Men will be men? Graphic talk!!!!

[neenerbutt92]

I've had ducks for 18 years and never had problems til recently. I have 2 flocks, one here (at the house) and one at the pond (not too far from the house and in an open field by a barn). Well I've been loosing a few mallard youngsters (just got their big bird feathers) every few days there were 9 now just one

....I have 4 guard dogs they have kept my flock alive for 3 years now with no loses from predators. Then I lost my favorite harlequin hen, then my sisters mule duck (these are at the house)....then one hen over at the pond, I was hoping she had just made a nest....but she never came back.

Then tonight I went to the barn at the pond to feed my bottle baby lambs, goats, and calves and one of my large white hens was dead......with my larger white Muscovy drake on her! Her guts were out she had bled to death! And the drake was sitting on her like he was proud! His bottom had blood all over it, is it possible he killed her from mating her too much?! Also, is there anything I can do to protect my duckies from predators, other than penning the up at night and keeping them cooped? I love my duckies, but can't seem to figure out whats killing my others....I've put out traps, haven't caught anything.....haven't seen any birds of pray either and its happening at night! Someone please help!!!!!!!!!!!! OH!!! and the duckies at the house sleep with ex broiler hens and none of my chickens or guineas or turkeys have been touched just my ducks, and they happen to be my favorites!!!!

 

[Baymule]

Pen them up and keep them safe. As far as the Muscovy drake?????? I hope someone with duck experience speaks up.

 

[Cetawin]

Time to pen the ducks up, loving them is protecting them from predators at night. As to the drake...well if she was dead and had bled to death from organs outside her body...I would say the blood on him came from him climbing over her. He was probably checking her out...I have never heard of a drake ripping open a hen or anything like that...overmating yes...but doubtful with the numbers you are talking about...and losing them all over in different locations screams predator.

Good luck.

 

[bgates1970]

Sorry for your loss! Do you have a webcam? This almost sounds like an Owl.

 

[ddroland]

It really could be anything, especially at night. I have four Khakis, two drakes, two hens who spend the warmer months in my pond. Luckily I have had no issues, but they seem very adept at surviving. They know to stay in the pond after dark, which protects them from most night time predators. I would suggest you lock everyone up at night. Whatever is killing them knows your place is where the action is for an easy meal and it will just continue to you find out what is doing it.

Buy a cheap trail camera and set it up by your pond over the carcass of the dead hen, then you'll know.

 

[neenerbutt92]

I'm putting my boyfriend trail camera up tonight with the poor dead girl in front of it in a cage. The weirdest part about her being "killed" is it looks like either the drake was over mating her or SOMEONE had pulled her guts out her bottom.....no holes just through her butt! It's the weirdest thing ever!!! And tonight my duckies are being locked up til I find the culprit and relocate it! And the odd part about my other ducks being killed is the ones at the pond have been there for a year and have done fine, doing what your ducks do staying on the pond at night! And the ones at the house have been out since January and just two weeks ago started disappearing.....no feathers anywhere! Not near the pond or the house!!! Geez, I feel like an awful mommy duck.

 

[pascopol]

Exterminate predators.

I do it all the time.

 

[neenerbutt92]

I relocate, thank you.

 

[schellie69]

Quote:
Relocating only puts your problem onto someone else. I live in town and I plan to dispatch any raccoons that mess with my hens.

 

[little_grey_bantam]

Quote:
Relocating only puts your problem onto someone else. I live in town and I plan to dispatch any raccoons that mess with my hens.

Well you can't "dispatch" a raptor (hawk, owl, etc.) I think you have to call the fish & game to have THEM relocate for you.
Plus, it's not the animals' faults. They're doing what's natural to them, not their fault you have a "Mcdonald's" in your backyard

We ask around and some of our neighbors don't mind coons & badgers, etc. in their yard (no chickens) so we move them there (farm land areas)
If you live in the city, you can call animal control & they'll relocate 'em for ya!

Best bet is to coop the birds up & build fort knox lol