My heart hurts *horrible update post 21*

[bt03]

So this morning we go outside and Bejing is missing. No sign of her anywhere no feathers in the yard nothing. I know that nothing can go under the fence because it is concreted into the ground (we were thinking fort Knox when it was put in) the Main gate was double locked with extra fencing on the bottom to make sure nothing could go through the hinge openings. The second gate was locked normally but with added fencing to make sure nothing could go through the hinge openings also. The strange thing is that both were still closed and they would have had to walk directly past a 10 pound slow chicken to get to my 10 pound faster than light duck. Is it a person? could someone be stealing them? I don't see how any creature could walk past an easy meal to chase down the ducks. Is there anything that could scale a 5 foot fence with a 10 pound duck in its mouth? We don't have foxes, coyotes, big cats, or stray dogs that we have seen. The only predators that we have are opossums as far as we know. I live in the Lubbock area of TX is that helps to determine what we have as far as predators but I'm pretty sure it was a person (stupid camera went out yesterday)

 

[gofasterstripe]

Any amount of animals can scale a 10 foot fence and up and over the top if the top is not covered!!! Maybe you need to look into covering the top ASAP before they take off with more. They have been there twice now so they are going to keep coming back. Sorry for yur loss

 

[animalpro24]

Quote:
sorry about that. This is a good idea, cover the top. Get the camera fixed then you can hopefully figure this all out. Again so sorry

 

[TLWR]

Unless it is a person, you need to figure out what it is and prevent it before bringing in any more ducks.
Netting, hotwire, chicken wire cover - lots of options for a top. Good luck.
sorry for your losses.

 

[DarkWolf]

Bird net the top and run a dual strand hot wire around the bottom of the entire thing.

 

[Duckville denizen]

Have you considered that it might be a hawk or owl invading your pen at night? They would be able to carry the carcass off if it wasn't too heavy. I sympathize with you. We really get attached to our babies.

 

[DarkWolf]

That's what I was wondering about. Unless they're closed up IN THE BUILDING AT NIGHT then any raptor or owl can easily pick them up. Depending on their location, the owls can be quite large.. Or it may be a morning snatch by a raptor.. Know the red tails around here can carry off a chicken if they're determined.

Speaking of.. I don't recall seeing any pictures of the setup in question. Please post some pictures of the run and coop and we can help critique it and pinpoint possible weaknesses.

 

[Crayonsmom]

Could you electrify it or put something electric around it? We're going to try thatwith our new pen.

 

[DinosRBirds]

I know how you feel, and worse.

 

[crtrlovr]

Quote:
Unless they're closed up IN THE BUILDING AT NIGHT, they are not safe. Raccoons & oppossums climb chain link like a ladder (both into and back out of, and yes, they can carry animals out of the pen). Skunks climb through. Owls & hawks fly down into the run. I lost a beautiful duck to a juvenile owl because I forgot to close the pen door behind me (at the time, the ducks lived in a 10X10 chain link dog kennel, completely double wrapped (sides and top) with small diameter opening chicken wire. The owl flew in the open door and grabbed the duck by the head, killing him instantly. The duck was too heavy for the owl to fly with, and the talons had gone through the skull and the owl couldn't release the duck. The other 2 ducks were still in the pen, afraid to try to go past the owl & duck to get to the door. I got a towel, wrapped the owl in it, and had to pry his talons out of Steve's head. I couldn't blame the owl because it was just trying to survive -- but I did blame myself for a long time. Accidents happen. Predators happen. The only thing we can do is learn from the heartbreak and do everything we can to keep our babies as safe as possible. If I were in your shoes, I'd go over every inch of your enclosure and house/coop to make sure there's been no digging under the fence, and nothing is denned up under anything inside the run. Then I'd cover it with netting of some kind. Then I'd make sure they were all INSIDE a building every night to sleep. I'm so sorry for your heartache.

Edited to correct typo -- isn't it strange how you don't see them until immediately after you've hit "submit" ...