Female Duck Found Deceased - Wet Head - What Happened?

[HomesteaderWife]

Years ago when we had Khakis, we also had this problem with two hens found the same way. I went out this morning to let everyone out and noticed it was quieter than normal, and looked in the coop to see our female Khaki was stiff with a wet head. Her eyes were open, she was laid sideways, and had a small bit of blood under her neck. The drake has not been harassing her, and the coop is chinked to keep snakes from getting in. The pen is locked up at night and completely surrounded top and sides by fence and there is no sign of any attack. She was 100% normal last night when putting them up and her normal self. Just started molting a few days ago.

Does anyone have a clue what may have happened?

edit: My husband was looking into it and wondered if it could've potentially been Botulism due to the fact we've had such a wet, rainy few weeks? I wondered if perhaps a snake had gotten to her but there should be no way one could have gotten in the coop and we didn't see one in there.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Thank you in advance to any help or ideas by the way

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

how often do you change their water?

 

[ducksinvt]

Sorry for your loss!!! @Isaac 0 @Miss Lydia any ideas??

 

[HomesteaderWife]

@Duck mommy 2019 - every few days the big kiddie pool is changed out with fresh water as they keep it fairly clean, but their drinking water is changed daily sometimes more if necessary

 

[HomesteaderWife]

Thank you @ducksinvt

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Probably a snake. Rat snakes are constructors and can climb vertically up a wall. They also have no since about what they can swallow. So they suffocate the duck then give up. Your duck will have saliva on its head and a little ways down the neck.

 

[Isaac 0]

Very sorry for your losses.

Do you still have their bodies?

 

[sourland]

Sounds very much like a snake kill - especially if the wet head was mucous covered. They will constrict and kill and try to swallow starting at the head before giving up.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

I don't have her body still - we buried her right after.

@Magnolia Ducks and @sourland

Update: Sadly but with some relief I am pretty sure we found our culprit today and dispatched. I was in the small workshop out near the coops and kept hearing buzzing- a carpenter bee but it made me look up to check for wasp nests. About that time I saw a pattern along the rafters and realized a massive chicken snake was sitting up in the building. It took a mass effort to get this thing out and down and ended up being one of the biggest we’ve disposed of in past few years measuring over 5 ft with no head.