**Graphic image**WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA- What killed my runner duck overnight?

[Code 30 Ranch]

The level of injury with lack of evidence is odd. Does anyone have access to your coop that could have entered and left it open? Or (but hopefully not) could it have been a person?

No, just my husband and myself. We live in a very wooded rural area. Nobody around us. I can’t imagine my own ducks doing this to one of their own? We’ve never had an incident like this and nothing has appeared on our cameras overnight since the incident. We are baffled.

 

[Luv Ducks]

No, just my husband and myself. We live in a very wooded rural area. Nobody around us. I can’t imagine my own ducks doing this to one of their own? We’ve never had an incident like this and nothing has appeared on our cameras overnight since the incident. We are baffled.

It surely looks like the act of a raccoon but I have no idea with your setup how it could have gotten to it. I would never believe your other birds did this to it. So sorry that you lost it and I pray that you can figure out what did it.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Only thing maybe replace the chicken wire with Hardware cloth.
I am clueless to what killed her, I am so sorry.

 

[flumpus]

seconding advice for a trail cam. this was not an attack from another flockmate, it's definitely a predator of some sort. do you have ermine or weasels? they can fit in surprisingly tiny places and wreak havoc, although they don't usually stop at a single bird.

 

[Sic]

This is a problem "The windows are sealed with chicken wire to keep out predators overnight" - chicken wire is not designed to keep predators out, it's only designed to keep chickens in. Mink and other weasels can easily fit through that and they can do that kind of damage, and when they attack it is usually silent because they grab them at the neck and drain them of blood causing shock, delirium and unconscious. Mink are known to go into a murderous rage and kill everything, but they are more likely to kill and eat only one and come back later. Your other birds that cannot see well in the dark most likely never even saw what happened and probably never even heard anything more than a shuffling in the dark. Mink and marten are my arch nemesis, I used to think they were cute, until I got ducks...now I know different. I've had a mink try to kill a duck in broad daylight and if I hadn't been looking out the window at the time it would have been a silent kill as none of the ducks were even aware it was happening.

I hope you consider hardware cloth no larger than 1/2" x 1/2" squares over any windows or openings. I also learned this the hardest way, finding a murdered duck in my enclosure, and like you, initially baffled and suspected fowl play...mink are evil, in case I haven't said that..

 

[Brisephine]

I am so sorry for your loss but it surely does look like the work of a raccoon. They are sly animals that will return and I don't know how it could have gotten in since you have such a good setup but it surely looks like it must have. I hope your cameras can catch anything that goes on that shouldn't.

It really does look like a raccoon
We just dealt with one that had pulled the metal off the underside of the eave of the coop and was getting in and out through such a small opening we lost 8 chickens before catching it

 

[FAVEROLLES LOVER]

Hey all, I’m located in the Asheville area of North Carolina. I have chickens and ducks that harmoniously grew up and live together in a large coop. I woke up this morning to discover my adult runner duck was dead in the corner of the coop. She had been violently ripped open, her backbone broken apart, and her guts completely tore open. It was devastating and I am baffled how this happened. Looking for guidance on what/how this happened.

A little info on my coop/flock setup…

My coop is an old woodshed I converted into a hen house. My birds are only housed inside the coop at night. I have a small flock of chickens and ducks, with perches for my chickens, and pine shaving bedding for my ducks. Plenty of space for my small flock inside this coop. They all grew up together and harmoniously live together as adult hens. No signs of aggression ever, all females. There are windows inside the coop that I keep open this time of year for ventilation. The windows are sealed with chicken wire to keep out predators overnight (a snake could fit through the wire, but they are not a threat to my adult birds here). The flooring in the coop beneath the pine shavings is concrete. There are no gaps, cracks, or crevices where a Racoon or other mammal could enter the coop. They have a secure door that is closed at night and in the 3 years I’ve raised them, I’ve never had a problem with anything trying to enter my coop. There’s literally no way a predator could get into this coop. Could something fit inside the tiny hole of the chicken wire and cause such damage to only 1 duck? All my other birds are intact and act like nothing even happened. I’m shocked. I’ve included a photo to show the extent of the damage.

Chicken wire features holes that are usually 1” big and weasels can easily fit through those holes. Chicken wire is used to keep chickens in and sadly it doesn't keep predators out. The saying is " if a predator can fit it's head through the 1" chicken wire it can also fit it's whole body through. Mesh wire to cover your entire open window will help immensely. So sorry for your lose it's like loosing a best friend and to many they are.

 

[TOR]

ever figure out wha got your bird? Sorry for the loss