I apologize for the length of this but I'm baffled and crushed.
I got 4 ducklings last year. Last year was a breeze.
About 2 months ago, I agreed to take on 4 more ducks that needed a home. Ironically, the morning after the phone call where I agreed to take them, one of mine was gone in the morning. I couldn't get them to come off the pond the night before to go into their house, so I left them out as I had done before when there was nothing I could do to tempt or lure them off the water. There were a few feathers in the grass, but nothing that showed any signs of an attack.
Fast forward to April 26th. I was in our back yard and the ducks were mating and chasing and protecting and fighting on the water as they do. I heard a splashing that was not their normal ruckus and looked up to see my male Rouen (one of my original clan from last year) with his head and neck underwater and his wings thrashing, clearly in distress. By the time I ran around the pond, he had gone still. His head came up somehow and was then tucked under his right wing. After we got him out of the pond (about an hour later b/c I just was too upset to fish him out with a rake, so I had to wait for someone to come help), we looked him over. No cuts, wounds, scratches, blood. We thought maybe a snapping turtle, but I'm certain that would have left marks. If it was somehow, would my voice and crying have spooked it away before he could eat him? I called the gentlemen I got them from and he initially thought a turtle, but was like us...with no wounds it didn't seem like it. He thought maybe it was a seizure or heart attack, so we boiled that one down to health issue. So then I'm down to just 2 of my original 4.
Now tonight. Ran errands this afternoon. Got home and went out around 7:30 as normal to put the ducks in the house. My remaining 2 of the original 4...gone. Nowhere to be seen. A few feathers on the grass on the bank of the pond. WHERE DID THEY GO? Pulled my husband's trail camera card and nothing on there to give any insight. What would a turtle do? Drag them under and eat them at the bottom of the pond? Wouldn't there be something floating or remaining on the water? Would a turtle eat two in just a matter of hours? I am so baffled and heart broken. I think after these remaining newer 4 are gone, I am done with ducks. On top of that, I discovered through all of this duck life stuff in the past year, that I have an intolerance for duck eggs and eating them makes me very sick. This is not the duck life I wanted. Does anyone have any thoughts or insights? I am just lost.
UPDATE!!! Just looked out in the back yard and they were walking around their fence/kennel area. I walked ALL OVER looking for them! Where on earth did they go?? I still would like to know the turtle details though...ugh, these ducks are gonna give me high blood pressure.
I got 4 ducklings last year. Last year was a breeze.
About 2 months ago, I agreed to take on 4 more ducks that needed a home. Ironically, the morning after the phone call where I agreed to take them, one of mine was gone in the morning. I couldn't get them to come off the pond the night before to go into their house, so I left them out as I had done before when there was nothing I could do to tempt or lure them off the water. There were a few feathers in the grass, but nothing that showed any signs of an attack.
Fast forward to April 26th. I was in our back yard and the ducks were mating and chasing and protecting and fighting on the water as they do. I heard a splashing that was not their normal ruckus and looked up to see my male Rouen (one of my original clan from last year) with his head and neck underwater and his wings thrashing, clearly in distress. By the time I ran around the pond, he had gone still. His head came up somehow and was then tucked under his right wing. After we got him out of the pond (about an hour later b/c I just was too upset to fish him out with a rake, so I had to wait for someone to come help), we looked him over. No cuts, wounds, scratches, blood. We thought maybe a snapping turtle, but I'm certain that would have left marks. If it was somehow, would my voice and crying have spooked it away before he could eat him? I called the gentlemen I got them from and he initially thought a turtle, but was like us...with no wounds it didn't seem like it. He thought maybe it was a seizure or heart attack, so we boiled that one down to health issue. So then I'm down to just 2 of my original 4.
Now tonight. Ran errands this afternoon. Got home and went out around 7:30 as normal to put the ducks in the house. My remaining 2 of the original 4...gone. Nowhere to be seen. A few feathers on the grass on the bank of the pond. WHERE DID THEY GO? Pulled my husband's trail camera card and nothing on there to give any insight. What would a turtle do? Drag them under and eat them at the bottom of the pond? Wouldn't there be something floating or remaining on the water? Would a turtle eat two in just a matter of hours? I am so baffled and heart broken. I think after these remaining newer 4 are gone, I am done with ducks. On top of that, I discovered through all of this duck life stuff in the past year, that I have an intolerance for duck eggs and eating them makes me very sick. This is not the duck life I wanted. Does anyone have any thoughts or insights? I am just lost.
UPDATE!!! Just looked out in the back yard and they were walking around their fence/kennel area. I walked ALL OVER looking for them! Where on earth did they go?? I still would like to know the turtle details though...ugh, these ducks are gonna give me high blood pressure.
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