does anyone have a clue what could be getting my geese and ducks? they take one every few days and they are no where to be seen and no evidence left behind. not many feathers and no blood or carcus.they are just gone..can a coon carry off a duck or goose? we caught one very large coon but they are still disapearing. they stay at the pond at night and what ever is getting them it happens at night. I have searched all over high and low and can find nothing left of them. I'm very unhappy and sad that they are diapearing. any sugg.?? please help thanks
It sure could be a number of things but the number 1 sneakiest culprit is always a coon, keep trapping it may help. Good luck. AL
Is your coop enclosed or does it have an open top? Is the wire disturbed after the chickens disappear? Are your chickens fenced/enclosed at night? And have you found any tracks around your pens? I'm trying to get a feel for how your chickens are housed at night. If a coon can just waltz in for 'take-out' food, or does it have to wrangle it's dinner out somehow. Loads of critters take chickens, sometimes even one's neighbors, so any details on how the birds are housed would help with the detective work here.
Don't know what part of the country your in, but also (if applicable) consider large snapping turtles and Alligators too.
Quote:This post is about geese and ducks on a pond at night. My geese are in the pond all night, but my ducks stay on the bank. Something "got" 2 of my ducks at night also. Have had problems with racoons in the past, just figured they wouldn't mess with a big duck. Maybe I am wrong here??
Coons eat part and leave body parts. coyotes and fox would carry them off, but most ducks would head for the water, my best guess greathorn owl. attack at night, ducks would not see or hear them. They will also carry them off and eat someplace high. Randy caught one that was getting his ducks, and eating them on his truck cab.
I had a great horned owl eating my ducks too. Couldn't figure it out for months until one night I caught the owl roosted in my barn rafters with my favorite chocolate hen runner duck dead on the floor below. We surprised her in the act. She had killed several ducks over time by ripping the head & neck off and taking that on night one. It hid the body real good and came back night two for more. Runner ducks are pretty light but it still didn't carry off the whole body at one time. It was spring into early summer so I think she was feeding her chicks.
