SNAKE!!

[LindaMurphy]

OMG I have **** for luck when it comes to my ducks. Everyone was fine before I left for my Dr. Appointment. When I came back I went out to give my baby ducks a dip in the pool. What I found was all the chicks and 1 duck on the outside of the cage. I wondered where the other duck was. I looked inside the cage and what I found is rather distressing. The duck lays there dead. It looks like a snake tried to eat the duck but could not swallow it or could not get out with it in it's mouth. It is all slimy on the top half of it's body. something definitely tried to swallow it. Now my little baby duck does not have a ducky friend. Good thing they get along fine with the baby chicks. Gosh I hope this duck is female. Now I don't know what to do to keep them safe. ARGH!!! My poor babies. if it's not a coyote it's a hawk. If it's not a hawk it's a snake. So many predators to keep them safe from. A perch will help the chicks but won't do the duck any good.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I'll be of no help. Everything likes the taste of chicken - or duck for that matter.

The roost won't protect the chicks. Raccoons, opossums, weasels are unfazed by roosting birds. They need to be locked up at night. If the snake was small enough that it couldn't eat the duckling. The chickens will soon be big enough to kill and eat it.

ETA
At the same time, the snake is eating all the mice and rats in the area.

 

[LindaMurphy]

I welcome the good snakes but sure don't like the fact that it got my baby duck. I'll be getting another buff duck friday when the new ones come in.
We have to accept a certain number of losses when they free range. It still sucks just the same when it happens. I do lock up all the ducks and chickens at night and my dog sleeps outside to prevent coyotes and other predators from getting to them at night. There isn't to much more I can do. **** snake. I hope he doesn't come back to try again.

 

[bugflipper]

Generally if you have snakes they followed the smell of rodents to want to get there. Set up some bait stations for rats and kill the snake, problem solved. He's not leaving as long as there is food around. I had a bad infestation of tunneling rats many years ago. Found a copperhead stuck in a cage with my baby ducks. Had eaten one duckling and killed 2 geese. The wire prevented his escape with the duckling inside of him. Easy fix. Shotgun got him. The next day a huge black snake was in my Japanese bantam nest and the hen was going nuts. He already had 2 eggs down. Again a shotgun cured the problem. Saw another running away into the field and he went under a piece of tin. Lifted it up and there were all kinds of snakes. Ran out of ammo, came back with more and finished off many more. I went directly to the farmer's co-op and bought a 5 lb pail of rat poison blocks using it all. Over the next week I bet I picked up 50 dead rats. No telling how many more died in the burrows. I had only seen 1 or 2 rats before this, but was told if snakes were a problem that rats were the culprit. Now I just leave those poison blocks in bait stations and haven't had an issue with rats or snakes in 15 years or more.

 

[Shellymae1970]

with the tunneling rats they must be an issue here because I am having a few issues with them and never had them in South Alabama....I have a cat that is very dear to me that also loves to mouse so I was looking for an alternative to the poison....I was scared something would eat mouse once it died and then would get sick.....I found this rat trap on youtube.....it is freaking amazing to say the least.....

 

[bugflipper]

Great idea not poisoning with a cat around or anyone with dogs for that matter. I read the comments on that fellas youtube and made one similar with the suggestions. Just a 5 gallon bucket. A piece of wire instead of pvc pipe. A soup can with both ends removed instead of coffee can. Added a bit of dish soap to the water to break the surface tension. Can't say for rats but had it out for 10 minutes or so and a squirrel fell in it. He was in it long enough for me to walk over and tilt it over for him to go streaking out of it. I had a 2x4 at about a 45 degree angle for it to crawl up. When he got to the edge he jumped to the can and gave a squeal when he hit the cold water. I felt bad for a minute but he eats quite a bit of feed so I guess he earned his worth finally. I'll set it in the tractor shed and see if there's any luck.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I love those 5 gallon bucket traps. I did have a mishap yesterday though.
I have some stiff rods and empty water bottles smeared with peanut butter. I checked it in the morning and had 3 mice. A little while later there was a dead chicken in it. I have 4 week old pullets. One got out of the brooder and apparently jumped on the bucket and drown. Bummer.