CONFUSED AND NEED OPINIONS

[Emdy]

The other day my welsh harlequins laid there first eggs 5 Hens and 5 Drakes. The next morning I go out to check for eggs and my most beautiful girl is completely gone and another girl has a deep cut in her shoulder and died the next day. I found a drake dead from apparently nothing there were no wounds that I could find anywhere and another drake limping but no other apparent injuries. I put the remaining ducks in there coop ( i let them free roam in a large fenced in area day and night with electric fence to keep out land predators) As i already said the injured girl died the next day and the limping boy died. I'm down to 6. I think the horror is over but no, another boy died a few days later that was perfectly fine in appearance. OK, i believe the injured girl and disappearing girl where from a hawk or owl (heard an owl the other night and saw a hawk last week down the road). my fence are completely in tact and no feathers to indicate a struggle, so I'm going with the hawk or owl. But the drakes i am completely dumbfounded. Any guesses, opinions, facts, info? My wife is heart broken.

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[Miss Lydia]

The other day my welsh harlequins laid there first eggs 5 Hens and 5 Drakes. The next morning I go out to check for eggs and my most beautiful girl is completely gone and another girl has a deep cut in her shoulder and died the next day. I found a drake dead from apparently nothing there were no wounds that I could find anywhere and another drake limping but no other apparent injuries. I put the remaining ducks in there coop ( i let them free roam in a large fenced in area day and night with electric fence to keep out land predators) As i already said the injured girl died the next day and the limping boy died. I'm down to 6. I think the horror is over but no, another boy died a few days later that was perfectly fine in appearance. OK, i believe the injured girl and disappearing girl where from a hawk or owl (heard an owl the other night and saw a hawk last week down the road). my fence are completely in tact and no feathers to indicate a struggle, so I'm going with the hawk or owl. But the drakes i am completely dumbfounded. Any guesses, opinions, facts, info? My wife is heart broken.

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Welcome to BYC. and very sorry for your losses.that is heart breaking. If i was you Id start locking my remaining ducks up at night because most likely it was an Owl, with their natural food source scarce this time of year they will be coming back for the rest of your flock it's easy pickings. Hawks don't fly at night so probably a pair of large Owls. You drake may have had internal injuries or died from shock which can kill as well as an injury. Those feathers can hide wounds pretty good so unless you got him down and looked his entire body over you may have missed something.I would be heart broken too, you had a good system for walking preds but not for flying ones. When we choose to leave them out at night we're taking a big chance we're going to lose some. Bad enough during the day when we let them free range which I do but at night I know I have to lock up tight we have way to many preds.

 

[Emdy]

Yes from here on out they sleep indoors. They're very hesitant to leave the coop in the mornings they have literally spent all day with the door open. Its never been a regular thing though so maybe once i get them in the routine they'll do better. They also haven't laid eggs since the horror began. Hopefully they'll get back in the swing of things. Thanks for your response.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes from here on out they sleep indoors. They're very hesitant to leave the coop in the mornings they have literally spent all day with the door open. Its never been a regular thing though so maybe once i get them in the routine they'll do better. They also haven't laid eggs since the horror began. Hopefully they'll get back in the swing of things. Thanks for your response.

Most likely shock of seeing their family killed before their eyes , it will take time but they'll come around and egg laying will start back too. I'm releived your going to be locking them up at night now. Sometimes we have to learn the hard way I've been there myself.