do birds of prey kill full grown ducks?

[frizzleman74]

im thinking about getting a pekin and a welsh harlequin. I live in CT where hawks and owls are prevalent. Should i worry? Has anyone had bad experience with their ducks and birds of prey? thanks

 

[desertdarlene]

I don't own my own ducks, but there are some hawks, eagles, owls and falcons who do hunt ducks regularly. This is especially true of bald eagles, great horned owls and peregrine falcons.

There are some stories on here of hawks carrying away their ducks. One person even found hers alive later on.

 

[Hattiegun]

YES~~ they will !

 

[DuckLover9138]

Depends on where you live. If you live in the city, or places of many human settlement, it would be impossible for it to attack since they don't like to get involved with humans. If you live alone, then there is a higher chance.

 

[desertdarlene]

I live right in the middle of town and we have all the birds I mentioned above and they are very successful hunters. They totally ignore people.

 

[DuckLover9138]

Really! Wow, I saw a hawk flew by me when I was feeding my ducks(It was way up in the air). It probably saw me and the ducks, but it totally ignored us and never came back. I guess these things have different personalities. I always thought as a rule, wild animals are terrified of humans. They prefer to avoid human when finding food..

 

[Yetti]

My wife had a Red tailed Hawk eying up song birds on the feeder out back on day. it was setting on our pergola watching from about 30 feet away... and 8 feet from my back door. they don't scare as easy as one would think.

 

[Wifezilla]

I live in the suburbs, and my only losses to predators were to birds of prey. A great horned owl took out 2 drakes and 3 years ago a hawk got 2 of my hens. If the duck is too big to carry off, they will just eat the head and leave the body

I have a run covered in netting. It helps. Also locking them up at night in a secure covered pen keeps them from getting eaten. If they freerange now, I am supervising.

We also have Peregrin Falcons, but they just stop by to check out the quail. They stand on the lawn furniture and stare longingly in to their covered pen

 

[frizzleman74]

wow, thanks. so what should i do when i let them free range and off to play in the pond, just keep an eye on them? Also i didn't realize a hawk would attack such big animals

 

[mandelyn]

I had a Red Tail swoop right over the fence after my Bantams not 10 ft from me, humans won't deter them from a possible meal. Right smack in the middle of the suburbs too! I had them out free ranging and was keeping an eye out, and that guy used the privacy fence as cover, came up and over it and down, right at a little hen. I jumped up out my chair and scattered the chickens, making a failed attempt for the hawk. Crazy!

Another (different house, same general area) was contemplating the wire roof on my run from 15 ft up in the tree above it.

Ducks are awful big for most hawks. But Eagles go after Mallards and geese, so if you have them local or migrating through, I'd imagine they'd try for them.

I've only ever lost a bird to a Fox and a pair of Coon, and one broody hen with chicks to a hawk, her dumb butt sat in the middle of a field covering her chicks and that hawk made off with her before I could run out there.

Ever since those 3 incidents, I've been super paranoid. I think it's what saved the little hen from the most recent hawk, I was standing out there ready and waiting instead of thinking "They'll be fine" and going in the house.

There have been chicken hawks or vultures or something circling around here lately. They're too high up to tell for sure. But I still keep watch when they're loose.