I just lost a duck. Should I bring the other inside?

[Jezebelle]

I have 2 pekin ducks a little over a year old. They have a pen but I let them out when I am home, but always check on them frequently and have a window open. I also have chickens and they all stay pretty close together. The two ducks are always with each other and if one calls out the other comes running. I went outside a few hours ago for my usual checking on everyone. I only saw one duck. I walked around the yard and no sight of her, I even got the other duck to call out for her and no response. I think a hawk might have gotten her because I had a hawk take one of my chickens back in March and there has been an increase in my area. I do not know what to do about the other duck, Nibbles. She is acting funny being abnormally quiet and just sleeping. I do not know if I need to find her a new home, or get another duck or bring her inside. She shares a pen with the chickens, and everyone has always had a good relationship so I do not know how they would react with a new duck being brought in. Nibbles is the super needy one out of bunch and I am extremely worried about her. I also worry about placing her in a new home because as you can guess from her name she likes to nibble on anything she can get a hold of and that might not be a welcomed trait. I am unsure what to do at this point.

 

[MixedFowl]

About here lack of activity I would say mourning. She should fine in a few days. I personally get another duck or try integrating into the cgicken flock

 

[Kaliisgreen]

pekins are usually too big for a hawk to carry away. it's possible that she's just laying an egg or sitting on some since it is spring. don't worry too soon. keep an eye out for her. i hope nibbles cheers up.

 

[Going Quackers]

Pekin are pretty large for a hawk.. all that said, there are plenty of others things sadly, that could grab a duck. dogs are probably the worst offender.

I would continue to look for the other duck, .. what is your set-up like? is the property fenced? are you rural? trying to get a feel for your pred factor, pekin are not usually broody birds and don't fly, for the one behind, it will be sad especially if it lacks other ducks even with my large flock we loose one they act odd, but because they have more of their own kind they do move on quicker than a single duck would.

A friend would not go amiss, ducks are flock animals and while the chickens will provide something, a duck has it's own habits that chickens do not share.

Sorry, i know all to well, i had a scovie disappear a few weeks ago myself, but her i could not get in.. she had taken to nest somewhere and has not returned(her nest i did find, destroyed)

Hopefully, you will find her. I still have hope perhaps mine will return as she could fly.

 

[Jezebelle]

It happened between 1 and 3 in the afternoon. What prompted me to go outside was a weird chicken sounding noise followed by chicken alarm. I recognized the alarm as Lola because she is always going on about something. When I came around to the back of the house I found Lola and the other duck, the other chickens were around the other side of my house at my car. It is common for Lola to be far away from the other chickens at times. I live in a wooded area in NC, no fencing. Everyone hangs out in areas with plenty of cover with lower tree branches. I have a dog that regularly patrols the woods and will kill opossums regularly. (I have only seen one stray dog in the area which was several weeks ago which was huge. He was outside with me and the girls and did not even react to us and just walked off.) I wondered through the woods looking for her and did not see any signs of feathers or struggle. I have seen a few hawks in the area but they are pretty small, and my ducks are really fat. I did have a chicken disappear in March in the exact same way about the same time of day, no signs of struggle or feathers. That day I patrolled the woods and saw nothing. I am worried because today while I was in the woods I took the catahoula which is our guard/protector dog with me. He is normally very bold and will walk ahead like 20 feet. Today while we were walking he would walk only 5 feet in front of me and when I stopped he promptly went behind me and sat down. This went on until the last time I stopped to send a text message and he stopped and hunkered down between my legs and I decided to go back to the house. I had only a 9mm and a 12 inch blade on me for protection. I felt uneasy in the woods because the dog was acting like I have never seen him act before. When I told him we were going back to the house he bolted! One of my friends told me a dog will act like that when they sense something big like a mountain lion or bear is near by. We did have a mountain lion in the area 10+ years ago he was caught in a barn maybe 1/16 of a mile from our house.

 

[Jezebelle]

I suspect this to be the kill zone area. There are quite a few feathers in this area and no one is doing a molt to be loosing this many feathers. This is a common area all the girls hang out at. It is a nice cool area with lots of low branches and a giant primrose bush they will hide in. Walking deeper into the woods there are no more feathers. I did find a fox hole in the woods but no feathers near it, or sign of recent activity.