Ducks got attacked last night

[Tilly6]

To have so many ducks wounded sounds like more than one animal > I feel bad for you and your Son who found the massacre. Good luck on the ones that are still alive.

Thank you, it was not a great start for his day. He met a very friendly basset hound puppy while we were at the vet and that cheered him up a bit at least.

 

[Tilly6]

Your "blood bath" sounds familiar... Here in rural Idaho, we have plenty of nocturnal predators, but the most bold are the skunks. They love eggs, and they love DUCK NECKS!.. yup... they will just bite thru the poor ducks necks and leave the bodies in the field. Make sure your pen is predator proof... digging is their specialty. Sorry for your lost duckies.

The eggs were laid in the run because my ducks have not one broody bone in their dozen bodies, and untouched. No skunk smell either, but I have come across skunks in my yard with absolutely no smell warning.

 

[A_Fowl_Guy]

Did your vet offer any advice on how to clean their wounds or say if it was necessary?

@A_Fowl_Guy knows a lot about predators, so maybe he can comment.

Seems like a predator who surplus kills. Possibly a fox or weasel.

 

[Mybackyardpeepers]

So sorry! Hope the survivers recover.

 

[Tilly6]

Here is the door. There IS a small hole dug out and you can see the blood on the wood. Unfortunately it didn’t rain until after we found the birds, so I can’t find tracks.

 

[Tilly6]

So sorry! Hope the survivers recover.

I’ll be doing my best to try and make sure they do.

 

[casportpony]

I’ll be doing my best to try and make sure they do.

IMO, they look pretty darn good considering. May I suggest that you get a baseline weight on each, then monitor for weight loss?

 

[Sea Wolf]

A fox would not be able to get through there but a raccoon has scrawny arms that it would reach through there and grab. A weasel or a mink would easily fit though that hole underneath. As for the wounded, let them be and keep them quiet. Dim the lights where they are and keep food and water there for them. I have had chickens that were ripped up pretty bad from a dog recover in time. Biggest thing now is really to let them rest for at least a week in a dimly lit area. The dim light helps to keep them quiet. Leave them be and don't keep agitating them. You will be surprised at how resilient they can be. This also gives you time to set up better protection outside. The pictures you show, show alert birds. I don't think you are going to lose any of them.

 

[Tilly6]

IMO, they look pretty darn good considering. May I suggest that you get a baseline weight on each, then monitor for weight loss?

Great advice, thanks

 

[Tilly6]

If it’s a weasel we are doomed, I have no idea how to prevent something that small and quick getting in that pen any time it wants. A mink is large enough I can at least hope to trap. Traps are going up tonight.

I’d like to get the wounded cleaned up, but it would be impossible to do without majorly disturbing them once again

A fox would not be able to get through there but a raccoon has scrawny arms that it would reach through there and grab. A weasel or a mink would easily fit though that hole underneath. As for the wounded, let them be and keep them quiet. Dim the lights where they are and keep food and water there for them. I have had chickens that were ripped up pretty bad from a dog recover in time. Biggest thing now is really to let them rest for at least a week in a dimly lit area. The dim light helps to keep them quiet. Leave them be and don't keep agitating them. You will be surprised at how resilient they can be. This also gives you time to set up better protection outside. The pictures you show, show alert birds. I don't think you are going to lose any of them.