Not having the best of day so far,
Every night I have made it a ritual to lock up all my birds into their enclosures, being extremely tired I didn't have time for the antics of the ducks who were playing ring around the duck hut last night, in the rain. So I figured meh, I will try again later and lock them up before I go to bed.... Well I fell asleep on the couch, and crawled into bed later on, forgetting about the still wondering around ducks.....Well I am just sick to my stomach today...
Lost three duck hens overnight. Two of which were sitting on eggs due to hatch in a few days. Not sure if it was an owl attack or a fox or both! I went to go do my morning chores and found one hen in very rough shape, she passed away in isolation. Found another hen, head gone, and inside cavity eating from the neck hole, typical of an owl. But here is the hardest thing to understand and figure out...... 25+ Duck eggs, and an entire duck hen all missing. No signs of any broken eggs, no shells and no evidence of foot prints or a struggle inside the duck hut, outside it or anywhere in the compound. It is like as if something picked up all the eggs and carried them off. I have searched high and low, no signs of forced entry, no signs of the missing duck and no signs of a predator tracts on the outside perimeter. What ever did this, had the entire night to carry out it's attack. The same thing also attacked my group of Orpingtons!! Tore out most of Hobbit's tail feathers, through the wire, and attacked my Light Sussex rooster and his hens. My LS roo is missing almost all his tail feathers. What ever this was that attacked last night, got through my perimeter fence, attacked birds inside one compound, and into our inner compound and completely destroyed my entire flock of ducks and eggs.
I have been outside numerous times today trying to piece it all back together, but things are not adding up.
Every night I have made it a ritual to lock up all my birds into their enclosures, being extremely tired I didn't have time for the antics of the ducks who were playing ring around the duck hut last night, in the rain. So I figured meh, I will try again later and lock them up before I go to bed.... Well I fell asleep on the couch, and crawled into bed later on, forgetting about the still wondering around ducks.....Well I am just sick to my stomach today...
Lost three duck hens overnight. Two of which were sitting on eggs due to hatch in a few days. Not sure if it was an owl attack or a fox or both! I went to go do my morning chores and found one hen in very rough shape, she passed away in isolation. Found another hen, head gone, and inside cavity eating from the neck hole, typical of an owl. But here is the hardest thing to understand and figure out...... 25+ Duck eggs, and an entire duck hen all missing. No signs of any broken eggs, no shells and no evidence of foot prints or a struggle inside the duck hut, outside it or anywhere in the compound. It is like as if something picked up all the eggs and carried them off. I have searched high and low, no signs of forced entry, no signs of the missing duck and no signs of a predator tracts on the outside perimeter. What ever did this, had the entire night to carry out it's attack. The same thing also attacked my group of Orpingtons!! Tore out most of Hobbit's tail feathers, through the wire, and attacked my Light Sussex rooster and his hens. My LS roo is missing almost all his tail feathers. What ever this was that attacked last night, got through my perimeter fence, attacked birds inside one compound, and into our inner compound and completely destroyed my entire flock of ducks and eggs.
I have been outside numerous times today trying to piece it all back together, but things are not adding up.
