Ducks getting killed in the water

[Mike Fronczak]

We got 10 ducklings this spring (early march), 6 Pekin & 4 Kacki. We grew them out for about a month in a brooder then another month in a field shelter, once I opened the field shelter door they never would go back in it, I had built it as a house for them, but they had other plans I guess. We lost two kacki first found them both floating half eaten today we notices a Pekin missing, all we found from the one today was a couple feathers and a small chunk of flesh. The Kacki were smaller maybe 3 lbs or so this Pekin was pretty much full grown though (probably 8-10 lbs ?). I have put bait lines out figuring it was a snapping turtle, some have been cleaned off but it could be minnows to though. No luck catching anything. Any other ideas on predators, how to get rid of them ? Pond is about an acre or so

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

Not sure where your at, but pike, ESP. If its kinda swampy, has some shallow but thick in reeds area (course I don't know if pike are where your at), could be be a turtle, er, not sure what else, not much of an expert of the lower 48 predators xD or anywhere else for that matter
Sorry for your loss

 

[Mike Fronczak]

We do have pike in our area & that would truly make sence because it has plenty of food between the minnows, & frogs.

 

[The Bantam Guy]

snapping turtles its not that snapping turtles go for the prey that go near them if youve seen your ducks going underwater for about 30 seconds it might be that though (snapping turtles are LAZY)

Pike probaly there fast,not lazy,large (can) be soo just put a couple "fake" bait catch a fish then stick a large "pike" hook in them then leave it for a week or 2

 

[Mike Fronczak]

Most of the summer the pond is covered in Duckweed so it is really a "mystery" area for us. We have baited lines out for turtles but it makes sence that a pike wouldn't have picked them up they are sitting on the bottom, pike tend to "feed above themselves". The previous owner son did say there was a pike in the pond, I had just blown it off though we lived here almost nine years so I figured it was probably dead (if it was real in the first place). I know they are long lived though especially in our area & can get quite large. When we moved in there was also a decent population of largemouth bass.....which are all but gone now too. I had attributed that to the blue heron that frequent the pond &/or the fact we had stocked it with fathead/shinner minnows so they were fat & not hungry.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Most of the summer the pond is covered in Duckweed so it is really a "mystery" area for us. We have baited lines out for turtles but it makes sence that a pike wouldn't have picked them up they are sitting on the bottom, pike tend to "feed above themselves". The previous owner son did say there was a pike in the pond, I had just blown it off though we lived here almost nine years so I figured it was probably dead (if it was real in the first place). I know they are long lived though especially in our area & can get quite large. When we moved in there was also a decent population of largemouth bass.....which are all but gone now too. I had attributed that to the blue heron that frequent the pond &/or the fact we had stocked it with fathead/shinner minnows so they were fat & not hungry.

Sounds like snapping turtles to me, if they were my ducks they would not be allowed in the pond till every snapping turtle was removed. It's the only way your going to be able to have waterfowl on your pond with out them being mutilated by them.

 

[jdywntr]

Do keep in mind that basically every predator can swim. Raccoon, feline & canine (don't know what you may have wild up there but also domestic), owl, hawk, eagle, etc, etc, etc.

Your best bet would be to round them up and confine them to their house for a week or two. They need to know where a safe place is. Easiest way would be to limit feed to the evenings do that they are wanting to come in. Treats are a great way to entice them too.

 

[CochinBrahmaLover]

We do have pike in our area & that would truly make sence because it has plenty of food between the minnows, & frogs.

Hey I had a good idea, LOL
Well pike can, and have, been known for taking off human fingers, so some ducks would be a good meal for a large pike. Oh and if there were any other pike then they could have reproduced, or pike can live for (at least northern pike) almost 30 years, given lack of predators and good food source, though Suspect that's for pike in domestic properties. A blue heron would eat pike, but if its large enough it could still be alive. Heck if its big enough it might eat a baby heron, LOL.
But it could be a raccoon or something that's just leaving the remains in the water, raccoons will drown their victims.

Jdywntr ~ yes, very true, but not many would bother to take the animal in the water, or eat it in the water unless it's a really really (like they can just walk across) shallow pond. However good point, if its ruddy like she says they could always just be getting trapped in and caught, then killed and eaten. Or like I said, raccoons do drown their victims sometimes.
But I've never heard of an eagle, owl or hawk swimming *shrug* Im sure there is a breed of eagle of hawk or owl that can swim, but most would just skim the water with their claws. It could be a hawk of some sort but I don't think it'd eat it in the water, haha.