What took eggs AND duck????!!?!!!

[eventmerlin]

Ok so my mallard hen had her nest about 25 feet from my house in a wood pile. She has been sitting on it for at least 3 and a half weeks. Last night I go to see her and she and ALL 15 eggs of hers are gone!!! Not a feather or egg shell nearby as evidence they were killed/eatten. She only had one working leg so I feel that she wouldn't have been able to go far if the babies hatched.

Do hens eat thier egg shells after the babies hatch? that is the only idea I have that they may have all hatched and she left otherwise the only thing I can think of that got them was a human!

Anyone have any ideas???

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

My first thought was a human predator....hope you find her!!

I've never heard of any bird eating the shells after a hatch...my chickens sure don't...especially 15!

 

[eventmerlin]

Now my other mallard hen and her 15 eggs are gone!!!! Went out to check on her this morning and Same circumstances as the other hen!!! I am SOOOO mad!!! If this is a human predator I sure hope i never meet them...I'm totally fuming!

 

[Cloverleaf Farm]

ooooo, you need to go door to door!!! Or, go sneaking around and find them first, and then go knocking on the door..."have you seen my mallard hens? I'm offering a reward for their safe return...gee, I sure hope I don't have to get the police involved" or "Our mallard hens went missing, there are small children crying their eyes out, please let us know if you see them"....

Are they leg banded by chance? Find out what your local laws are, if they are considered livestock, I smell a hangman's noose...

 

[pringle]

They shouldent have been nesting outside anyways but maybe a raccon or fox took the mallard and took all the other eggs for storage later I would look around your property for sighns of digging and set a live trap.

 

[herfrds]

I lost a cross breed duck the same way. She nested right at the edge of the chicken house and would attack me when I tried to move her inside.
I'm guessing a coon or fox got her one night. She was about the same distance from my house too.

You have a food source so whatever it is will be back looking for more.
Hope you do not have anymore ducks nesting outside.

 

[Chickielady]

a racoon will take eggs and bury them around to eat later ?
really ?
And if a fox/racoon got these ducks and eggs, would not there be a terrific amount of feathers all over ?
some dogs got in my chicken run last year and killed a couple and there was feather all over kingdom come !
Sounds to me like a neighbor.
Who have you TOLD about your nesting mallards ?

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I'd take them inside otherwise they are just a "sitting duck" for any predators. Sounds like this could have been human or anmal pred. No way to really know.....sorry for your loss!

 

[pringle]

Maybe not bury but alot of wild animals store food so it would seem plausible it would do so so preditors dont leave feathers behind a fox can grab a ducks neck and its done not to much flapping also you could the feathers mixed up as a female duck will pull her own breast feathers for her nest.Im just saying never leave a duck even a mallard outside I learned that the hard way with 5 of mine going to the pond one night and not coming back.

 

[poultrypatch]

Sorry U lost the ducks and eggs....perhaps should not have been outside like "sitting ducks" ?? My theory has always been if you care about something then take care of it and keep it safe. Then U don't have to be upset when they're missing. Tough lesson to learn...tougher for the ducks. Neighbors across street had abt 24 Muscovies last fall, now have 6. Roamed all winter and fed the local predators. Sad.
Liz
MA