what preditor did it???Pekin Duck Tragedy.

[feather and mountain man]

We had a breeding pair of Pekin Ducks. Momma had a clutch of eggs and something found the nest taking eggs and baby ducks.

After all eggs were gone the preditor killed the momma duck.

It ate almost half of her and left the rest of her in the pen. It struck at night. The mail duck was unharmed.

I have left her body in the pen and put the mail duck an a large rabbit cage for the night. I was not sure what to do. These ducks belong to my 11yr old son who is devistated.

We were able to save one baby duck and it is living in the house and is a week and a half old and doing great.

Anyone have any ideas what would do this. we are thinking fox??? or weasel. The eggshells were only broken open on one end and emptied. That is why we thought it was a weasel at first. We live on the edge of the Hoosier National Forest and have many preditory animals near by.

Any thoughts are welcomed. On what it was or what we can do.

 

[Ole and Lena]

My guess is Raccoon, skunk or opossum in that order. Feral dog is another possibility. Fox or yote would've taken her away to eat. Mink would have eaten less, usually the head or brain first.

 

[feather and mountain man]

It may have been interupted by our dogs. She was found in the corner of the pen were I found the entry point. I saw no footprints or hair on the wire fence to give me a clue to what it was.

 

[feather and mountain man]

Well the traps are set and my pistols are close at hand. I hope it returns tonight.

 

[downeastthunderfarm]

I am SO sorry to hear about your ducks.

We have four three week old ducks and I would be very interested to know what type of pen you had them in.

 

[sheila3935]

Im so sorry. I lost a chicken today to the heat. I am not sure what animal did this but I agree probably raccoon or possum. Yes it will be back and

you get the nasty critter. I know they are only doing what is in their nature and to feed themselves, but in my opinoin they can do it somewhere else and leave my animals alone.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

A fox killed two of my male Pekin ducks, did not carry them away...was eating at the kill site when I saw it.

This after daybreak. Never had a racoon kill any of my ducks...not to say it couldn't happen but have had lots of racoons that went after my chickens but never my ducks.

So sorry for your loss. I hope you catch and get rid of whatever it was. I had three female ducks that I wound up selling after that...both males died trying to protect one of them, and she made it to the pond. Just no longer safe for them now even with the geese around. Ducks cannot run very fast.

Shoot it if it is a fox and you are able to! Foxes are not as easy to catch in a trap as are racoons and possums.

 

[jimmythechicken]

i dont know i would guess racoon or fox aswell skunks would just eat the eggs most of the time.could have been a momma racoon with little ones to help out.hope you catch them in your trap.

 

[feather and mountain man]

Well the next morning all the traps were sprung and the other half of the duck was eaten. Just bones left. Only partial tracks left and I know it is not a coon or possum. It might be a bobcat or fox. One of the traps had blood on it but no animal was in the trap.

Our pen is a woven wire fence with 1/4 inch chicken wire lined snuggly around it. It is 4ft high. However a small whole of 6x6 was punched though the back of the pen by a down tree earlier this summer which is where I saw a trail of feathers lead through it. No animal hair or blood left behind. I have the mail pekin duck closed up in the rabbit hutch poor fella. I have to spray him off a couple times a day and he is not happy without his pool.

The thing is I have 18 chickens in an ajoining pen and they are undisturbed. They go in the chicken house at night but are not closed in. So I would have thought they would have been the first to be taken. Not sure how to stop the attacks I am going to repair the fence today bait the traps and try again. i am afraid we are dealing with something larger than my traps can handle. I can't find any larger traps at the store.

Box trap was avoided all together. I am at a loss of what else to do. Not ruling out coons, foxes, bobcat, or ferrel / coy dogs. My mini esckies want nothing to do with whatever is getting in the pen. They will not bark at it anymore. I have noticed a lack of rabbits and squirrels the last few weeks. My son thought he saw a baby fox last week. I am so frustrated.

 

[angel4tlbl]

One of my Pekins and an Isa Brown hen were taken Saturday morning. I can't even tell you have mug I miss them. Now I have a lonely male pekin and 2 isa brown hens in separate cages (chickens in the same cage and duck in different). We think it was a fox because it left no trace but feathers and there is a hole under the fence that the fox could've dug. Our neighbor hood is right up against a middle school, and my neighbor's house has a big pile of wood and debris. Is it possible the animal is living under the pile of debris? Some one help because I CANNOT loose another pet. My pets are everything to me so please answer. Also, what kind of animal do you think it is?

the one on the left was the one who was killed