[little blue]

o/h came in today saying "bring a bag, or a box. Your drake is a murderer!"

I thought he meant that the drake had drowned one of his girls, randy little devils that they are.

put my wellies on and went out with a black bag to find ....

... an enormous bloated rat floating in the duck pond! (bath)

its at least the second time we've found a dead rat in their bath - o/h says he saw the drake actually holding this one down under the water!

so they've all  had extra corn as a treat, well done boy, that's another b**ger gone! 

[robert waddell]

must be some drake to hold a rat down to drown they have some strength when there life is expiring

[ellisr]

oooh I was thinking of getting cats to help around the farm maybe I'm wrong and should get ducks instead

[doganjo]

Can I borrow him  - my Jack just stands there and watches them run in steal their food, then run up the tree.  I don't think my girls notice.  How did he get the rat into the water? 

[northfifeduckling]

oh, I was worried when I started to read this post - we had a pond casualty in the summer (sadly not a rat!), suspecting the tandem of boys. I was so cross, one is now spending the rest of his life in an enclosure with monkeys, he was lucky I did not murder him but the punishment is greater this way 

[little blue]

I know what you mean NFD, I constantly worry about one of our girls being drowned by her over-amorous fella... she waits til after they've been in the pond (bath!) befor she'll go in.
  I didn't know you had monkeys?!

We have 4 cats, they are good ratters too.  the bloomin' rats have a run I think under the ducks' bath where it can drain. Found that they've chewed a hole in the chicken shed wall, in a really awkward place. Hope that was the rat the duck caught!

[northfifeduckling]

  I didn't know you had monkeys?!

  we don't, a nearby animal park does 


if there is so much evidence of the buggers now, what will it be like in the winter for you??? 

[Penninehillbilly]

I wonder if his offspring will inherit the killer trait?  that would be an interesting marketing ploy for the eggs

[little blue]

if there is so much evidence of the buggers now, what will it be like in the winter for you??? 

we're kind of used to it - the bloomin' cats will bring rats, mice and shrews home from the factory & mill behind us, if they don't catch them at home!!
  we have traps, poisons, and big sticks as well as the cats & ducks... and sometimes borrow next doors' JRT!

[Dizzycow]

Oooh. There are two dead mice in our little pond, I wonder.....?!

[little blue]