I'm in serious trouble need advice ASAP

[Going Quackers]

My husband and I had a meat chicken and a laying pullet attacked inside an electric fence during the day. It was a hawk, but we put out some CDs/DVDs (blank ones) hung from fishing line over where our birds were and the hawk would not enter the fence. They would move and spin in the wind and they are very reflective. Just an idea to try to help. I am not sure that would deter a fox though. Good luck.

How frightening! Fortunately, our hawks here are not generally a problem that is why i avoided leaving the birds out when they were very small.

Spend $100 on fencing at your local farm store. Get the 99 cent stakes. Make a simple day run. Sorry for your lost drake.

Thanks for the suggestion, although i don't believe in Canada i can get things that cheaply unfortunately, i will scour my local classifieds however.

 

[RubberDuckee]

wow! That;s nuts! I am soooo sorry!

You say that you have a dog yard.... is it possible to have a dog tend to the flock? I was sooooooo nervous when I got my ducks, because I have two dogs and I know how dogs are with small creatures. I have a crazy mutt - sort of like a hyena - slash - jack rabbit- slash - razor back pig - slash - Brillo pad thing,... she is clearly part terrier (although I only assume she is actually a canine, haha). (well - she was supposed to be a "foster," but she was too ugly, so no body wanted her. HA! She's so sweet tho - Thank God!) Terriers are notorious for having a very strong prey drive. Minnie, this dog I speak of, will actually chase down and catch squirrels. Therefore, I was ESPECIALLY worried about her with my ducks.

HOWEVER, both of my sweet doggies have surprised me.... Once they understood that "mommy" says ducks are not dog food, they have been AWESOME!

Ever since the 1st months or so of the ducks being outside to range, I ALWAYS leave one or both dogs outside with my ducks. The dogs will sleep generally around the same place as the ducks are and they all tend to hang out. I think it is because my dogs have figured out that the ducks are a good thing, because they all get to eat the ducks' food. My dogs LOVE the ducks' food!

My point is that perhaps this is a good possibility for you... I have an English Shepperd mix who has been very gentle with the ducks... perhaps you have a dog who can be adapted to hanging out with your ducks too. I find myself feeling more secure knowing my dogs are around, because they will chase down and kill the deer, foxes, raccoons, etc.

I am SO SORRY about your drake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Going Quackers]

wow! That;s nuts! You say that you have a dog yard.... is it possible to have a dog tend to the flock? I was sooooooo nervous when I got my ducks, because I have two dogs and I know how dogs are with small creatures. I have a crazy mutt - sort of like a hyena - slash - jack rabbit- slash - razor back pig - slash - Brillo pad things,... she is clearly part terrier (although I only assume she is actually a canine, haha)/ Terriers are notorious for having a very strong prey drive. Minnie, this dog I speak of, will actually chase down and catch squirrels. Therefore, I was ESPECIALLY worried about her with my ducks.

HOWEVER, both of my sweet doggies have surprised me.... Once they understood that "mommy" says ducks are not dog food, they have been AWESOME!

Ever since the 1st months or so of the ducks being outside to range, I ALWAYS leave one or both dogs outside with my ducks. The dogs will sleep generally around the same place as the ducks are and they all tend to hang out. I think it is because my dogs have figured out that the ducks are a good thing, because they all get to eat the ducks' food. My dogs LOVE the ducks' food!

My point is that perhaps this is a good possibility for you... I have an English Shepperd mix who has been very gentle with the ducks... perhaps you have a dog who can be adapted to hanging out with your ducks too. I find myself feeling more secure knowing my dogs are around, because they will chase down and kill the deer, foxes, raccoons, etc.

I am SO SORRY about your drake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, oh it's all kinds of crazy, these birds wander around my fields and so forth but nooooo some "thing" comes up right by the back of my house and catches them.. it's mind blowing.

The dogs won't stay out there alone, they know to be loose only with a human, i do have a farm cat who hangs out around the ducks now & then but he'd obviously get out of town if a large predator came by.

 

[RubberDuckee]

Thanks, oh it's all kinds of crazy, these birds wander around my fields and so forth but nooooo some "thing" comes up right by the back of my house and catches them.. it's mind blowing.

The dogs won't stay out there alone, they know to be loose only with a human, i do have a farm cat who hangs out around the ducks now & then but he'd obviously get out of town if a large predator came by.

I have heard of some people who get puppies and have them crated at night in the barn actually in the duck stall, and then chained for part of the day with the ducks to train them to associate with the ducks and their company... I know people train sheep dogs to do such.... I bet Border Collies could, bc they are the rocket scientists of dogs... Perhaps this is just something to look into for the future. It is just too bad - You feel you are doing the ducks some good by allowing them to be free, but then some THING comes along and ruins it.... I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!! It realy is awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And very perplexing!

