Predator Advice

[Soon2BChixMom]

Well the ground is moist , and we’re covering it with chicken wire today since i feel something can stick its hand in and they like to stay on guard in the open area to watch at night , they usually don’t sleep until about 500am, and I feel so sorry for them,my bedroom over looks their house and run but I can’t hear ! So I have major insomnia plus I’m about to have a baby so mother goose syndrome! The other night I almOST had a heart attack! I was probAbly delirious from lack of sleep and hearing all the horror stories about duck murders I looked outside about 3am and thought I nsaw feathers everywhere my girls were inside the enclosed area of their house so I didn’t need see them , I panicked! But they were fine once I got outside they came out looking like wth are you doing crazy lady lol . I love these girls sooooooo much but there’s times I wish my husband wouldn’t have brought them Because I don’t handle death well although it’s life , but just seeing their happy faces And to feel like I let them down would destroy me . I will be going to tractor supply today AGAIN to see what else I can do I need a good nights rest!

You could just lock them up once you go to bed. I don't want to alarm you, but chicken wire is meant to keep chickens (and ducks) in - not predators out. Predators can rip through it. Suburban backyards seem safe enough, but I have read many stories here on byc where that is just false security.
If it were me, I would make an apron around their secure area out of hardware cloth or welded wire. Maybe even build an enclosed run area. Then, they can be free in the yard when you are up and no extra worries.
My ducks have so far put themselves to bed by 9pm. I just go out and close their door. Then, open it back up in the morning. Ducks like a schedule - you just have to make it for them.

 

[ColleenRyan]

Can dogs get in your backyard?

no dogs can. completely fenced, something must have climbed it or had been small enough to squeeze under or in between at the gate area.

 

[chickens really]

Sounds like Fox or Coyote because they take one back to the den and come back for the others they killed..Not much feathers all over the yard either..

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

no dogs can. completely fenced, something must have climbed it or had been small enough to squeeze under or in between at the gate area.

What predators are native to your area? Even suburban areas have predators. Fences can be dug under, but it doesn't sound like that was the case. If they climbed over, then as @chickens really stated it could be fox or coyote.

 

[PollyGirl21]

Well the ground is moist , and we’re covering it with chicken wire today since i feel something can stick its hand in and they like to stay on guard in the open area to watch at night , they usually don’t sleep until about 500am, and I feel so sorry for them,my bedroom over looks their house and run but I can’t hear ! So I have major insomnia plus I’m about to have a baby so mother goose syndrome! The other night I almOST had a heart attack! I was probAbly delirious from lack of sleep and hearing all the horror stories about duck murders I looked outside about 3am and thought I nsaw feathers everywhere my girls were inside the enclosed area of their house so I didn’t need see them , I panicked! But they were fine once I got outside they came out looking like wth are you doing crazy lady lol . I love these girls sooooooo much but there’s times I wish my husband wouldn’t have brought them Because I don’t handle death well although it’s life , but just seeing their happy faces And to feel like I let them down would destroy me . I will be going to tractor supply today AGAIN to see what else I can do I need a good nights rest!

I would do what Soon2BChixMom said; make an "apron" around the perimeter of your coop. Wire mesh is super predator proof. You could also use cement instead of wire mesh. We use cement to surround one part of our coop, and wire mesh to surround another part of our coop. A predator has never broken in, even in our 6 years of owning chickens. The reason to make an "apron" around the coop is that when predators dig under a fence or wall, they make their hole right next to the outside of the wall, and pop out right on the inside of the wall. They are not long-distance diggers. IF a predator ever tries to dig into your coop, it will hit the wire mesh or cement and give up. They don't have the brains to step back a foot and try digging again. Relax. Chill. Your ducks are going to be fine.

 

[ColleenRyan]

What predators are native to your area? Even suburban areas have predators. Fences can be dug under, but it doesn't sound like that was the case. If they climbed over, then as @chickens really stated it could be fox or coyote.

Hi,
We have raccoons, skunks, owls, foxes, all the typical predators in the area but we’ve never seen a fox in the neighborhood. Whatever did this to my ducks was the same thing that took only one from the hutch earlier last month. We have no holes under our fence I checked the entire area. Our fence isn’t very high though, maybe only 4 ft in some areas.

 

[ColleenRyan]

I would do what Soon2BChixMom said; make an "apron" around the perimeter of your coop. Wire mesh is super predator proof. You could also use cement instead of wire mesh. We use cement to surround one part of our coop, and wire mesh to surround another part of our coop. A predator has never broken in, even in our 6 years of owning chickens. The reason to make an "apron" around the coop is that when predators dig under a fence or wall, they make their hole right next to the outside of the wall, and pop out right on the inside of the wall. They are not long-distance diggers. IF a predator ever tries to dig into your coop, it will hit the wire mesh or cement and give up. They don't have the brains to step back a foot and try digging again. Relax. Chill. Your ducks are going to be fine.

I will definitely do that in the future but I only had three ducks I raised from ducklings and kept as pets and they’re all gone now. I’m heartbroken.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I would think it is a fox then as @Chickens really said they can carry them off plus climb fences.

 

[Jpat]

I bet it was a neighbor

 

[Chickie pants]

It's sad I have had most of my birds killed by predators. My last big kill was a beautiful stray dog I had them loose and I wasn't home that was my fault. My runs are pretty secure now knock on wood I haven't had a bird killed in quite a while. It's unfortunate but if you don't lock them up they're not going to live very long. Sorry your Ducks got killed