(graphic photo) what's killing my ducks?

[Terri O]

If it was a kitten perhaps all the litter and the Mom are coming to eat? Guess it depends on how hungry they are! How many have you lost this way? T

 

[aShMaNv]

Quote:
Possible, but there is no where for a large dog to get into the yard. We are very careful about that.

still... I'll double check the fence today.

Hmm. That does narrow it down. If there are no holes in the fence at all you know it would have to be something that flew in.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

Looks like the work of an owl.



I have GHO here (great horned owls) - when they dine on a duck, they strip the carcass and leave the bones/connective tissue.



The GHO tend to fly over my run (when the ducks were out at night) then circle back to kill a duck. The owl hits the bird and kills it, generally breaking the duck's neck. The carcass is generally eaten right in the pen with the other ducks watching.


For me, once the owl started dining, I locked the ducks in the coop. I was able to herd them in. If it is dark(ish) and you are trying to move them, use two flashlights - one in each hand, walk behind them - and drive them to where you want to contain them.

 

[SillyChicken]

won't a bird of prey fly off with their food?

I had the same thing happen with a couple of my young chickens... looked like something just ate the meat and left the rest intact... they were right next to the run. I thought dog, but they didn't even chew the bones etc... yote or fox wouldn't hang around with my dogs here. What about a coon?

 

[rancher hicks]

Did you check the bones for teeth marks? I'd say a multi pred. Mother and her young perhaps. Muskrat or weasels. Check for access to the pen. If your dry there I would try a ring of flour or powder of some kind so they have to walk through it and leave prints.

 

[Terri O]

Quote:
THat is a great idea! I will have to try it next year when I have "mystery predators!" Terri O

 

[Trampledbygeese]

Quote:
I was worried about it being an owl. A GHO has just moved into the woods, so... They also hunt at dusk when the ducks seem to die.

The problem with herding my ducks is that they have almost two acres and a pond (they can swim, I cannot - they know that.) I'll have to catch each one individually throughout the day.

What do you guys do when you catch a feral cat?

 

[ncarper]

Trampledbygeese wrote:

What do you guys do when you catch a feral cat?

Kill it!​

 

[sourland]

A bird of prey (other than an eagle) is unable to fly off with a prey animal that is two or three times it's weight. That photo is fairly typical of an owl kill. Given that the entire drake was eaten, I would guess that it is a pair working together. Scattered feathers, bones stripped of flesh (smaller bones eaten), head removed and eaten first = modus operandi of the GHO. A hawk will leave a similar "crime scene", but since your predation seems to be taking place at night, I'm guessing the owl.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

If you are feeding the ducks during the day - stop.


When you want to lock them up, go down and get their attention with the food and make them follow you to where you want them to eat - then lock them in.

If you do not feed them, then I would get them a treat you know they love and start feeding it just before lock up. Might take a couple days for them to "get it" but they should start meeting you in lock up for their treat.

Another thing I did was increase the areas where they could hide - I live in the desert, so I use raised plywood halves, dog houses and a large plastic dog kennel taken apart so the top and bottom both form a cover.