Duck disappeared

[Amiga]

I can tell you what we do for our runners and buffs.

We have many hawks around here, and they do watch the ducks. I keep them in a day pen that has fence across the top. We also have a garden area for them, but I don't leave them there unattended. I have netting stretched across the top of most of that area.

The day pen is also designed to keep foxes and dogs from jumping into the pen.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

When one of our ducks disappears, it's super easy to think of the worst-- that they' be been taken by a predator I would vote for fox, however I must tell a story. Last year, one of our 5week old ducklings disappeared. And was gone one week. I thought for sure he was a goner. Then one day I returned home from a trip to town, and there he was. So it is possible that sometimes they just wander off and get lost or whatever. Eventually sometimes they come home.

 

[desertdarlene]

I just had one go missing recently, but she was half wild and lived at a park. No trace of her at all. She has a group of male ducks that she stays with and has been with them since she was a young duck. They all live where there's coyotes and raccoons, but she has survived all this time. I find it unusual that they would take her and not her brightly colored male companions who are slower than she is. She's very hard to see in the dark compared to them. I'm hoping she's nesting, but I'm really thinking she's gone for good.

We don't have foxes here and no one has seen a bobcat in a long time. No coyote tracks in her usual spot and I think the coons have moved on since they killed another duck a few months ago. The coyotes don't take too kindly on the coons hunting in their areas.

The duck that went missing is the one in my BYC avatar.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I just had one go missing recently, but she was half wild and lived at a park. No trace of her at all. She has a group of male ducks that she stays with and has been with them since she was a young duck. They all live where there's coyotes and raccoons, but she has survived all this time. I find it unusual that they would take her and not her brightly colored male companions who are slower than she is. She's very hard to see in the dark compared to them. I'm hoping she's nesting, but I'm really thinking she's gone for good.

We don't have foxes here and no one has seen a bobcat in a long time. No coyote tracks in her usual spot and I think the coons have moved on since they killed another duck a few months ago. The coyotes don't take too kindly on the coons hunting in their areas.

The duck that went missing is the one in my BYC avatar.

I'm sorry dd I hope she shows up with ducklings in tow.

 

[desertdarlene]

I hope so, too. She's never gone broody before. I just saw her last week and she was fine.

 

[OnceYouGoQuack]

I just had one go missing recently, but she was half wild and lived at a park. No trace of her at all. She has a group of male ducks that she stays with and has been with them since she was a young duck. They all live where there's coyotes and raccoons, but she has survived all this time. I find it unusual that they would take her and not her brightly colored male companions who are slower than she is. She's very hard to see in the dark compared to them. I'm hoping she's nesting, but I'm really thinking she's gone for good.

We don't have foxes here and no one has seen a bobcat in a long time. No coyote tracks in her usual spot and I think the coons have moved on since they killed another duck a few months ago. The coyotes don't take too kindly on the coons hunting in their areas.

The duck that went missing is the one in my BYC avatar.

Did your precious duck ever return?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

If she's sitting on eggs somewhere, you might not see her for awhile. I hope she comes back DD.

 

[desertdarlene]

She has not returned and someone said the day she went missing, she was limping a bit, but was fine in the water. She didn't even come out for food. I will keep checking. It's been two weeks since I last saw her. Her "boy band" is breaking up, save for her favorite mate and her 2nd favorite. Her favorite mate always protected her and would probably risk his life to save hers.

Edited to add: Another duck was killed by coyotes at about the same time she went missing, but they left plenty of evidence behind with him.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Awww, I'm so sad to read that DD!

 

[loulousoussou]

my duckling disappeared today from 2 to 4 pm no trace... I am so sad!! it must be a cat