This is a thread just advising everyone who has ducks or chickens to please double check your locks at night. I had 6 4-month-old Welsh Harlequin ducks and now I’m left with 2. Four of my girls were carried away, most probably by a fox, and I have one surviving female and one surviving male. The female has a minor injury but both are just very traumatized. I found my girl between the chickens‘ electric fence and duck run and my boy came out later from what appears to be from under the duck house. She’s depressed and he’s hyperventilating.
When I came to the duck house in the morning, I knew something was wrong because there was no quacking. I checked and the clean out door was wide open. I had cleaned out the whole house earlier that day but I guess I forgot to lock the locks in my haste and the predator either opened the door himself or the ducks, sleeping against the door as they often do, pushed it open, and the predator came.
In just 2 months, I already lost one escape hen to a fox, 1 hen to Salpingitis, gave away 2 drakes and now this. It’s making me seriously question whether I even want to raise birds anymore since I spent so much time and emotional energy raising these ducklings and I don’t know if I have the energy to do it again. They were so sweet. My remaining girl and boy are getting lots of cuddles now but I’m not sure if one girl is sufficient for one boy. Anyway, just wanted to share my story. Thanks for reading.
When I came to the duck house in the morning, I knew something was wrong because there was no quacking. I checked and the clean out door was wide open. I had cleaned out the whole house earlier that day but I guess I forgot to lock the locks in my haste and the predator either opened the door himself or the ducks, sleeping against the door as they often do, pushed it open, and the predator came.
In just 2 months, I already lost one escape hen to a fox, 1 hen to Salpingitis, gave away 2 drakes and now this. It’s making me seriously question whether I even want to raise birds anymore since I spent so much time and emotional energy raising these ducklings and I don’t know if I have the energy to do it again. They were so sweet. My remaining girl and boy are getting lots of cuddles now but I’m not sure if one girl is sufficient for one boy. Anyway, just wanted to share my story. Thanks for reading.