Black vultures on roof of duck run

[Aqua Bird]

Occasionally this year, I've witnessed a committee of black vultures gathering around my duck run--about three dozen of them per meeting. Several even perch on the roof of the run. When I go outside to disrupt their meeting, they disperse, and my ducks remain fine and healthy. I can't figure out what the vultures are there for, but I'm growing suspicious of their intention. I've heard black vultures can kill animals if hungry enough. I'm not sure why they're drawn to the ducks, but it's a bad look for the neighborhood (maybe my ducks are thugs now).

The roof of the run is composed of several sheets of hardware cloth joined with plastic zip ties. I've noticed several snapped ties on the ground this year, and I'm not sure if that's happening from weathering or from sinister vultures. I replaced some of the ties to test the problem and haven't seen any snapped yet. The hardware cloth is in need of more maintenance now. It sags from its own weight and perhaps the occasional weight of avian visitors. I would rather replace it with chicken wire because it's lighter on the frame, and I haven't seen any predators try to get on the roof other than vultures; however, if the vultures truly are after the ducks, I know they could snap through chicken wire. Has anyone here had problems with vultures hunting their poultry? Do I need to continue using hardware cloth for my roofing?

 

[nuthatched]

Definitely keep the hardware cloth and frame it better, chicken wire is useless and will let anything through.

Are the vultures sunning themselves?

 

[Aqua Bird]

Thanks. No, the vultures just sit there quietly. Unnerving.

 

[ruthhope]

I use chicken wire over strong wire supports (mason's ladders) for the top of my duck house. I only use hardware cloth to 3ft from the ground to prevent raccoons and other predators paws reaching through the bars. Chicken wire is perfectly good above 3ft from the ground as long as it is strongly framed and supported. I too use zip ties to connect the chicken wire to the supporting mason ladder wire frame.

I doubt that the black vultures are a danger, other than harboring avian 'flu, to your ducks. Vultures are prone to adopting a neighborhood house for their roost and leaving a poopy mess every morning. I read lots of complaints about it on local wildlife groups on Facebook. Your vultures have chosen the ducks' accommodation rather than your house for their own internal reasons, unlikely to be the potential meal opportunity provided by your ducks in my opinion. I wouldn't like it if they adopted my duck house as their roost!!!

 

[WingItRanch]

Black vultures can kill and will kill. They're different from other vultures and will hunt. I've seen them dive to try to catch my chickens. Thankfully, they're nowhere near as skilled as hawks and appear a little clumsy.

They often will wait for a calf to born and attack it while its defenseless. They're protected under the migratory bird act but in TX, you can apply for a special permit if they've killed your livestock. There are very strict rules, though.

I've noticed if I annoy them enough they eventually move on. I've yelled when I see them and wave a rake around. They're not scared of me but seem to be disturbed enough to leave.

 

[Aqua Bird]

Black vultures can kill and will kill. They're different from other vultures and will hunt. I've seen them dive to try to catch my chickens. Thankfully, they're nowhere near as skilled as hawks and appear a little clumsy.

They often will wait for a calf to born and attack it while its defenseless. They're protected under the migratory bird act but in TX, you can apply for a special permit if they've killed your livestock. There are very strict rules, though.

I've noticed if I annoy them enough they eventually move on. I've yelled when I see them and wave a rake around. They're not scared of me but seem to be disturbed enough to leave.

I've heard the same. It's helpful to know you've personally witnessed it.

 

[ruthhope]

I've heard the same. It's helpful to know you've personally witnessed it.

This is a Veterinary article on black vultures:

https://poultrydvm.com/predator/vul...portunity,most standard bird control products.

Obviously, black vultures can be a problem to rural farmers. My experience is with suburban black vultures in Virginia and Florida. In the suburbs, the main problem is the mess vultures leave behind after roosting on a home.

 

[Aqua Bird]

This is a Veterinary article on black vultures:

https://poultrydvm.com/predator/vulture#:~:text=If provided with the opportunity,most standard bird control products.

Obviously, black vultures can be a problem to rural farmers. My experience is with suburban black vultures in Virginia and Florida. In the suburbs, the main problem is the mess vultures leave behind after roosting on a home.

Yeah, I don't like them leaving droppings in the run my ducks live in.