Something attacked our ducks and geese

[Iziayia]

Hey ya'll

Last night something attacked our Muscovies and Pomeranian geese. One duck was severely injured on the back of her head/neck and one of the geese's head and leg. I'm not sure what is capable of doing that, or what would attack an animal that big. Either it's a good climber or has to be small enough to go through a chain link as they are in a horse stall with chain-link door (to let more light in).

I've moved them into another horse stall that had been set up to keep chickens in so it's got nets around it everywhere and normal door.

I've set up two traps in old cage with cracked open eggs and bread, may add hamburger meat before night time. I'm located near Ottawa ON. Horses were freaking out in the morning when I entered the barn and that's why I new somethings was wrong.

Just trying to figure out what it might have been. Never had something like that in the barn (we also have beef, horses and turkeys in same area - chickens are in closed off room for the winter). There was lots of blood everywhere in their in closure, and on the walls. I don't know, just trying to catch it now so I can keep them safe and let them heal.

 

[Iziayia]

We were using raw hamburger meat and eggs. Worked fairly well. We caught it this morning!

 

[Iziayia]

No it's still out there. We set up big rat snap traps a few days ago and one went off and after that it was missing in action for a while so we hoped it had a big injury and died. But of course this morning it was back and the traps failed. Most of the traps were all frozen with condensed water (was humid a bit) and so they were unfunctional and didn't work. This has to be be luckiest little weasel ever (I found prints of a weasel around the barn). So we will reset again tonight and hopefully nothing will malfunction and it will be caught.

 

[aart]

Only thing I can think of that would do that damage but not kill is rats.

 

[Iziayia]

Possibly, I saw something once that was bigger then a mouse but wasn't sure. But I figured they would go for the easy food - we have the feed bags out on the ground and some corn in barrels. I didn't think they would go after a 'dangerous' meal if they have easy access food. Also my dog didn't reach and she's always hunting mice in the barn so j figured must be something she doesn't recognize.

 

[aart]

Rats do go for grain but will also eat chickens. They are not adept at killing adult birds tho they can take chicks easy.
The only other animal small enough to get thru chain link would be the smaller weasels, and they are excellent killers.
Coon could reach thru but likely to have been successful at total kill even thru the fencing.

 

[Lilki]

Weasels could definitely get through chain link and are very efficient killers.

 

[aart]

Weasels could definitely get through chain link and are very efficient killers.

Thing is..... these birds were not killed, just injured.

 

[Iziayia]

Well traps are set, so we will see if we catch anything overnight. I think whatever it was got a decent wack on the head from our gander and or drake so that's probably why is gave up.

 

[Howard E]

My vote is you are dealing with a raccoon, a weasel or one of the weasel cousins (mink, ermine, least weasel, etc). A raccoon can easily make that climb. The attack on the back of the head at the base of the neck is the signature move of the weasel clan. They hop on the victim's back, then dig in with their toes to hang on like a jockey riding a horse until they can kill their victim with bites to the back of the neck at the base of their head. So an additional tell tale sign is small punctures from their claws at the base of the wings. If one of the geese got involved, it may have been wounded in the fracass, but eventually drove him off. Might be a "least weasel", which are small but deadly, but maybe not deadly enough to take on a hostile goose?

So live trap for the raccoon, and if that turns up empty, consider a weasel box trap, which has a baited rat trap inside. There is another version which places the baited rat trap on a vertical wall. You might try that until you can get the box trap going.