6 ducks are missing

[LauraSBale]

Thanksgiving day we went to chucks sister in Washington twp, are friend next store was to lock everyone up, i came come friday about 1:00 i had to work that night, and i couldnt find 6 of my ducks, so i went and asked greg if seen them and lucked them up, and said yes, and he let all of them out in the morning, well with in 4 hours 6 are missing and we still can not find them, 2 of them are my new black east indie girls, and my new grey call girl, and 1 of my bei boys, and 2 of my rouen x magpies that i hatched out 7 weeks ago, its like they just vanished in to thin air, no feathers any where nothing, went back in the woods, around the ponds, so i went to work came back home still no ducks, went to work on sat, came home no ducks and still no ducks, we have looked every where,
just weird that 6 ducks can just disapire in 4 hours. my daughters are just besides them selfs.

we have 3 rouen x magpies, that cant fly, and you would think if somthing was to get them, it would have been those 3 since they can fly,

 

[Germaine_11.20]

Do you think it was a predator or someone took them?

 

[LauraSBale]

you know i dont know, 4 of them can fly about 100 feet, so if somthing was after them they could fly away some. i never see hawks by us, just turkey valtures, and they like dead stuff,
the only thing i can think of is, they fly some and then just kept going father away, but are Gill, when he qacks everyone comes running to him, and i just cant see them flying to far away, i just dont know, its blowing my mined.

 

[NateinFL]

Why does it seem like this kind of stuff always happens on a holiday?

 

[Dances with Ducks]

Usually this type of thing is the result of predators, it's just nature.
So that suggests that the rest of your ducks are in danger.

 

[LauraSBale]

Its just weird that it would happen in a 3 1/2 hour period, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
now they are locked up when I'm not home

 

[Dances with Ducks]

That's good you are locking them up, I hope you can find out what happened.
Maybe if you put a post on the preditor forum more people will see this and will be able to tell you what might do this, if it is a preditor.

 

[LauraSBale]

thanks
i will do that

 

[merryfarmer]

Hi all,

I'm new on this site. I raise chickens and have a few ducks as well. I have had a frustrating experience keeping ducks on my little pond. Have you considered hawks or birds of prey?

I've been slowly losing my ducks due to hawks. They swoop down during daylight hours and so far have gotten 4 of my ducks over the last week. No feathers or anything else left behind. I watched and heard one do this the other day. It's so frustrating as the hawks are protected. Does anyone have a recommendation that might scare the hawks away. Do scarecrows work? I miss my indian runners the most -- they were the first to go. Funny thing is, that they don't bother my chickens. They are fenced in on sides only and locked in at night.

Bonnie

 

[Tweeza]

I would think the hawks are going for the ducks over the chickens because their just like "sitting ducks". Mine don't move fast like the chickens can and the ducks bill is not as sharp as the chickens beak. Our dog leaves the chickens alone but has so far killed one duck and was on the way to killing another when found. He plucks the feathers on the back of the neck and base of the neck. That's my theory anyway.