Repeat offender keeps attacking my ducks

[cmom]

So sorry for your loss. It's hard to say what predator it might be. I could be one of many. My first thought would be to put up a camera and see what is lurking, then once you know what you're dealing with you can make a plan but until then lock up your remaining birds. I have several game cameras up around on my property. I have some mounted on post so I can move them around. I see a predator most every night, when they roam here, on at least one of my cameras. I love my cameras. Good luck...

 

[cmom]

I don't know your setup, but I have electric wires around my coops and pens, good heavy duty netting covering all of the pens and concrete under the gates. All due to losses from predators in the past. With many predators once your birds are discovered and the predator has made a kill, it will be back for more and may lurk looking for an opportunity when you least expect it. Again, good luck...
http://www.poultrydvm.com/featured-infographic/tips-for-protecting-poultry-from-predators

 

[McChooky]

Its not only illegal to shoot or kill raptors (hawks and owls),its illegal to trap them.You need to set up a game camera if you can't identify whats attacking your ducks. The only thing I know leaves a Puncture mark on the neck is a weasel or a mink . They're fierce predators and live near bodies of water such as ponds or creeks .They love fish.

 

[McChooky]

So for the sake of brevity i’ll try to give you all as much info as i can without giving too much to read, because i really need some help identifying this predator before i lose my whole flock.

I think i have narrowed it down to a few likely culprits based on my research and the trends i’ve noticed. Last weekend was the first strike, two ducks dead, one duck maimed beyond recognition and somehow hid long enough under the deck to survive. She is making a recovery inside our house in a quarantined shower. Every duck was attacked in the same way, the front and back of their necks removed, with some small rips and punctures, two of them had a lot of missing feathers on their rump. Happened late at night. Tragic because none of their meat was eaten. Their heads and brains were unscathed. Their abdomens and breasts were unscathed. Whatever it is, is killing them systematically by attacking their necks.

Last night i came home to my drake Stampy in the same condition. He looks completely untouched except the entire back of his neck has been removed, to the point where i can see his tendons flexing when he moves his head or drinks water.

So whatever is doing this, is coming back and keeping an eye on them nightly. The only times they’ve been attacked have been when they decided to leave their enclosed run to sleep outside (which they always enjoyed without trouble, so until now I was allowing this). Our yard is about a quarter acre in the back and we have a 5.5’ fence completely enclosing it. No evidence of burrowing anywhere, not at their coop, not at the fence.

Last night i came home just in time to save Stampy’s life and keep my last hen safe. I noticed when i came home that the yard was too quiet (the ducks usually greet me) so my suspicion rose immediately, i turned my flashlight on and I saw two yellow eyes peering at me from their coop area. Whatever it was i chased it away before i could identify it. My hen let out a startled honk and quickly ran away, flapping its wings. But it was dark and now i’m inclined to think that this flapping sound could have been coming from the predator. Whatever it was, it either went up in our spruce tree or hopped the fence. I would like to try and trap whatever it is but if it’s an Owl i have no idea how.

i have it narrowed down to Fox, Raccoon, Owl, or Cat. It could have been a mink or weasel but the eyes were too large and spread out so i’m ruling them out, especially since no signs of predation have been found inside their enclosure.

Please, share any opinions you might have because i’m at my wits end. I don’t want to keep them locked up all the time but will do whatever i have to in order to keep them safe. Let me know if i can share any other info to help you narrow things down. We are new to having a flock (its our 2nd summer) with us and would love to hear from people with experience. We are located in northern colorado for reference. I attached a few gruesome pics for reference as well. Thank you for reading and god bless

Very sorry for your loss! Perhaps you could put up netting overhead to stop any birds of prey from attacking your ducks at night if you discover they're doing this.I'm unwilling to suffer any losses due to predators so I don't free range my birds whatsoever.Sorry I don't have other suggestions for you.I hope you find a solution for keeping your ducks safe.