 

[Mum]

I am so sorry about your drake and I can totally understand how shocking this can be. I had a fox attack one of my chickens earlier this year just a few feet away from where I was weeding in the garden!!! Fortunately, it dropped my hen when I did a mean impression of Braveheart and chased it off.

I agree on penning off an area. Do you belong to Freecycle? Maybe you could ask on there for fencing supplies.

 

[veronicasmom]

GQ- so sorry for your loss. How heartbreaking.

RubberDuckee-I think you are talking about Livestock Guardian Dogs, like Great Pyrenees, Maremma Sheepdogs, Anatolians, etc. Those breeds are bred to watch flocks, herds, etc. Border Collies are herding dogs. Not a good breed to use for a LGD.

 

[Miss Lydia]

GQ can you get a trap size large and set it up with something and see what you catch, It's either a dog or a fox, My dh said raccoon but reading how they kill I don't think so. You may know someone who has one or sometime Animal shelters will let you borrow theirs

 

[Going Quackers]

I have heard of some people who get puppies and have them crated at night in the barn actually in the duck stall, and then chained for part of the day with the ducks to train them to associate with the ducks and their company... I know people train sheep dogs to do such.... I bet Border Collies could, bc they are the rocket scientists of dogs... Perhaps this is just something to look into for the future. It is just too bad - You feel you are doing the ducks some good by allowing them to be free, but then some THING comes along and ruins it.... I AM SOOOOOO SORRY!!!!!!!! It realy is awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And very perplexing!

Yes, i know of what you mean guardian dogs right now though, i don't think i can afford another dog.. plus realistically i have a problem that will require money to fix.. I hate this i have had these birds loose for ages, i have lived here for 20yrs so i am not naive to what is around but night has been our issue, these are big birds by breed and we got them for partial pest control and eggs now i have to stop 50% of why i even have them.

My entire flock will have to be rearranged my numbers have been off for ages but penning them will raise the issue, with the free ranging it kept it at bay and i had sectioned the boys off at night.. although at this rate i should have no boys by the weekend

Don't worry i REFUSE to let them loose now.. trouble is what to do with them, they are used to being out, i only pen mums& duckling when they are little.. and that pen now has the chickens besides it's in no way big enough to accommodate the flock anyways.

 

[Going Quackers]

I am so sorry about your drake and I can totally understand how shocking this can be. I had a fox attack one of my chickens earlier this year just a few feet away from where I was weeding in the garden!!! Fortunately, it dropped my hen when I did a mean impression of Braveheart and chased it off.

I agree on penning off an area. Do you belong to Freecycle? Maybe you could ask on there for fencing supplies.

ugh, how scary! i cannot believe for the life of me how bold whatever this is i mean seriously? the birds are in the field but "IT" prefers to wait till they are practically ontop the house? wth? and yes border collies are herders, i had one growing up lol I know of the breeds that would help but i'd need it like today don't see that happening.

Freecycle? i am not even sure if that's in Canada, i will look...

GQ- so sorry for your loss. How heartbreaking.

RubberDuckee-I think you are talking about Livestock Guardian Dogs, like Great Pyrenees, Maremma Sheepdogs, Anatolians, etc. Those breeds are bred to watch flocks, herds, etc. Border Collies are herding dogs. Not a good breed to use for a LGD.

Thank you.

GQ can you get a trap size large and set it up with something and see what you catch, It's either a dog or a fox, My dh said raccoon but reading how they kill I don't think so. You may know someone who has one or sometime Animal shelters will let you borrow theirs

Yeah no raccoon not with the way stuff is um, well the way it's going down.. Ugh.. i will have to find out whom i speak with to obtain one this is crazy! i mean i have a small dog in my mix if whatever this is attacking in the day beside my gate! I'm actually now sorta worried about my farm cat but he can climb and has access to sheds and the garage... the insane part is NOTHING was disturbed, if it hadn't been for the few feathers we wouldn't have even questioned.

It's suppose to rain for the next three days too... something is telling me i need to get out of ducks.

 

[Going Quackers]

To give you guys an idea i took this pic from my son's window.. you can see the feathers that is where something happened to Junior my 3mth old.. he was our first live hatch too.. we were debating keeping him for that reason alone. We had a horrible storm on Sat i am starting to wonder if it brought in/trapped some predator in this area? we just don't have issues like this in the day.. it's extremely odd and frightening. The duck barn itself is just to the right.. all my pools to the left. The horse paddock starts a few feet behind that tree. I am not kidding when i say close.. even closer than the last attack, yet as my husband said the birds were all off to the further left in the field where our camp trailer and firepit are, as he was watching them.