missing duck!!

[Beer can]

Raccoons, mink, fisher, all like duck dinners also. I lost many to fox, when they stayed in the pond they were all right. Every time a duck would start sitting it would disapear. Then my neighbor warned me a mink was in his pond. I ended up giving them all away. The only ones I lost to snapping turtles was little ones, and there were huge turtles in my pond. I had one duck hatch out 25 little ones, when over half of them dissapeared is when I got rid of all of them. I do miss them, and thought about maybe getting flying mallards next time, they might avoid predators better, might have more instinct.

 

[kbilo31384]

Well thanks for all your input, we do now believe it was a Great Horned owl that took my duck..We can tell where it swooped in and took him, there were just a few feathers. We will now make them an enclosed area outside so they can still roam outside but be safe. thank you all.

Jade I live in Oregon. We have lots of owls..lots of raccoons and coyotes and raptors. I am sure it wasnt a raccoon or raptor.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I don't know. I just can't see a Great Horned Owl taking a duck that size. If your guess of the duck's weight is accurate, that would be almost twice the weight of even a large GHO. There are other raptors in your area that could pick up and carry away a duck that size, but they don't tend to be nocturnal.

 

[kbilo31384]

we do know it was taken somewhere between 1am and 3am...so it was definitely dark. everything ive read says a great horned owl can nab something between 8 and 10bls.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I guess it's possible. I know they can lift more than they weigh, I just wouldn't think they could get really far with that size duck. I know you've already walked the vicinity and didn't find anything, so I suppose that must be what happened since that's (I think) the only nocturnal raptor in your area.

I'm really very sorry about your loss, and I'm glad to hear you're setting up a new pen so they can be safe at nighttime. I know losing an animal is really hard.

 

[Massey]

the set up i have might help you out with this in the future,

i have built a duck house with an enclosed cage at the front of it, its about 5 foot wide and about 10 foot long, the duck house opens on to this and has no door to open or shut, i'll add pictures if you like, this cage and my chicken house and its own cage are both in a area about 1/3 of an acre, when i'm there i let them out into the larger area, but if im going away and wont be back by dark i leave them in the smaller cages,

most day they are out and about but the smaller cages while too small to leave them in full time, give them a bit of room but also give them security and me piece of mind,

 

[kbilo31384]

I would love pictures. I have a big barn where they have a built in area for them to get in out of the weather, and I built off the door of the back of the barn for my chickens to come in and out as they please. they have about 200ft by 50 ft area off the barn they have access too night or day. They roost in the barn at night and go outside all day. I have netting over the full outside portion and have never had an issue as I have it secured with wire to the ground on the parimader . I want to make another one off the otherside of it for my ducks now. I had them in the same pen but i keep a pool for my ducks to get in out and out and the chickens kept drinking the water and I surmised this was making my chickens sick which is why I put the ducks out to roam free. I have not had a chicken get sick since so I cant put the ducks back in there unless I dont put the pool back in.