Lost Them All - **UPDATE pg 3

[NotAFarm]

There are no bad dogs, just bad owners so I agree that the owner needs to PAY! Don't forget the vet bill and the cost of treating your lone survivor. Since yours were laying, charging for ducks that are that same age is the right thing to do. Maybe a hefty bill will make them take precautions. I have a Premier portable electrified fence that my flock stays in, not to contain them but to protect them from loose dogs. I know a determined dog may not let the fence stop him but right now it's working.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
I had my roomates dog bite a silkie and a sg on the backs. I though for sure I would loose the sg as she was so swollen and was covered in fly eggs when I found her a few hours after the attack over the summer. With some tlc, antibiotics and vitamins you would never know either of them had multiple puncture wonds. I also had a racoon tear open the side of a duck and completely scalp another one and both of them healed as well and I just used bacitactin and blue-kote on them. I think if they make it past the first few days that they will recover. Your attack was very vicious but it sounds like that one little ducky will make it thanks to all your hard work and love. I hope he does.

Good luck

I think you are doing everything right.

Did you hear about the dog, did he pick it up or is it still at the pound? Is there any way to know if anyone else ever reported it as having attacked something or someone? if so maybe then more can be done, like putting it down.

 

[La Mike]

Sorry to here about your losses
Thats a hard way to lose your birds especially after all the time involved in raising them
Do make sure you add that time and expense into the bill
Good luck and hope your single makes it
I have a constant problem with my neighbors cats she has like 30 of them
and every time a few go missing she goes to the pound and brings in more
Never has she paid any damages claims we cant prove it
So traps surround my aviary now(no denying a caught cat)
It honestly is a shame people dont control their own animals or own up to what they do
Good luck again

 

[NateinFL]

Sorry to hear about your loss, just get a .22 they sell them at most Walmarts, some for a little over $100. It is always good to have one on hand for situations like this, dont let the loss discourage you from enjoying the ownership of ducks. And send the neighbor a bill certified to show you are very serious about getting your money on them.

 

[kcardella]

Quote:
I am keeping her in the brooder in the garage until she heals. It will keep her cleaner and prevent any of the chickens from picking on her.

I have to call the Sgt in charge of aggressive dogs on Monday (he was off for the holidays), but animal control said there was no previous complaints on the dogs. We have gone over to the neighbor's house a couple of time since the incident, but nobody has been there, and the dogs are not back yet. He has basically disappeared since we told him about the attack.

He was arrested last year for drug trafficking (he was one of the many marijuana "grow houses" that the FBI closed down in West Palm Beach last year), and I am sure he does not want any more trouble from the police. He used to keep the dogs on long chains in the front and back yard with no fence, but then put up a flimsy wire fence so he could let them run around. I worried every time I walked my dog past his house, as it seemed the dogs could bust through any time. They did on a few occasions, but have not been people aggressive, so they just go and round them up, and nobody complains (myself included). Even after the attack on my ducks, we were able to put the dogs in the fenced area of our yard with no resistance - tails wagging.

Like I said before, I don't blame the dogs, but the owner. I thought I had a very secure pen, but just never counted on an 60-70 pound dog climbing 4 feet to stand on the top of the pen. I still don't know how she did it (it's 1/2 inch hardware cloth all around with solid plywood on 3 sides of the back half). The larger one of the two could not. I will be putting a solid roof on the wire-only side of the top this weekend, even though I do not expect to have any birds in it for some time.

That being said, we have decided to purchase a gun, and I know I will have no problem using it if the need arises again. I was angry enough at the time to have killed them without one. We will also be extending our fence to include the duck and chicken pens.

 

[NotAFarm]

I had a pitbull, many years ago, that could jump into the back of the pickup with the tailgate up. Four feet high isn't anything to them. If they can get their front feet up they'll go over or onto it. Sounds like a good idea to extend your yard fence since your neighbor doesn't sound like he put much thought into his fence. Hope the "survivor" is doing okay.

 

[kcardella]

There has been a weird development in this story. We drove by the neighbor's (with the dogs) house yesterday afternoon and noticed that his front and back doors were wide open. Nobody appeared to be home. We waited until coming back home a few hours later, and both doors were still wide open. We called the police, and other than it looked ransacked, they did not find anything. They closed up the house and left. There has been no sign of the man since Friday when we spoke to him about the dogs, nor has he brought the dogs back. He has been coming in and out since his arrest (that I mentioned earlier), so I can only hope he will stay away this time.

On another note, another BYC member, has very graciously offered to share her ducks with me so my lone survivor will not be lonely. I am so touched by the kindness of people on this forum; it really does make a difference.

I am still not sure what I am going to do. My one girl is holding her own, but stopped eating today, despite my offerings of peas, watermelon, lettuce, eggs, or apples. She is drinking and is alert, but I am worried that the trauma of the event was just too much. I am praying she pulls through. It has become my mission to help her recover from this.

I cleaned out the duck pen today, and drained the pond. It was one of the saddest things I have every done. I still cannot believe they are all gone. It's too quiet.

 

[Overeasyplz]

This is the saddest thing ever..I am so sorry for your loss. I too, would offer you Dramanoe, our rescued duck, as she is lonely here but she thinks she's a chicken so she's not totally lonely. I hope your little girl hangs on for you. Give her pets from me! And hugs for you!

 

[kcardella]

Some good news - I asked for some advice on the Emergency/Illness forum since she was not eating, and someone suggested that I let her swim. I had not done it because of her wounds, but filled the bathtub with lukewarm water and put her in.

After a few minutes she started ducking her head, splashing around, and cleaning the areas with wounds. She even ate a couple of handfuls of peas and some lettuce I put in the water. She even quacked a bit (she has been unnaturally quiet)!!

I think things are looking up!

 

[Luvducks]

Just read this entire post. Feeling for you. I am glad your survivor is swimming. Great idea.
Get your duck some friends and enjoy them. This is a sad day but enjoying new ducks will be better then
dwelling on a terible incident. Hopefully the guy is gone and will not be back!
I too would offer some ducks but I am in Colorado and I see you are in FL. Hang in there!