Duck killed inside pen at night- what killed her?

[GirlsHuntToo]

And i have definitely seen a coon or two nearby, just been a while. And this is the first time I've seen the feces where it looks like a dog, but the other ones seem to be a good indicator. And it's all in the same place
I will get out the bigger havahart and see if i can trap it

Good idea! I think that is the place where he is hiding out at night. Do you see any tracks around??

 

[Launchpad]

Good idea! I think that is the place where he is hiding out at night. Do you see any tracks around??

Do not, but i walk ban there a lot, the dog goes back there, the ducks go back there, the deer, etc
I have some bright lights on going to put in the pen on top of the coop, but facing out as well. Maybe that will help deter

 

[Bruthabuz]

Sorry for your loss. Several years ago we had the same thing happen to our chickens. They were mutilated inside the pen. I put out trail cams and found a large bobcat reaching through the openings in the fence. He wasn't able to pull the chickens through the fence, just tear them apart inside as far as he could reach. The next morning, he came back for our ducks, but I was ready for him. He won't be bothering anything anymore. Since then, all of our flock has been living in peace. I hope you are able to find out what it is and are able to take care of the rest of your flock.

 

[Launchpad]

Sorry for your loss. Several years ago we had the same thing happen to our chickens. They were mutilated inside the pen. I put out trail cams and found a large bobcat reaching through the openings in the fence. He wasn't able to pull the chickens through the fence, just tear them apart inside as far as he could reach. The next morning, he came back for our ducks, but I was ready for him. He won't be bothering anything anymore. Since then, all of our flock has been living in peace. I hope you are able to find out what it is and are able to take care of the rest of your flock.

Someone else suggested bobcat ha
Whatever it is, I'm on the case

I can't afford it yet, but i want a good trail cam with live cellular feed. But for now, I'm going to get a cheap one that will at least take pics and i will see if it comes by tonight. Though i will have the lights, the smelling deterrents, and me going out there a few times
I'll shoot it (whatever it is) if necessary but i try to avoid that. I think i can fix this without pulling the trigger but gotta be aggressive

 

[Bruthabuz]

If it is a predator, you can be sure he will return now that he knows where he can find an easy meal. These pics were taken with a cheap trail cam in 2017. I still use the same two today to keep eyes out. About 500 feet on the other side of our property line is a wildlife area with just an open field between. So I've gotten pictures of coyotes, foxes, raccoons, skunks, turkeys, deer, etc.
Also, I have two feet of fence lying on the ground outside of the pen fence and attached to it to prevent animals from digging underneath the fence. So far, I've had nothing get inside the pens (that I know of).

 

[Launchpad]

If it is a predator, you can be sure he will return now that he knows where he can find an easy meal. These pics were taken with a cheap trail cam in 2017. I still use the same two today to keep eyes out. About 500 feet on the other side of our property line is a wildlife area with just an open field between.

That's quite the bobcat

 

[Launchpad]

Culprit identified.

And he got in, and out, last night and killed poor Sophie, one of my two buff orpingtons.
So he did not go through the fencing. He might have gotten through a gap in the gate last time, but definitely not this time.

This leaves only the netting.
I found this hole at the very top; it was not there last time. I figure he just keeps searching for angles and pulled on (can they chew through it) the netting to allow himself an opening.


So while the ducks will no longer be in that pen until this problem is rectified, i must refortify now that I know who it is.
I might have to put them all back in the chicken coop until i rectify this, since both pens use the same netting up top. The new pen has more and thicker, but it seems this racoon has the ability to work that problem out.

- Ordering another roll of the good hardware cloth. Do i basically reinforce the netting the whole way with hardware cloth?
- going electric. Has to be solar or most likely battery (or both eventually). Never done this. There is pre-made electric netting but seems a little flimsy. Tractor supply has spools of wire and all the equipment. I figure ill wire the entire two pens with one at ground level and encircle them every few feet and go all the way up to the very top. I just have to make sure the wire isn't touching the hardware cloth i would think? Don't want to fry a duck.
- baiting the large havahart trap every night. Best thing would be to catch this perpetrator
- two nights ago, i put out a bunch of cayenne pepper & peppermint oil. The racoon was not caught on camera that night. But it rained some during the day yesterday. I wonder if that get had been effective but washed away?
- will randomly get up and spotlight the pen. The problem is the angle leaves some neighbors in my line of sight for taking a shot. I would have to somehow get behind it and have my property and most importantly the pond behind him to make sure a miss or ricochet wouldn't endanger anyone. Using a 9mm rifle

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

Culprit identified.
View attachment 3681919
And he got in, and out, last night and killed poor Sophie, one of my two buff orpingtons.
So he did not go through the fencing. He might have gotten through a gap in the gate last time, but definitely not this time.

This leaves only the netting.
I found this hole at the very top; it was not there last time. I figure he just keeps searching for angles and pulled on (can they chew through it) the netting to allow himself an opening.
View attachment 3681934

So while the ducks will no longer be in that pen until this problem is rectified, i must refortify now that I know who it is.
I might have to put them all back in the chicken coop until i rectify this, since both pens use the same netting up top. The new pen has more and thicker, but it seems this racoon has the ability to work that problem out.

- Ordering another roll of the good hardware cloth. Do i basically reinforce the netting the whole way with hardware cloth?
- going electric. Has to be solar or most likely battery (or both eventually). Never done this. There is pre-made electric netting but seems a little flimsy. Tractor supply has spools of wire and all the equipment. I figure ill wire the entire two pens with one at ground level and encircle them every few feet and go all the way up to the very top. I just have to make sure the wire isn't touching the hardware cloth i would think? Don't want to fry a duck.
- baiting the large havahart trap every night. Best thing would be to catch this perpetrator
- two nights ago, i put out a bunch of cayenne pepper & peppermint oil. The racoon was not caught on camera that night. But it rained some during the day yesterday. I wonder if that get had been effective but washed away?
- will randomly get up and spotlight the pen. The problem is the angle leaves some neighbors in my line of sight for taking a shot. I would have to somehow get behind it and have my property and most importantly the pond behind him to make sure a miss or ricochet wouldn't endanger anyone. Using a 9mm rifle

Sometimes the only way to get rid of a problem like that is with a bullet. Its not what we prefer to do but sometimes they will not go away!

 

[Launchpad]

Sometimes the only way to get rid of a problem like that is with a bullet. Its not what we prefer to do but sometimes they will not go away!

If i can snag it with the havahart ill relocate. Other than that... gotta go

 

[Bruthabuz]

Sometimes the only way to get rid of a problem like that is with a bullet. Its not what we prefer to do but sometimes they will not go away!

I did not want to go that route with my bobcat, but he didn't leave me much choice. He'd already killed several of my chickens over a few days and I didn't have many left. Then he was after what few ducks I had. I didn't have a trap that size and I didn't think he would be stupid enough to go into one anyway. Fortunately for me, I was able to hide myself in a position where I knew there are no houses or buildings for several hundred or thousands of yards, maybe even a mile or two beyond my coops. Plus, there is a very tall rockpile beyond the empty field. I just got up very early the next morning and waited. Sure enough, he came back for another easy meal. I got him with my scoped .30-06. I truly do wish I had been able to catch and either release him far away or relinquish him to the authorities. But there just wasn't time for it. BTW, I also have very graphic pictures of my chickens, but prefer not to show them. They are similar to those from Launchpad.