[Brijjy]

My lovely black and white muscovy hatched out 11 bonny babies two days ago. Today she brought them out of the nest to have a wander. She also had her older babie who was being a brilliant big sister to the new babies.
Now my house and field are next to a single track, no through road and my poultry can get on the road via the stream. I went shopping today after seeing that all the poultry was happy in the sunshine.
 As I drove back down the lane after shopping I saw to my horror the big sister duck dead on the lane. In a bit of a panic me and the kids went to look for mum and babies.
 My daughter found one duckling in the field running around in terror so they picked it up and we popped it under the lamp and went to look for the rest.
 My other daughter found the mum dead in the stream and no sign of any more babies. We looked in our neighbours field and found one dead baby but nothing else. The mum and sister look like they have been hit by a car as there are no bite marks but they feel as if they have been hit.
How on earth can someone not have seen this little gang of ducks to hit them? And then when they have hit one they left it in the road? I think the mum was badly injured but managed to crawl into the hedge by the stream. I think the babies scattered in panic. They were hit on a straight bit of lane with lots of line of sight from either direction. I am so upset as this is the second time in 6 weeks that someone has run over my poultry. I know I should fence them in but it is really difficult to fence across a stream. Sorry to ramble on but I am so upset. I honestly think someone did it on purpose as the one duck was left in the road as a kind of eff you gesture. 

[Beewyched]

OMG - that's so awful for you    How can some folk be so evil 
I don't really know what to say, but 

[Brijjy]

Thanks Beewyched. The one duckling left is now cwtched up to one of my daughters teddies and listening to the radio. I really was hoping to find at least one more baby to keep it company. I know it's silly to cry over a duck and it's not like I've never lost any to foxes but this is different. I hate that someone I probably know could do this to one of my animals. Not long after we moved here (5 years ago) I put a sign at the end of the lane asking people to slow down as my kids were playing on their bikes on the road. It was politely worded but someone pulled the sign up and I got a nasty little anonymous note through the door saying that basically I had no right to put signs up and that person would drive as fast as they liked as there is no speed limit down the lane. I quizzed all my neighbours but obviously no-one fessed up. Things like this just make me want to move to the absolute middle of nowhere.

[Mammyshaz]

It really is unnecessary for people to act in this way 

So sorry this happened, 

Hopefully the other babies are in hiding and come out tomorrow for you 

[jaykay]

Oh no  I hope some of the other babies were hiding and you find them tomorrow 

[Beewyched]

I don't think it's silly at all 
It's not the same as losing them to a fox (though that's distressing enough in itself) - in some way it's natural.  But to know that another human being has intentionally done it is just sickening 

[clydesdaleclopper]

That is really awful. I hate how some people can be so heartless.

[jaykay]

Don't even get me started on idiots who drive faster than their brains work 
 I've lost three young cats, umpteen chickens and some f%^#$Ąt managed to hit two of my neighbours' sheep. If I had a shotgun I'd have done some killing of my own   

They seem to think they're entitled to drive as they please, and it's everyone else's job to accommodate this or perish. I'd like to know where that right is enshrined. They hassle newbie and elderly drivers, horses, cyclists, mums with pushchairs and so on, for the same reasons.

And what are they going to do with the 5 minutes they save? Watch Big Brother on TV whilst downing rot-gut from a tin probably 

[doganjo]

People can be dreadful - if you can sell, move, if you are renting find somewhere else to rent.  I know that's a simplification, and it's easier said than done, but there's only so much you can take.  I'm so sorry.  I hope you find more babies although they were too young to be able to fend for themselves.

[in the hills]

 


Postie? Delivery van? .... Someone who assumed they would move faster than they did?
I don't know who could run over them deliberately 


Bet your children were really upset too ...... give them a cwtch 

[Brijjy]

My kids were upset but they have adopted the lonely duckling. I don't think it was the postie as he is usually very considerate. I suppose it could have been a different one. It was just the callous way the one duck was left in the road that makes me think it's someone who knows me. They probably don't like the noise my chooks make but don't have the guts to tell me to my face. Gods, I am full of conspiracy theories. It's enough to make someone paranoid.

[Hermit]

To stop any future ducks getting on the road you can fence across a stream by creating a hanging gate . Just put a plank between the base of the  two fence posts either side of the stream and hang a barricade of whatever suits your stream best from the plank. Sometimes you see planks hanging down on hinges so they move with the water but stay on the surface , sometimes a more solid 'port cullis ' type  affair. They do work. Hope the culprit gets what they deserve but dont get your self stressed blaming who you think may have done it, it could have been anyone .

[jaykay]

am full of conspiracy theories. It's enough to make someone paranoid.

I know 

But since you don't know, and you could make yourself very miserable that way, better to think that it was a total accident from someone who didn't know the road or you, that they realised they'd hit a duck but assumed it was a wild one, which is why they didn't stop

Though worrying about how thick and dozy some drivers are, it's just as likely to be true and far less misery-making.

I hope some of those other little guys appear in the morning 

[Roxy]

So sorry this has happened.  It must have been terrible to come across such a scene.  We are on a single track road, but people use it as a rat run, and think they can drive at manic speed.

[robbiegrant]

I'm Gutted for you too Brijjy.... Gutted......