Khaki Campbell vanished. Please help.

[Betny991]

I adopted two khaki Campbell’s as babies and have had them since. They are free range and always go to their coop at night without fail. They have been free range for over a month now. They are around 3 months old. This morning as per usual we let them both out and they were perfectly fine then this afternoon (we were inside and outside all day so if a predator had taken it there’s a good 75% chance we would of seen it.) I heard my what I believe is a drake crying loudly and the other was gone. They have never ever left the yard or each other before and now he’s been crying out back for hours and still no sign of her. It’s going down to 18 degrees here tonight and he is alone now. Any help with where she would go? I’m not positive it was a girl. What should I do with him? I’ve never had ducks before. I posted a picture of both of them and one of the one I have left.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just in case it was a predator and sounds like most likely that’s what your dealing with I’d close your drake up so nothing can get him. Poor thing calling for his mate is drawing unwanted attention to himself. There’s always a possibility she flew off but most likely it was a predator they are very stealth and can move In or fly in with out notice and leave no trace. I am very sorry.

 

[Betny991]

Just in case it was a predator and sounds like most likely that’s what your dealing with I’d close your drake up so nothing can get him. Poor thing calling for his mate is drawing unwanted attention to himself. There’s always a possibility she flew off but most likely it was a predator they are very stealth and can move In or fly in with out notice and leave no trace. I am very sorry.

I hope it wasn’t. We have never had any predators here besides a fox that I’ve never seen during the night and I had chickens out that were in the woods that are fine and the ducks are in the yard it’s so weird. I don’t think she would of gone to make a nest seeing as she’s so young.

 

[DuckyDonna]

So sorry to hear that has happened. Sounds to me like a predator attack since you free range. It could be a flying predator like a hawk, fox, coyote etc. Don't know where you live but most likely there at things that will eat ducks where you are.

This is the terrible risk you take when you free range and why I will never do it after losing one of my sweet babies to a falcon and another to a snake. We've just finished building a secure run and nothing will get to them again.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Betny991 did you find you KC?

 

[Betny991]

So sorry to hear that has happened. Sounds to me like a predator attack since you free range. It could be a flying predator like a hawk, fox, coyote etc. Don't know where you live but most likely there at things that will eat ducks where you are.

This is the terrible risk you take when you free range and why I will never do it after losing one of my sweet babies to a falcon and another to a snake. We've just finished building a secure run and nothing will get to them again.

I don’t know. We were outside and I had chickens out in the woods and they were all still fine. She just vanished. Do they ever just leave there mate? She had never been away from him any time they were desperate they instantly yelled and went back to each other. We were out there and our dog was out and didnt alert which she always does when she smells the fox. They were also up in the yard when the chickens were in the woods. It’s so odd.

 

[sourland]

It's highly unlikely that she left her mate voluntarily.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Rarely will they go an leave the flock unless nesting but she’s too young.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

First off, both of your Khaki Campbell's look like girls to me. The have the classic two tone feathers (see picture below). Second, young, light Khaki's can fly better than you might think. I had one fly over my six foot privacy fence. They cannot fly away like a Mallard but if she caught some wind she may have gotten further than she meant. With mine, I was sure a predator had gotten her and she was just on the other side of the fence. So, I would go looking and keep hoping.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I don’t know. We were outside and I had chickens out in the woods and they were all still fine. She just vanished. Do they ever just leave there mate? She had never been away from him any time they were desperate they instantly yelled and went back to each other. We were out there and our dog was out and didnt alert which she always does when she smells the fox. They were also up in the yard when the chickens were in the woods. It’s so odd.

I had gone out to check on the ducks and noticed that I didn't see any ducks in the run so I walked into it and came face to face with the falcon standing over Daisy who was dead on the ground. I think it had just happened and he hadn't got around to carrying him off. What a horror show to walk into. The falcon was about 8' from me, he just looked at me, spread his wings and took off. I was a screaming banshe by then. All the other ducks were freaking out in their pen. I'm pretty sure that Daisy was trying to protect his girls. If the bird had been able to carry Daisy off there wouldn't have been any sign of what happened so I'm thinking yours could easily have been an attack from the air.