What killed my duck? (Warning: GRAPHIC pic)

[PeanutButterQuackers]

No tracks in the snow
Nothing dug in
This happened when darkness was just beginning to fall
The kill happened in the duck run and was (relatively) clean

We're keeping the ducks in the pen 24/7 until we take measures to prevent this happening again. I got poultry netting to put on top of the run and plan to hang pie tins from it to dissuade avian attacks, which I believe this was.

I'm in WNY.

 

[aart]

dissuade avian attacks, which I believe this was.

Yep....Owl or Hawk, had time to eat a lot.
Good luck with netting and snow.

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Yep....Owl or Hawk, had time to eat a lot.
Good luck with netting and snow.

Yup agree

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I agree with aart & Butterscotchbitesf. Definitely an avian predator. Owls are especially good at picking the body clean like was done in this instance. Now your owl puts on its best Arnold Schwarzenegger accent and says, "I'll be right back!"

 

[Ducksandchickens]

Looks like a hawk or owl to me. I’ve lost birds to hawks before they suck! Our hawk that we dubbed “HAWKMAN” that lives around our house is seriously the biggest hawk I’ve EVER seen and I see lots of hawks. Sometimes you think of hawks as smaller birds of pray but HAWKMAN is a fricking pterodactyl!
It’s gigantic and I’ve seen it swoop down and eat some of our giant barn cats and coons. With that monster aroujf I don’t let my ducks free range unless I’m watching them very closely. The chickens have netting and have been safe from HAWKMAN ever since we put the netting up.

Sorry for your loss

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

Looks like a hawk or owl to me. I’ve lost birds to hawks before they suck! Our hawk that we dubbed “HAWKMAN” that lives around our house is seriously the biggest hawk I’ve EVER seen and I see lots of hawks. Sometimes you think of hawks as smaller birds of pray but HAWKMAN is a fricking pterodactyl!
It’s gigantic and I’ve seen it swoop down and eat some of our giant barn cats and coons. With that monster aroujf I don’t let my ducks free range unless I’m watching them very closely. The chickens have netting and have been safe from HAWKMAN ever since we put the netting up.

Sorry for your loss

How soft is there netting cause depending on how soft it is a hawk or eagle could bust through so you should cover it up with tough wire

 

[Ducksandchickens]

How soft is there netting cause depending on how soft it is a hawk or eagle could bust through so you should cover it up with tough wire

It is tough wire. Thx for looking after my flock!

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

That’s okay just read it on here and thought I would check if your flock were safe

 

[Butterscotchbitesfinger]

I have lost 1 hen and 10 babies all in one go to a eagle

 

[PeanutButterQuackers]

We are putting up poultry netting as a deterrent. We plan to hang pie tins from it. Can Hawks tell if netting is burstable or not? This stuff would definitely break if they tried it.

We have some deer fencing we can move to the top too (we're getting hardware cloth tomorrow to wrap the run).