I just found all 26 of my ducks headless!?!?

[jspeese]

Raccoons are vermin. In the woods and in those wildlife shows they look cute, but when they come around poultry or get in your trash they are nothing but vermin. I never keep any more birds than I can securely pen 24/7 with plenty of space per bird so that they are still content even though confined. I let them out occasionally to forage but am prepared to keep them confined 24/7. A solid but well-ventilated coop with hardware cloth over the openings and a run with a top are a must. I used turkey wire for my run because it is less expensive and much easier to work with then hardware cloth but a lot stronger than chicken wire. Although I covered the sides with chicken wire over the turkey wire to keep out songbirds and keep chicks in. I'll admit I'm a believer of the 3 S's when it comes to predators of any kind: shoot (or dispatch by other suitable means), shovel, shut-up. If it's on my property destroying my stuff, it's gone!

 

[CPT]

Raccoons are not nice. No matter how cute they are, they are trash pandas. They like to make quick kills and scurry away with whatever they can get. And then there's badgers...we keep a close lookout, now that the weather is warm. Now those suckers are MEAN! We managed to take one out last year...saw him in our pasture.

 

[aart]

@Annastin any update here?

 

[Annastin]

@Annastin any update here?

Well... It turned out to be a skunk, we are relocating him

 

[Big Doggie]

If your coop actually is without any holes or tunnels where a 4 legged predator could attack your ducks, leave the possibility that it wasn’t 4 legged.

No matter what the cause it’s just awful.

 

[leslielbk]

I experienced something similar several years ago. And I couldn't find hole in the fence anywhere... Until I got on my hands and knees and crawled around the bottom. There was a telltale tuft of hair surrounding a relatively small hole in the fencing.
At that time I was told it was a raccoon because they eat the heads. And yes, it was, and he made a visit to the raccoon pearly gates.

 

[Mkindall]

We had that happen to 31 geese. Turns out it was a great horned owl. There is a grease in the brain they crave according to the fish and game. Idk if ducks also have it but it’s possible.

 

[Pots]

So I just walk out to my coop and all 26 of my ducks were on the ground without heads all the heads were gone but the bodies were there and looked unharmed. I can't find the heads anywhere I can't see any holes or places in the wire were an animal could have gotten in what could have got them all?!?!

 

[Pots]

I experienced something similar several years ago. And I couldn't find hole in the fence anywhere... Until I got on my hands and knees and crawled around the bottom. There was a telltale tuft of hair surrounding a relatively small hole in the fencing.
At that time I was told it was a raccoon because they eat the heads. And yes, it was, and he made a visit to the raccoon pearly gates.

Rats of pack rats will do this. Rats will live near or under chicken (duck) coop and come out to feast on feed or meat during day or night. Might check it out.

 

[aart]

Well... It turned out to be a skunk, we are relocating him

A skunk?!
Did you see it go for a duck on a camera....or just trap one?
Like @hayley3 sez:
Just because you caught it in a trap, doesn't make it the killer of your chickens.