Lost Flipper to Unknown Predator

[Duckworth]

While we were at church this evening, some predator breached our enclosed duck pen and killed Flipper and injured our other ducks. We don’t know how it got in, but will figure more out in the morning. The survivors are indoors in the bathtub on towels until morning. They don’t look badly injured, but there is some blood. I’m letting them be for now, since they seem to be in shock. All injuries appear to be to their necks. All of their eyes look okay. I’m waiting to clean them up until they have rested a bit.

 

[Duckworth]

We also don’t know how the predator got back out of the pen, but it was gone when we got out there. I feel really sad.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I am so sorry! Poor Flipper...

I hope you figure out what happened and can prevent it from happening again. I also hope you regain your peace of mind. So scary and sad...

 

[Duckworth]

There’s been a narrow gap at the bottom of the door since the ice has built up. I noticed it this morning, but couldn’t get the ice scraped away to get it to close tighter. That may have been it. Flipper was always our guard duck, so she probably died trying to protect the others.

 

[Aunt Angus]

What a good duck! Makes the loss that much more significant, but she managed to save the others.

 

[Duckworth]

Thank you. You are very kind.

 

[Duckworth]

Good news, bad news. Once I started cleaning the ducks up, I realized that Flipper has survived and Duchess appears to be our casualty. I’m so glad for Flipper, but sad for Duchess. All three survivors are looking relatively stable. I put a water bucket in for them, but no food for tonight. No one is bleeding much. I’m going to let them be for the night. I haven’t done much cleanup so far, since the ducks are obviously in shock and I don’t want to traumatize them further tonight.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sounds like a mink or weasel. They can breach an opening 1” . And they always go for the neck area. I am so sorry for your loss Hope you find the others doing better this morning!

 

[Duckworth]

I’ve never heard of a mink or weasel in this area. Our son said he saw an animal half the size of our smaller dog, which would have made it at least 25 lbs., come back to the pen a couple of hours after the attack, but it ran off when he turned a light on. We live in the middle of a mid-sized city with a fairly dense population. My son didn’t think it was a raccoon, but it had also started to snow and he may not be the best judge of size in the dark in the snow.

Whatever it was, it went for each duck’s face or head. I ended up taking them to the emergency vet at about 2:30 a.m., because Nipper kept bleeding and looked like she was going downhill. The local avian vet met me at his office, which turned out to be less than a mile from my house, and examined and treated all three.

Nipper’s bill has been punctured and pulled hard and isn’t completely stable. He gave her antibiotics and steroids to help her replenish the red blood cells that she has been losing. She is the most seriously injured and her recovery is dicey. The vet didn’t clean her or the others up to avoid any more trauma than necessary.

Flipper has small punctures on her upper bill and a swollen side of her face and just got antibiotics. She is the least injured and the most outraged.

Feisty Girl has a gash on the top of her head that needs sutures, so I’m taking her back this morning for a light anesthesia so the vet can clean and stitch the wound. She is getting antibiotics, too. The vet gave shots last night and will give me liquid for them when I take Feisty Girl in.

It’s probably ridiculous to spend the money for emergency vet care, but I thought it was necessary to try to save them. If infection were to set in, I don’t think any of them would have a lot of strength to survive it. They are still in shock, but they are safe and warm. All of their eyes look good.

We got another five inches of snow overnight, so no tracks will be visible. We didn’t see any last night by flashlight. Our dogs started barking when I let them out as soon as we got home from church last night, so they may have interrupted the attack. In the light of day, I should be able to get a better idea of how something got in and fix it.

All three ducks are alive and at least moving this morning and they have started talking to each other. I don’t think they are drinking and I haven’t fed them yet. I’m going to wait until after the vet this morning.

 

[CrystaBub]

I'm so sorry about Duchess - but sounds like you have a wonderful avian vet to help you mend the survivors. Will pray for quick recovery.