Wild Duck
Chirping
- Sep 5, 2018
- 51
- 88
- 71
Hi everyone! It’s been a while but I’m in need of the byc family for advice and guidance again. I’ve had ducks for about a year and a half now and I always let them into my fenced in backyard in the morning and put them back into their shelter at night. I work 12 hr days (usually a little longer) and about an hour away from home, so I let them out around 430-5 AM on the days I work and cannot get them back into their safe house until 7 (in the summer I put them back later because the sun is still up).
So last monday I came home and a drake had just completely disappeared. He was my big alpha so I figured he died protecting my egg machines, but he was also one of my two white layers so I figured hawk. The ducks spent a few days in the pen, but I decided ultimately to get them back to free range of the yard after a couple supervised days. Friday, I went back to work, let the ducks out around 5 AM and came home to all my hens torn apart and only one lone drake still alive but badly wounded (neck torn). This was different because the bodies were left but I figured so close in time after so long of being predator free, it has to be the same predator, and I kinda figured raccoons this time. Sure enough after camping out all night Friday and Saturday with the pellet gun, a couple of those garbage pickers have been coming back looking for more. I’m going to kill them, but I’m sure eventually there will be more and I never want this to happen again.
My war torn drake seems to be doing a lot better physically and mentally in the short period of time, but he’s currently alone which saddens us both. I ordered him 3 new hens yesterday, but it will be a couple months before they’re here and ready to live outside with him. I’m scared that time alone won’t be good for him, and don’t really know any steps to take to keep him a happy, friendly duck in that period of time. I still let him out but my german shepherd has been spending most of her time out there with him (especially at night and in the morning). My dog is the gentlest thing under the sky and serves no threat to the duck.
I’m curious if anyone else has experienced this and if they had trouble reinigrating the lone duck into a new flock after time. Also, is there anything I can do to keep my drake occupied abd happy in the meantime? And are there any steps I can take to make sure nothing gets at my ducks again? As always, thanks a ton for reading and any advice or experiences!
So last monday I came home and a drake had just completely disappeared. He was my big alpha so I figured he died protecting my egg machines, but he was also one of my two white layers so I figured hawk. The ducks spent a few days in the pen, but I decided ultimately to get them back to free range of the yard after a couple supervised days. Friday, I went back to work, let the ducks out around 5 AM and came home to all my hens torn apart and only one lone drake still alive but badly wounded (neck torn). This was different because the bodies were left but I figured so close in time after so long of being predator free, it has to be the same predator, and I kinda figured raccoons this time. Sure enough after camping out all night Friday and Saturday with the pellet gun, a couple of those garbage pickers have been coming back looking for more. I’m going to kill them, but I’m sure eventually there will be more and I never want this to happen again.
My war torn drake seems to be doing a lot better physically and mentally in the short period of time, but he’s currently alone which saddens us both. I ordered him 3 new hens yesterday, but it will be a couple months before they’re here and ready to live outside with him. I’m scared that time alone won’t be good for him, and don’t really know any steps to take to keep him a happy, friendly duck in that period of time. I still let him out but my german shepherd has been spending most of her time out there with him (especially at night and in the morning). My dog is the gentlest thing under the sky and serves no threat to the duck.
I’m curious if anyone else has experienced this and if they had trouble reinigrating the lone duck into a new flock after time. Also, is there anything I can do to keep my drake occupied abd happy in the meantime? And are there any steps I can take to make sure nothing gets at my ducks again? As always, thanks a ton for reading and any advice or experiences!
That is so sad and nothing you ever want to come home to.
