Missing Ducklings, Snake??

[Biddy-Biddy]

I have a Muscovy mama who hatched out 9 babies. My males were trying to kill the babies so I locked mama and babies in a coop in the barn. I count the ducklings every morning and night. Yesterday morning there were only 8 ducklings. 1 had disappeared without a trace. This morning I am down to only 7 ducklings. I figure it is a snake because the coop is dog and cat proof. I have never seen any other predators like coons, possums or skunks around our place. My question is, will 1 snake come back for a meal two nights in a row, or do you think I have more than one snake?

 

[Duckstail]

That's a question a message board cannot answer truthfully you're going to have to sit there and find out.

However my understanding from snakes do not need to eat that often. But then again if it has a chance to get a bunch of ducklings I'm sure we'll take that opportunity!

 

[Ducksandchickens]

I have a Muscovy mama who hatched out 9 babies. My males were trying to kill the babies so I locked mama and babies in a coop in the barn. I count the ducklings every morning and night. Yesterday morning there were only 8 ducklings. 1 had disappeared without a trace. This morning I am down to only 7 ducklings. I figure it is a snake because the coop is dog and cat proof. I have never seen any other predators like coons, possums or skunks around our place. My question is, will 1 snake come back for a meal two nights in a row, or do you think I have more than one snake?

Can you post pics of where the momma and ducklings are?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have a Muscovy mama who hatched out 9 babies. My males were trying to kill the babies so I locked mama and babies in a coop in the barn. I count the ducklings every morning and night. Yesterday morning there were only 8 ducklings. 1 had disappeared without a trace. This morning I am down to only 7 ducklings. I figure it is a snake because the coop is dog and cat proof. I have never seen any other predators like coons, possums or skunks around our place. My question is, will 1 snake come back for a meal two nights in a row, or do you think I have more than one snake?

.... However my understanding from snakes do not need to eat that often. But then again if it has a chance to get a bunch of ducklings I'm sure we'll take that opportunity!

There is a lot of difference between a 5 foot long chicken a.k.a rat snake that is active and a 20 foot Burmese Python that may choke down a 100 pound meal in one setting then just sit around digesting a meal as big as a teenager.

 

[JudysMuscovy]

I just had a snake snatch up a 3 week old Lavender ameraucana and then went in the nesting box and ate a ceramic egg and went to sleep.
Needless to say I moved the rest of my chicks in a more secure pen that same night.

I was surprised a snake which was not that big around could eat a baby chicks that big but it happened.

 

[Biddy-Biddy]

I still have 7 ducklings this morning but I turned mama and babies out into the big chicken yard. That way, they aren't just "sitting ducks"! I worried about the chickens picking on them but mama has proven to be pretty vicious. They chickens seem to be steering clear of her.

On another note, I have another scovie mama hatching babies today. This morning when I left for work 3 had hatched. Last night she rolled an egg out of the nest and I could hear the duckling so I put it in the incubator. It hatched overnight but seemed pretty weak. I'm hoping for the best!