[GRAPHIC pic] What Killed My Duck?

[firestomp]

I strongly suspect raccoon for multiple reasons. No dry feathers associated with plucking. Feathers attached look wetted as is predator rolled carcass around in it own juices. Too much tissue removed for one sitting by a raptor. I do see broken bones. Muscle looks gnawed off. Carcass being skinned strong indicator of raccoon although opossum sometimes does that too. Carcass remains near kill site ruling out foxes, coyotes and bobcats.

one thing for sure, whatever it was, will likely be back for another easy meal and soon.

 

[Kiki]

one thing for sure, whatever it was, will likely be back for another easy meal and soon.

x2..I agree.

 

[centrarchid]

Yes.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Found my poor Cayuga duck in pieces today and I'm bewildered.

I have chronic insomnia, so I checked on the birds before going to bed at 5am when it started getting light out and everything was fine. NOBODY heard or saw anything, not even a peep from my last remaining duck or the chickens or my husband who was getting up just as I was going to bed!

Whatever it was, it was very stealthy and HUNGRY. Only left a pile of intestines and the liver and a trail of feathers nearby, but it left pretty much no meat on her at all.

What am I up against? I'm in the middle of suburbia.

OK, I enlarged the scene a couple of times, notice the feathers removed from neck and wing, no chew or bite marks at all on bones, and the cavity opened on one side. Not even the ribs are broken or chewed. Also notice how the flesh was cleanly removed, I have seen this before done by a large bird of prey. I don't know all the species in your area but I am guessing a red tail hawk or a bird of that size, maybe larger given the amount it ate. I don't know of any mammal that is or can be that delicate around the fine ribs and neck bones. They generally just eat bone and all and there are noticeable marks and fractures of the bones. They also don't have as good of table manners, most all would be gone and the intestines wouldn't be in a neat pile, but strewn about or eaten as well. I caught the raptor that preyed on my chickens after I contacted DNR, they said I could do whatever was needed to protect my stock. I modified a small leg trap and placed it on the carcass as the bird landed there to feed. Covered the soft jawed trap with feathers and had it the next morning. The animal was destroyed, relocation does not work. Hope this helps.

Has the body been moved to a better location say for photographic reasons? The reason I am asking is that there is no down or feathers strewn about. Raptors other than those who swallow small victims (say a mouse) whole usually peal their victims like you or I would peel an orange or banana before feeding. Other than that the duck's body is the perfect example of the way that say a red tail or coopers hawk would feed. I think that I posted before "....like a 5 year old slurping spaghetti noodles off of a plate, one noodle at a time." This will leave behind a complete skeleton stripped of muscle fibers.

 

[GGBEAR]

From everything ive seen so far of these critters I to have to say Raccoon

 

[WVduckchick]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/predator-identifier.php

 

[itsasmallfarm]

am going with raccoon here.

 

[Ibicella]

Has the body been moved to a better location say for photographic reasons? The reason I am asking is that there is no down or feathers strewn about. Raptors other than those who swallow small victims (say a mouse) whole usually peal their victims like you or I would peel an orange or banana before feeding. Other than that the duck's body is the perfect example of the way that say a red tail or coopers hawk would feed. I think that I posted before "....like a 5 year old slurping spaghetti noodles off of a plate, one noodle at a time." This will leave behind a complete skeleton stripped of muscle fibers.

Yeah, there is a distinct trail of gore and feathers trailing from where I think she was pounced on to the edge of our fence in the yard. The intestines were left in a neat pile several feet away and so was the liver.

This also happened after dawn and when I picked her up you are right, her bones were snapped but not chewed on and stripped...it was probably a very hungry red-tail.

My poor girl...she was a good duck, and now her sister is all alone sitting in the wood pile near the chickens. She wouldn't even come out for meal worms with them, her favorite thing in the world. She's not physically hurt, but her heart is another matter.

Damned predators.

 

[firestomp]

Yeah, there is a distinct trail of gore and feathers trailing from where I think she was pounced on to the edge of our fence in the yard. The intestines were left in a neat pile several feet away and so was the liver.

This also happened after dawn and when I picked her up you are right, her bones were snapped but not chewed on and stripped...it was probably a very hungry red-tail.

My poor girl...she was a good duck, and now her sister is all alone sitting in the wood pile near the chickens. She wouldn't even come out for meal worms with them, her favorite thing in the world. She's not physically hurt, but her heart is another matter.

Damned predators.

Thank you for adding those details, my hen was done the same way, intestines in a nice pile,,( the bird A coopers hawk who learned to specialize in chickens from chicks on up to mine and should be out of their feeding size) tried to take the carcass, but could only move it 3 feet. As I quickly learned its habits, studied the scene, missed it with leg trap placed to side of body funneling it so it had to cross trap on second feeding, I caught it on 3rd feeding. Have trapped many animals but never a bird of prey, I had to learn quickly to have the chance to get it. This bird landed on carcass to feed, that's how I trapped it, placed soft jawed( modified) leg trap right on carcass, covered it with feathers and had it the next day.
It may be a coon I'm no expert, just using what I have learned over many many years. Mine have been a lot worse from a coon, and a dog pack, what a mess. Bottom line, protect your stock the best you can. Think like an animal who wants in an enclosure really bad for that fresh dinner. They will climb, chew and tare wire mesh, or dig under a base board. Old chain link fence laid down under base board stops digging, A layer of the heavy 2"x 2" wire fence over firs 2 feet of run wire will stop all but the large powerful animals.I had a Bullmastiff and his buddy chew through 2 layers of wire to get one of my buck rabbits, looked like a chainsaw hit it. Killed every chicken, most not a mark on them, they were ran to death. Owner payed for all damage and replacements. I helped her figure out a way to keep it from jumping a 6 foot privacy fence again.

 

[firestomp]

http://www.poultrydvm.com/predator-identifier.php

that link will be saved once I get a chance to see it, Thanks, will help many.