a few ducklings to replace the girl I lost (hopefully I don’t lose any more). So far, my favorite of the 5 duck breeds I have is the Saxony duck breed. I really like their colors and temperament.

 

[Rcornerranch]

McMurray emailed me saying they won’t have the ducks until November 1. So frustrating!

 

[Rcornerranch]

First camera looking at the pond had nothing after 5 days. 2nd camera by the duck pen looking up to cover where a predator might come through the fence line was a shocker. After we put the camera up and went inside, a fox immediately showed up.

 

[Rcornerranch]

 

[clashmore]

I'm so sorry! I can relate! We lost 5 chickens over 2 nights this weekend. I didn't realize how much I cared. but my whole family is heart broken. Their bodies were left for us in the run all torn up. We kept our last 2 chickens in a large dog kennel in the garage last night and we caught a skunk in a live trap! Our coop/run is set up next to a tall cement retaining wall. there is about 8 inches between the wall and the run. On the second night of killed chickens I found a hole, which I filled. Then I filled that whole length of wall/run with rocks. at least 12 inches of rocks. On night 3 (with the chickens safely in the garage) I found the skunk in the trap and also a big hole where the thing had dug out all those rocks and under the coop again! So we will have to try pavers or something that can't be moved. I've read skunks are solitary but could this really be the work of ONE skunk?

 

[Rcornerranch]

I'm so sorry! I can relate! We lost 5 chickens over 2 nights this weekend. I didn't realize how much I cared. but my whole family is heart broken. Their bodies were left for us in the run all torn up. We kept our last 2 chickens in a large dog kennel in the garage last night and we caught a skunk in a live trap! Our coop/run is set up next to a tall cement retaining wall. there is about 8 inches between the wall and the run. On the second night of killed chickens I found a hole, which I filled. Then I filled that whole length of wall/run with rocks. at least 12 inches of rocks. On night 3 (with the chickens safely in the garage) I found the skunk in the trap and also a big hole where the thing had dug out all those rocks and under the coop again! So we will have to try pavers or something that can't be moved. I've read skunks are solitary but could this really be the work of ONE skunk?

I haven’t encountered digging yet…but I’m sure this fox will be back. I put electric netting up. The light from the trail camera seems to have scared off the fox for now. My dad argues that nothing will dig under or rip through chicken wire. I completely disagree. Im planning a covered proper permanent duck pen that I am going to set up soon. Reality hits eventually when you start to lose birds. Suddenly, things need to be done differently, and you can feel so hopeless! I HIGHLY recommend trail cameras! You don’t know what has been snooping around but decided to wait until it’s hungrier.

 

[Rcornerranch]

Any smell around the feathers? Or around the yard? You probably have a canine preditor. Foxes often leave a smell somewhat like skunk, but not always. In my experience they are more likely to attack during the day than coyotes, but any animal can adjust hunting times to catch easy prey.

You were right about the skunk smell being an indicator of a fox. Most people I’ve told this too after you pointed me in that direction do not believe foxes can leave skunky smells. Everyone I’ve talked to in person has told me it was a raccoon. Now I have proof. I’ve smelled “skunk” in the air without being able to figure out the source because it seemed diluted no matter how close I got to the area. I figured the skunk must be in the distance. Now I know, chances were I was probably smelling foxes. I can’t believe more people out in the countryside that I’ve talked to don’t know this! Now that I know, I’ll try to drop it into conversations with anyone I talk to with livestock.

 

[Rcornerranch]

No fox sightings since putting the camera up. One of the trail cameras randomly goes entirely blurry at night like it stops working. I was only able to hear something sniffing and metal tinkering sounds. I wish I know what it was. I did get a drake today. He’s very cute!