[whitby_sam]

I let my Goslings and Ducklings free range for the first time today thinking that they're not big enough to fend off attacks from crows (which I think took some younger ducklings and goslings). I went out to the shops and came back to find a gosling with a totally missing head. No damage to wings, legs, neck or body, simply a missing head! The same has happened to 3 ducklings and 2 Goslings previously. I solved the problem by covering their run with bird netting assuming that it was done by crows. I can't understand why any wild animal hunting for food would eat only the head. There is absolutely no trace of it, no beak, no bones, it's all gone!

What is killing my stock and how can I stop it?

I now think it could be a cat but it'd have to be a brave one to take on a goose. They're not fully grown yet but they're still big heavy birds...

[doganjo]

I think you'll have to make sure they are totally enclosed until they are really too big for anything other than a fox to take.  Even then you'll still lose them if there is a fox near you.  Look what happened to those babies.  Time all foxes were shot on sight

[whitby_sam]

Their run is totally bare, I try to give them a bag full of fresh cut grass every day, I've re-turfed twice. If they don't go out they'll be hungry. My field's been too wet to cut since sunday! They HAVE to go out for their own good...

[egbert]

My MIL once lost a goose because it stuck its head through a gap in its run and snapped at the dog - which snapped back and took its head off.

Could yours be sticking their heads out anywhere?

[jameslindsay]

Sorry to hear that, I have 5 geese, 2 of which are only 8 weeks old and all free range. Sounds like the fox got your gosling. I found a baby rabbit the other day exactly the same way you just described. Hope the others keep safe. The fox has in the past taken 3 of my Roman geese and they are big buggers.

[Roxy]

Only thing I can think of taking the head off anything is a fox.  The young ones are out all day round here, and they are as bold as brass.

One of our ganders managed to stick his neck out of the shed one night, near the door, and he must have been arguing with a fox, cause it killed him.

[whitby_sam]

Funnily enough I've just had a chat with the guy at my local gun shop and he said its definitely a fox! I've had enough! I've lost hundreds of £££s worth of stock and its not even bloody eaten them! I'm livid!

[Newby]

Crows regularily take the heads off young animals, I snare a lot of rabbits professionally and crows can be a real nusiance in the spring and summer when you are catching young rabbits. They just take the heads and leave the bodys.
Another time I was trapping mink on a small day ticket fishery, and I was stopped by an old lady who walks her dogs round and feeds the ducks, she wanted me to do something about the crows which were slowley but surely working there way through all the different clutches of ducklings on the lake, swooping down and killing them one by one.

[fizzgigg]

sorry bout that stoats, weasels and ferrets are fond of eating the head it happened 2 my duckings a few years ago and i trapped a ferret under the shed (still got the the little bugger) set some traps, cage traps are best i find but if you think its a fox then id jus build a small enclosed grass run which u could move around hope that helps

[whitby_sam]

I want them to free range... I don't want to keep them confined to a run. 12 bore time I think be it Crows, a fox or anything else

[bevsmith]

Good luck with the gun,we have been sittin around for weeks waitin for the orange vermin,as has been said cubs are up and out now so all our attacks are in the daytime,just as we have dissappeared for a while,they are not called crafty and sly for no reason,all our girls are shut up at the mo [ well the ones we have left ]

[whitby_sam]

If I thought I'd have to keep them cooped up in a run and not be able to let them free range then I wouldn't have got them in the first place. I'm pretty disheartened at the moment, the chickens are either laying elsewhere or are totally off lay and I'm losing ducklings and Goslings at an alarming rate.

Why would a wild animal killing for food only take the head? It wouldn't be SO bad if they were actually eating them. Still wouldn't be happy but this seems such a waste!

[shetlandpaul]

defenitly crows they love young goslings. you will need to protect them untill they re full fledged.

[whitby_sam]

I've been told that the people a couple of doors down actually feed the foxes! Ridiculous! There should be a law against it. Maybe I should start leaving out food to attract rats to their house!

[jameslindsay]

I've been told that the people a couple of doors down actually feed the foxes! Ridiculous! There should be a law against it. Maybe I should start leaving out food to attract rats to their house!

I think this is a massive problem around the country.