6 ducks just gone and the rest injured? Please help solve duck mystery

[RoosterML]

I say coyotes

 

[hayley3]

We had a flock of 14 ducks who always stay very tight together right around the property.
I let them out at 8am all is normal and came back out about an hour and a half later and there are only 7 left all looking traumatized, 2 with open wounds that look to be teeth or scratches and bleeding a bit. Fast forward to that night at dusk and one more duck hardly able to stand comes crying down the hill slowly to return to the flock. I couldn’t believe my eyes it had stumbled home so hurt hours later. Has a severely hurt foot and wing and more wound marks all along the neck and head. My family and I have scoured the property for the last two days with no sign of a fight or feathers anywhere. What could have grabbed 7 ducks at once in such a short time with no sign of anything anywhere? We live in a wooded area and heard coyotes that night and that’s what I want to think it is? But wouldn’t they of left behind feathers and could a pack of grabbed that many? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated

You will never know for sure but I would put up a camera and be watchful of the others from now on and don't leave them out alone. Same thing happened to me but there were feathers everywhere but they were chickens. I had a fox grab a duck and not one feather was lost.

 

[cmom]

I agree. For now it's just a guessing game. To be sure if you have a camera put it up and keep your ducks at home. When you let them roam it's a risk you take and you will loose birds sooner or later as you found out. Most likely the predator has been around and you don't even see them but they most likely see you. They will lurk and look for an opportunity and take it if they can. I have several cameras up. I love my cameras. I also have my birds in nice large pens with electric wires around my coops and pens due to losses in the past from predators. Lessons learned the hard way. Good luck...

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I definitely agree with adding a few game cameras in the area of your birds, to not only help identify the culprits, but to prepare further by knowing the enemy to say the least and really beef up security for your feathered friends. Sadly, I still keep getting a question/feeling of a group of dogs that took off with them. To make it brief, we had a dog attack from just a single and there were no feathers, no blood. That maybe those left injured were fortunate to escape. I know my what-if scenarios cannot help now, but maybe it helps prepare a little and the idea of game cameras will help (because if it is a neighbors dogs, you also have proof of them on your property and near your birds). You could always call on a licensed trapper to come out and set just in case. Again, just really sorry for your loss and I know in my own way how hard it is especially when you’ve hand raised them. Take care