Somthing killed one of my Indian Runners

[lynepie]

What do you think might have killed one of my male Indian Runners? They were out by our pond, I found it with the head on, but the neck and back had been eaten. There were feathers about 3 foot all around the body. Could it have been a hawk or owl? It was during the day. I keep them in a coop at night. If it was a hawk or owl, how can I protect the birds while they are out? I will be keeping them in the pen for a few days.

 

[sourland]

Scattered feathers around the body is very typical of a bird of prey kill. Although GHO will sometimes hunt on an overcast day, I believe it is most likely that a hawk was the predator. The only guaranteed way to protect your ducks is to keep them penned up in a run with a top until the hawk moves on.

 

[Amiga]

 

[lynepie]

That is what I thought, it was cloudy today. I will keep them in. If it was an owl, do you think it would move along? Also, you answered a question about another ducks foot. It seems to be getting better. I think the soaks and antibiotic is doing the job.

 

[sourland]

I am not positive, but I believe that owls are somewhat less migratory than hawks. They pretty much maintain a territory, but the young of the year disperse in early winter to form their own 'home' territory.

 

[sourland]

Any more problems?

 

[lynepie]

I am keeping them inside their covered pen for a few more days. It is going to be bad weather Monday and Tuesday anyway. I will be scared to let them out for a while.

 

[sourland]

You may want to monitor their free ranging for a while.

 

[lynepie]

Yes. Yesterday I opened the door while doing a little cleaning and they wouldn't go far from their covered area. I thought they would go down to the pond, but they seemed leary. Pond is only about a football field length from pen.

 

[PotatoWaffles]

Sounds like it could be an owl. The only way to combat this predator is to lock them away at night in a predator proof pen. And I mean LOCK. My in-laws had thirty or so free range chickens that would put themselves to bed in their coop at night. It was a shed with a single opening big enough for the chickens to get in and out of. While they were on vacation a couple months ago, they shut the chickens in their pen. It was a 10x10 outdoor, open roof 6ft pen, with access to the coop. Over a couple nights, something got in and ripped the heads off several chickens and ate away at the necks a bit, but left most of the body intact. When they got back from vacation, they set a live trap IN the coop, thinking they would catch a raccoon or something. They caught a great horned owl. It was a really cool bird, and is federally protected. So they had to release it in the woods behind their house, and it hasn't preyed on the chickens again, but now they keep the birds in a covered aviary so that isn't an issue.