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

[Lyranonamous]

How sad. I'm so sorry you had to go through this.

 

[Jeanne Judy]

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?!?!

Oh man! I'm so sorry! That is so devastating. I had a similar thing happen with several of my chickens. Not as many at one time, but still... We set up Arlo cameras out by the run and discovered several critters that come around in the night; foxes, coyote, skunk, rats, mice. But the likeliest predator of all in my case was a bobcat. My chicken bodies were all found up against the fence like they had stuck their heads out to see what was going on and chomp.
My friend lost all 8 of her chickens to raccoons who climbed over the top of the run and slaughtered her entire flock.

 

[Annastin]

I have mink that live in the brook that goes through the middle of my property. Once, when I used to allow my chickens to free range unattended, I caught the little stinker eating the neck out of one of my hens. He didn’t chew the entire head off. He also just yoinked one chicken.
Foxes are very wasteful and really big jerks when it comes to taint livestock. My guess would be fox over raccoon or weasel. What state do you live in?

Montana

 

[blackandtan]

If you find yourself with a dead bird(s) due to predation, I’d highly recommend at least skinning the carcass, or better yet a few of them, especially around the wounds. Nothing kills with a single bite, there will be holes from chewing, re-gripping, eating, and there’s a big difference between the teeth marks from weasels, fox, owls (I know I know, beaks not teeth lol!) and even rats. And check a few because one animal species killed all the ducks, but maybe something else took advantage of all that free meat and that’s what you saw.
Just my 2cents
(Oh sorry no more pennies in Canada! Just my 5cents then!)

 

[Chickenmeme]

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?!?!

Ahhh that must have been horrible for you!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Cats and dogs still have the instinct to 'hunt', or at least grab and kill a moving animal.....but they get fed so it's quite not as driven in most of them.

I only started feeding my cats two years ago. When I grew up, we never fed the cats, except when they were kittens.

I haven't noticed any changes in behaviour.

 

[aart]

I only started feeding my cats two years ago. When I grew up, we never fed the cats, except when they were kittens.

I haven't noticed any changes in behaviour.

That's fine, my main point was wild animals don't kill en mass because they 'enjoy' it.

 

[SharW75]

I'm sorry for your loss.

Years ago, we lost our entire flock, minus our rooster, to a mink. It sounds like the same kind of killing--intact bodies and no heads.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I am so sorry for your tragic loss!
Best hugs!

 

[healingbetter]

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?!?!

sounds like a racoon or many, I know that we have ducks and so sorry for your loss by the way, we lost a duck to a bobcat that just darted out and killed our Mork 20 feet away from us while in the yard. It is a terrible feeling to lose your loved animals. Try securring the duck cage so that those darn racoons cannot open up the cage, they know how to open things, my other half put some anti racoon locks on the cage when he made it and put higher in air as well on stilts with a ramp going up.