RainForestBird
Songster
- Jul 12, 2016
- 289
- 287
- 152
Has anyone experienced the type of vandalism where your animals are let out of their yard, whether its an angry neighbor or group? My 5 Ancona ducks were let out of their yard late last night while it was snowing. They disappeared without a trace. No footprints or feathers. The gates to the yard were closed when I checked them. I saw them at 1 am but they had vanished by 7 am when I went out to feed. I have big dogs, so do the neighbors. They were quiet most of the night. The neighbors saw nothing. I have searched everywhere for them, but there is no where they can hide, except for their house which is empty. There were 3 drakes and 2 hens. I also lost a rooster. I have a feeling it happened in the morning because I found a hen that was perfectly dry outside of her coop. The coop was shut at night time. The ducks free range and normally are in their house by dark, but last night they wouldn't go in. I have females housed separately due to molting, and they would not leave the females side, they all congregate there and talk through the wire. I drove around looking for them, but its snowing out, and I see them nowhere. These are big ducks, they do not fly and there was no sign of predators. I have seen a duck attacked before, there is evidence. If it was a predator, it could not have taken 5 at once. I have never seen any evidence of raccoons here. Only hawks and falcons that could not carry off a large duck. I suspect that because I saw no footprints that someone stood outside the gate and let them out, and they left quietly to explore and forage. They have eaten most of the vegetation in my yard, but there are plenty of grasses on the other side of the gate. I know of a pheasant farmer whose birds were let out of their enclosures by an animal rights group. The birds were killed by predators. My yard is well protected--from animal predators not humans. If a human wanted to cause them harm, or let them free, it would be easy. What recourse would you have if there are no footprints? The pheasant farmer knew who did it because they claimed responsibility. I wonder if whoever did it was worried about the birds because of the snow, not knowing that they have access to shelter and warmth. How can anyone think that freeing a domestic animal in the middle of a snow storm where they can be attacked by predators is a good thing? I just want them back safe and sound, but I have a feeling that is not going to happen. Either its a neighbor who doesn't like animals, or an uninformed group who thinks domestic animals will benefit from freedom in the wild.
