Predator Advice

[ColleenRyan]

I hate to be writing this. I had three pet ducks that were about a year old. A male Pekin and mallard and a female cayuga. We live in a very suburban area with lots of houses and not too much land. In the beginning of April found the females eggs taken from our yard and the hutch was open a bit and the male
Mallard was missing, but he could fly. I thought he had gotten out and spooked and flew away. Tonight when I got home (I had been out for about 4 hours nothing out of the ordinary) the two ducks were gone. I looked everywhere and there was no blood, only feathers. Not many feathers either. I looked everywhere and finally looked over the fence into the yard behind ours and I saw Babe, the Pekin, laying so still I knew it was bad. My boyfriend checked and something had broken his neck and left him about fifteen feet from our yard and must have climbed over our chain link fence. The other duck was nowhere to be found. Rogimoris hadn’t taken place and my boyfriend said he wasn’t cold. What predator would have done this? In a suburban area? And left him so close to our yard? My heart is broken, I feel like I failed them but they love roaming the yard until we put them in the hutch before we go to bed. Any advice or insight or anything at all would be so helpful.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

If it opened a structure, it could have been raccoon or human. Raccoons are prevalent in suburan areas as well.
If you have predators, you will want to keep them locked up unless supervised.
Sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[Jillchapa86]

Omg this is my biggest fear , I have nightmares and I rarely sleep at night even though they stay in their duck house I still feel like something can dig in , I feel like no matter what I do I keep hearing stories of how predators get in!!!??? Reguardless of how safe environment. I too live in very suburban area an d let my girls free during the day. What kind of life though to be in a cage just to breathe ? Ours our pet purpose only. We’re eBen replacing boards to neighbors fences to be extra safe . Although we continue to predator proof as much as we can I feel it’s a losing battle ! All I know is no predator better let me catch him back though ,he’s messing with the wrong ducks! ANY ADVICE ON OUR SET UP ASWELL WOULD BE MAJORLY APPRECIATED !!im so sorry for your loss your story made me cry

I hate to be writing this. I had three pet ducks that were about a year old. A male Pekin and mallard and a female cayuga. We live in a very suburban area with lots of houses and not too much land. In the beginning of April found the females eggs taken from our yard and the hutch was open a bit and the male
Mallard was missing, but he could fly. I thought he had gotten out and spooked and flew away. Tonight when I got home (I had been out for about 4 hours nothing out of the ordinary) the two ducks were gone. I looked everywhere and there was no blood, only feathers. Not many feathers either. I looked everywhere and finally looked over the fence into the yard behind ours and I saw Babe, the Pekin, laying so still I knew it was bad. My boyfriend checked and something had broken his neck and left him about fifteen feet from our yard and must have climbed over our chain link fence. The other duck was nowhere to be found. Rogimoris hadn’t taken place and my boyfriend said he wasn’t cold. What predator would have done this? In a suburban area? And left him so close to our yard? My heart is broken, I feel like I failed them but they love roaming the yard until we put them in the hutch before we go to bed. Any advice or insight or anything at all would be so helpful.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@Jillchapa86 that is a cute duck house. I have fears as well, but you also got to let them just be birds and not worry as much. Do the best you can with what you have access to.
How secure is the duck house when they are locked up?

 

[ColleenRyan]

If it opened a structure, it could have been raccoon or human. Raccoons are prevalent in suburan areas as well.
If you have predators, you will want to keep them locked up unless supervised.
Sorry to hear about your loss.

Thank you It looks like it opened it with the mallard last month. My ducks from last night were only alone in the yard for 2.5 hours when this happened. And one was gone, the other was over the fence about fifteen feet into my neighbors yard with no marks or signs of harm on him but his neck was broken

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Thank you It looks like it opened it with the mallard last month. My ducks from last night were only alone in the yard for 2.5 hours when this happened. And one was gone, the other was over the fence about fifteen feet into my neighbors yard with no marks or signs of harm on him but his neck was broken

Can dogs get in your backyard?

 

[ColleenRyan]

Omg this is my biggest fear , I have nightmares and I rarely sleep at night even though they stay in their duck house I still feel like something can dig in , I feel like no matter what I do I keep hearing stories of how predators get in!!!??? Reguardless of how safe environment. I too live in very suburban area an d let my girls free during the day. What kind of life though to be in a cage just to breathe ? Ours our pet purpose only. We’re eBen replacing boards to neighbors fences to be extra safe . Although we continue to predator proof as much as we can I feel it’s a losing battle ! All I know is no predator better let me catch him back though ,he’s messing with the wrong ducks! ANY ADVICE ON OUR SET UP ASWELL WOULD BE MAJORLY APPRECIATED !!im so sorry for your loss your story made me cry

I’m sending all your duckies all my good thoughts and I have a feeling they’ll stay safe That house looks amazing. It’s confirmed my friends stopped by and hung out with them around 9:30 and I got home before midnight so it all happened in that short time frame. And it took one over the fence and we Can’t find her. We saw ones body about fifteen feet away into the neighbors yard over the fence

 

[Jillchapa86]

@Jillchapa86 that is a cute duck house. I have fears as well, but you also got to let them just be birds and not worry as much. Do the best you can with what you have access to.
How secure is the duck house when they are locked up?

Well the ground is moist , and we’re covering it with chicken wire today since i feel something can stick its hand in and they like to stay on guard in the open area to watch at night , they usually don’t sleep until about 500am, and I feel so sorry for them,my bedroom over looks their house and run but I can’t hear ! So I have major insomnia plus I’m about to have a baby so mother goose syndrome! The other night I almOST had a heart attack! I was probAbly delirious from lack of sleep and hearing all the horror stories about duck murders I looked outside about 3am and thought I nsaw feathers everywhere my girls were inside the enclosed area of their house so I didn’t need see them , I panicked! But they were fine once I got outside they came out looking like wth are you doing crazy lady lol . I love these girls sooooooo much but there’s times I wish my husband wouldn’t have brought them Because I don’t handle death well although it’s life , but just seeing their happy faces And to feel like I let them down would destroy me . I will be going to tractor supply today AGAIN to see what else I can do I need a good nights rest!

 

[Jillchapa86]

I’m sending all your duckies all my good thoughts and I have a feeling they’ll stay safe That house looks amazing. It’s confirmed my friends stopped by and hung out with them around 9:30 and I got home before midnight so it all happened in that short time frame. And it took one over the fence and we Can’t find her. We saw ones body about fifteen feet away into the neighbors yard over the fence

Awwww thank you for the good vibes this way! Hope you figure it out , it’s sad it’s the circle of life though. I’m sure for the tile they lived they had a beautiful life ! Much better with you than where they could’ve been ! Godbless

 

[chickens really]

Hello...That sounds like a Fox to me. They can climb over or get under. Could be a Coyote too?..Sorry that happened.