something attacked my ducks!

[Chloe]

Grrr... I came home yesterday afternoon to find feathers everywhere, luckily both of my ducks were standing in the coop, where they NEVER are unless I chase them in, so Im pretty sure something has tried to get them, I think it was most likely a cat but maybe a fox, question is, will it keep coming back now that it knows where they are? I think the dogs barking maybe scared it off

 

[Birdcrazy]

Foxes are pretty smart so you'd think if a fox had a chance at them, he'd get one? Probably a dog... and yeah, I'd be on the look from now on for the predator

 

[desertdarlene]

Yes, whatever it was will probably be back until they realize that they can't get your ducks. I would keep them extra protected for a while.

 

[maggiemmm]

Get a live trap and set it. In the last week...I have live trapped 5 skunks and a cat - thought it was feral but it had managed to get 10 miles from home. Animal control called the owners... Set the trap. Make sure your ducks are safe without the trap but live trap whatever is going to come back - it will .... until it is successful. Foxes if they have pups will hunt easy prey during the day.. neighbors dogs cats the biggest problem. Like I posted on my FB page - if someone cannot properly take care of animals they should not have them. When I returned the cat to its owner I stressed that my 3 cats are all INDOOR cats so they will not be a pest to others. SHEESH! Anyway, - animal control will usually let you borrow a live trap. We bought 4 all different sizes... well worth the expenditure.

I have learned my lesson.

 

[Chloe]

oh it is soo annoying! they love to roam about my garden during the day too

unfortunately as I live in ireland im not sure that animal traps are legal, and the way my garden is set up if there was anything there it would hear me coming and be gone by the time i got there! lose lose situation

 

[GrandmaAnn]

Do you happen to have the Havahart Live Traps? They work really well. The animal is not injured if you catch something in it. Then, you can take them far, far away - it has to be something way out of their range, and let them out. Do you have a government official you can check with and see what your legal option are? If you do set a trap, bait it with cat food. That will get a wide variety of animals. Otherwise, your only option is to lock up all your birds very securely whenever you are not home and at night.

 

[AngieChick]

Can you do electric fencing? It might be a good long term solution.

I had a raccoon snitch a duck at sunset, you know how ducks like to stay out until it's quite dark. Anyway, we have so many raccoons here (and other predators) that I could put out traps day and night and there would still be more. Trapping just wasn't a good long term solution for us.

The fencing was easy to put up and stopped the raccoons - and everything else - in their tracks. We have not had an issue since. It's a low voltage with a wire about 18" off the ground and another wire up high, at the top of my deer fencing. They are cheap to run and last a very long time.

 

[Indy acres]

We had that happen when our chickens and ducks were just about two months old it got our two big meat chickens, two of our other chickens and one duck. The animal just tore their heads off and left them lay we were told it probably was a racoon or weasel, now we have a live trap and then we have a camera set up trying to see what was getting them and ever since we put the camera up nothing has showed up, I guess it is camera shy lol.

 

[maggiemmm]

I will bet it was a weasel/minks... they are killing machines,,, just kill everything and then go back I know I sound like a horrible person but I have had it with weasels. I drown them all..... 7 weasels/minks all dead and they just keep coming. There was a mink farm not far away that PETA released all the animals... nothing but havoc for the farm animals ... I understand their concerns but not their methods. minks & weasels just kill for killing ...... so next time you call a POLITICIAN a Weasel ..... HA! HA! HA! HA! You are setting him ABOVE the rest as an A**&^%& HA! HA! HA!