 

[cmom]

I did accidentally catch an owl that had killed some of my birds. I got it into a cage and a wildlife rescue came and got it. They said they had a release area and it shouldn't come back. I have seen other owls since but no issues.

 

[NanaKat]

We live in Oklahoma and have had kills made by skunk that are very similar to your ducks. We lost several chickens before identifying the culprit. A skunk will attack the neck seeking the juggler vein and suck/consume the blood. Ducks are larger than most chickens and may be fighting off the attacker.
Possum also attack the neck.

Game cameras are very helpful!

Skunks, possum, raccoon can be trapped by baiting a live trap with eggs, dry cat food or pears/fruit. Eliminate the critter rather than releasing it to become someone else’s problem.

In our state hawks can be killed if predating livestock including poultry. Eagles cannot be shot or trapped. Owls that are attacking poultry can be rehomed to new territories by game rangers.

Foxes, bobcat will eat the flesh and or carry the kill away.

Most hawks will hunt in daytime while owls prefer dusk.
We had two owls that slipped into a break made in the netting above a chain link pen. Neither could get out once inside. The first one we were able to chase out of the gate, but the second kept a flying assault at us when trying to get him out the gate. After describing the owl to our Game Ranger we were allowed to shoot it. He said if it was a Great Horned owl we would have had to dismantle part of the pen to get it out.

 

[zadok]

So for the sake of brevity i’ll try to give you all as much info as i can without giving too much to read, because i really need some help identifying this predator before i lose my whole flock.

I think i have narrowed it down to a few likely culprits based on my research and the trends i’ve noticed. Last weekend was the first strike, two ducks dead, one duck maimed beyond recognition and somehow hid long enough under the deck to survive. She is making a recovery inside our house in a quarantined shower. Every duck was attacked in the same way, the front and back of their necks removed, with some small rips and punctures, two of them had a lot of missing feathers on their rump. Happened late at night. Tragic because none of their meat was eaten. Their heads and brains were unscathed. Their abdomens and breasts were unscathed. Whatever it is, is killing them systematically by attacking their necks.

Last night i came home to my drake Stampy in the same condition. He looks completely untouched except the entire back of his neck has been removed, to the point where i can see his tendons flexing when he moves his head or drinks water.

So whatever is doing this, is coming back and keeping an eye on them nightly. The only times they’ve been attacked have been when they decided to leave their enclosed run to sleep outside (which they always enjoyed without trouble, so until now I was allowing this). Our yard is about a quarter acre in the back and we have a 5.5’ fence completely enclosing it. No evidence of burrowing anywhere, not at their coop, not at the fence.

Last night i came home just in time to save Stampy’s life and keep my last hen safe. I noticed when i came home that the yard was too quiet (the ducks usually greet me) so my suspicion rose immediately, i turned my flashlight on and I saw two yellow eyes peering at me from their coop area. Whatever it was i chased it away before i could identify it. My hen let out a startled honk and quickly ran away, flapping its wings. But it was dark and now i’m inclined to think that this flapping sound could have been coming from the predator. Whatever it was, it either went up in our spruce tree or hopped the fence. I would like to try and trap whatever it is but if it’s an Owl i have no idea how.

i have it narrowed down to Fox, Raccoon, Owl, or Cat. It could have been a mink or weasel but the eyes were too large and spread out so i’m ruling them out, especially since no signs of predation have been found inside their enclosure.

Please, share any opinions you might have because i’m at my wits end. I don’t want to keep them locked up all the time but will do whatever i have to in order to keep them safe. Let me know if i can share any other info to help you narrow things down. We are new to having a flock (its our 2nd summer) with us and would love to hear from people with experience. We are located in northern colorado for reference. I attached a few gruesome pics for reference as well. Thank you for reading and god bless

I would guess a small predator probably weasel mink or possum. Something that's not very hungry or eats small amounts not an owl