What Could This Predator Be?

[HannahL]

I live in Massachusetts and recently something killed all four of my neighbors ducks. It didn't leave any trace except for some areas of blood. No feathers or anything. I have two hens, a Buff Brahma and a Buff Orpington. We have had hens before that have been killed by dogs, coyotes, accidents, and every time my heart breaks. My hens are extremely tame and are like my children. My neighbors duck coop is directly next to my chicken coop so I am terrified that whatever it is will get my chickens. The ducks were either killed last night or during the day but we aren't sure. There was no screeching or quaking, they literally seemed to disappear without a trace, minus the blood. The ducks were most likely killed when they were in their pen, but whatever it was able to climb their fence. I live in a fairly rural part of Mass but it is very close to nearby cities and such. My birds are currently in a regular old wooden coop. Since it is winter and there are only two of them we have been putting them in a large dog crate inside of the coop to keep them warm. If anyone has any idea about what this was or how to protect my birds it would be incredibly appreciated.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Maybe a mink or weasel would be my best guess. Sorry for your neighbors' loss.

Yes they will be back. Coop should have nothing larger than a quarter to keep weasel out. Usually half inch hardware cloth. Also stops raccoons from reaching in and ripping heads off.

 

[HannahL]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

Maybe a mink or weasel would be my best guess. Sorry for your neighbors' loss.

Yes they will be back. Coop should have nothing larger than a quarter to keep weasel out. Usually half inch hardware cloth. Also stops raccoons from reaching in and ripping heads off.

Thank you so much for replying! Our coop is just a plain wooden coop. We use a black zip tie to keep the door closed. We have been keeping them out of their run since the incident. Would a mink or weasel be able to drag four ducks over a fence though? Aren't they fairly small animals in comparison to ducks?

 

[Alex#242]

Possibly a coon or mink. Make sure to lock your birds in the coop as soon as it gets dark. In Kentucky where I am it’s getting completely dark by around 6:30 so that’s when I lock my chickens up. Look for and gaps in your coop even if it’s only a couple inches I’d put hardware cloth over it. Also make sure nothings can squeeze underneath the fence. Your neighbors coops had to have a decent side hole somewhere for whatever it was to get all the ducks out of the coop

 

[HannahL]

Possibly a coon or mink. Make sure to lock your birds in the coop as soon as it gets dark. In Kentucky where I am it’s getting completely dark by around 6:30 so that’s when I lock my chickens up. Look for and gaps in your coop even if it’s only a couple inches I’d put hardware cloth over it. Also make sure nothings can squeeze underneath the fence. Your neighbors coops had to have a decent side hole somewhere for whatever it was to get all the ducks out of the coop

I'm in Massachusetts so it gets pretty cold out here. So we put our chickens in a large dog crate inside of the coop since it's just the two of them. Would that keep them safe if a mink were to ever get in? We are planning on putting hardware cloth over any gaps in the coop this weekend but until then would a dog crate keep them secure?

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Sorry for the circumstances. If you live in a rural/wooded area of Mass. it is possible that a fisher was the predator. Make sure that your coop is well secured. Whatever it may be, the predator will return.

 

[Welshies]

Do you have pictures of the damage? Any signs of tracks?
This is not a weasel attack. Weasels can decimate a flock in minutes, but they don't carry off every body. Maybe only one or two.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

until then would a dog crate keep them secure?

Not really unless it's got no openings larger than 1/2 inch. But you could always bring them inside in the crate until then.

I'm not familiar with fisher.

Or mink really. But I basically mean something in the mink family. You'r right, ducks are a bit bigger than my chickens.

I was just thinking something that stealthily bites the back of the neck and doesn't cause a commotion. Most raccoon incidents I have seen are messy with parts left behind.

Sometimes it's much harder to hear things than we realize.

Hope it get's resolved.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Do you have pictures of the damage? Any signs of tracks?
This is not a weasel attack. Weasels can decimate a flock in minutes, but they don't carry off every body. Maybe only one or two.

I was thinking that also. I think they stack the bodies... and come back for them later. So maybe between the time it happened and they were... well, not found.

 

[HannahL]

Not really unless it's got no openings larger than 1/2 inch. But you could always bring them inside in the crate until then.

I'm not familiar with fisher.

Or mink really. But I basically mean something in the mink family. You'r right, ducks are a bit bigger than my chickens.

I was just thinking something that stealthily bites the back of the neck and doesn't cause a commotion. Most raccoon incidents I have seen are messy with parts left behind.

Sometimes it's much harder to hear things than we realize.

Hope it get's resolved.

I think that we will definitely consider bringing them inside until we put the wire up. And I think that you are right that it was some sort of mink-like creature that could kill stealthily.