lost two call ducks overnight....my first loss....i am heartbroken....

[priss]

Ohhh I'm so so sorry, your poor babies. I lie awake every night worrying about mine, my heart breaks for you.

 

[MagsC]

 

[lovesduckies]

i'm sorry about your losses. i know how you feel. i lost my first duckling in october, a few weeks ago i lost a turtle, and this morning i lost my beloved bunny i had for 2 years and was like my daughter. i have a headache from crying all morning now. losing pets is really really tough.

i'm sorry

i am scared to lose my duckies so i keep them in my bedroom with me

 

[BellLisamo]

oh my!!!! how unfortunate

something got my first calls, it was so sad.... i feel your pain!!!!

 

[duckyfromoz]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. Its so hard to loose a pet- they are often more like another member of the family rather than just an animal.

It never seems to get any easier either. I have raised ducks and geese for 25 years and couldnt count how many I have lost. I just try to fins comfort in the fact that I know I have given them a fantastic life for the short time they did have.

to you and your other little ducks.

 

[janastasio]

Sorry for your loss. I'm certainly not trying to cause you more worry, but are you sure whatever predator that got the two calls didnt get into your coop? My first experience with a predator when I started with chickens was an animal getting into my coop. I was new and thought a 6 foot fence would keep bad things out! Bad things in my mind being a fox or dog. Those cant climb fences. I had 6 young chickens. First night I lost one. Thought it was coincidence or that one had gotten out. (denial!) Next night two more were gone. At this point I was panic sticken and so I enclosed the coop with chicken wire (hello! Could you tell what a newbie I was!!!) We spent until 2 am completing this. My husband and I went to bed with him assuring me that all was going to be ok now! Next day two more gone. We were shocked! Last remaining chicken must have put up a fight. She had some minor cuts and scrapes and was absolutely terrified! We inspected everything and were baffled. Finally found that the top of the coop had an opening where an animal could squeeze in by the roof. The chicken came in that night and we ended up rehoming her to a friend that had chickens the same age. Chickens were out of season for ordering at the feed store and I didnt want to chance her coming to harm. Long story short, check all over your coop top and bottom. When I finally got my next batch of chickens I enclosed every nook and cranny I could find and kept a baby moniter out there for about a month! I dont think I slept the first week they went out! Good luck and my thoughts are with you.

 

[Feathered Wings]

So Sorry

 

[Candida]

Quote:
I keep my ducks in an enclosure durning the day, but at night we put them in a modified dog house. we have a door on the dog house and it dead bolts shut. It was about 11 degrees last night and the ducks were already in their house when my son went out at 6pm to lock them up. He just looked in and shut the door and locked it without doing a head count. after thinking about it all day long, the only things that could have happened was that the two call ducks were already dead in the enclosure when he locked up the Cayugas and didnt see them which explains why the cayugas are so freaked out, they must have seen this and they are HUGE ducks so i think a small predator would be leery trying to take one.( i have 5 foot fencing around the duck house with bird netting over the top because i was worried about hawks getting them during the day when they are out, so we know it wasnt a coyote or fox it had to be something small to climb up the fence and under the netting ) or they were behind the duck house and he didnt see them and something came later at night and got them. I got the ducks to come out of there house today at about 3:30pm, they drank and ate and one jumped in the water as usual, and they seemed ok, but then less than 30 minutes later they were back in the house. the netting on one side of the enclosure was loose, and i think thats how something got in there. I was out there all day securing and checking everything. I have been driving myself crazy thinking, why didnt i check them when i let the dog out at 9...or why didnt I do this or that. I know that most of the people on this board can relate, and I want to say thank you for all the hugs, tears and understanding. My "non duck" friends say sorry, but I dont think they have a clue what I am going through. again, thanks for letting me get this all out on this forum, It is totally appreciated.

 

[janastasio]

Hope everyone is safe and sound and going well over the last couple of days.

 

[Candida]

They still wont come out of their house unless I am sitting there with them. I walk away and they go back into the house. Today I was sitting outside with them and a blue jay gave the warning call and they ran into the house. They are so alert and always looking around. I talk to them ( i call them my lovelies, they like that alot ) and quack back to me, but they still arent eating enough. They each took a bath today but it took forever with them going back and forth into the house. I am hoping in time they will feel comfortable in their home again. I figure they are just like us, if there is a break-in in our homes, we feel violated and it takes a while to feel comfortable again. I am so sad that they are upset. I know they loved their home. I used to have to scoot them in when it got dark. If they had their way they would have stayed out all night. I put some raw hamburger outside and away from their pen, and i loaded it with cayenne pepper ! I hope whatever got my calls eats it and burns their mouth so bad they never come back! LOL

Thanks for all the kind words, it is really helping.