The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Kitchen Cottage on August 06, 2014, 09:18:15 am

Title: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: Kitchen Cottage on August 06, 2014, 09:18:15 am

 >:( Went to bed last night with 3 ducklings (10 days old).... got up this morning to none.  Gorn.  Disappearred.  They can squeeze in and out of a little bit of the duck house.... but haven't tended to, just have stayed with Mum's.  The Ducks are going mental apparently.

Cat or rat?  >:( >:(

Title: Re: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: Pundyburn Lynn on August 06, 2014, 02:07:50 pm

Or heron?

Title: Re: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: Kitchen Cottage on August 06, 2014, 02:19:14 pm

I don't have a deep pond nearby and they are in an enclosure with a tree overhanging :(  Poor little ducklings

Title: Re: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: mojocafa on August 06, 2014, 02:53:04 pm

I lost many ducklings last year to my neighbours cat.  Apparently that's nature.

 

Title: Re: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: Ideation on August 07, 2014, 02:53:04 pm

Rat.. . . . . . almost 100%

Ducklings are absolute rat magnets.

Title: Re: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: Anke on August 07, 2014, 03:47:59 pm

Rats

Title: Re: Missing Ducklings...
Post by: Dreich Pete on August 07, 2014, 03:49:23 pm

Our second wild brood was 12 strong 1 week ago, as of yesrpterday it was down to 3. This is what happened to the first brood and only one survived. I actually saw them climbing through the new chicken wire when they were small enough so some may have hot lost or into trouble. Our neighbours think that there may be a stoat nearby and that Jackdaws will take chicks when they're small.

Sadly I found a dead one on the wrong side of the chicken wire and as it hadn't been attacked it must've died of exhaustion while trying to get back through.