[jameslindsay]

One of my girls(kakhi campbell)  has gone missing. They were all out on the river from early this morning and now I have them all back on land except 1! I have been to the other side of the river and away down the embankment and there is no sign of her. I will keep looking.

[doganjo]

Do you have foxes around, James?  They do strike in daylight too.

[jameslindsay]

We do have a fox according to locals. I have looked everywhere I can and there is no trace of her. There was a group of swans and mallards there this morning so perhaps she has took off with them. There are no signs of feathers etc anywhere along the river bank which is a good sign, I hope.

[JD]

Hope she turns up soon James.
JD

[jameslindsay]

Thanks, still no sign of her. I really wish I knew what had happened to her. This has never happened to me before but when I made the decision to allow them total free range, and access to  the river,  I knew there was always the chance that something like this could happen. The other 2 left in her group are a bit "strange" without her.

[The Chicken Lady]

One of my ducks has spent an occasional night out. They go down to the brook to swim and I am sure that she lays eggs down there somewhere. I can tell when she is going to do that as she runs out of the cote in the morning like she has been fired out of a cannon! The drake then comes back alittle while later and stands waiting for her to come back all day. I usually shut them up earlier as she will come back for food in the evening but will disappear again if I do not shut them up. I once spent hours looking for her and could not find her but she was waiting for me at 7 am for food and then went off again.  Hope your duck comes back soon. I spent all night worrying about mine. 

[jameslindsay]

Thanks, I am now a hen missing so total PANIC here now.

[jameslindsay]

We have now searched high and low and are now missing 1 duck and 1 hen. There is not even sign of any feathers left lying around and all the other animals seem calm and normal so no sign of them having been spooked. I am so at a loss as this has not happened before and really don't know what to do for the best.

Tomorrow I will keep the ducks in their enclosure which they will not be amused with but needs must. The hens I could put in with the pygmy goats but they are now not used to being confined to such an area. What a god awful day.

[sandy]

I hope someone is not taking them, there could even be a dog around..hope you find them it must be very upsetting but they have a good free life with you they WILL come back and if something has eaten them, they at least had a nice life.

[harry]

i dont want to worry but warn you... i lost 5 gosslings not a feather anywhere,,,, got some more and lost them this time heads everywhere... a fox

[sandy]

My daughter also had her ducks and a chicken taken, no sign of duck feathers, they must take them away to eat!!!!

[jameslindsay]

Came out this morning half hoping/expecting to find the chook running about and the duck looking for her friends but nothing. What a shame, I now feel as though I did something wrong and it's my fault.

[harry]

what you did is to give these birds a near natural life with room to swim and wander. the only way to stop what happened is to pen them in with electric fences. but the ducks are far fitter and healthier swimming in running water......... i have a stream on my land i have used builders fenceing panels all along the stream about 18" into the water from the bank, they can swim but no fox access now but you also have to secure all the land with electric fence....i lost mine when i left the electric fence off.... all i can say is if this is your first lost it wont be your last, thats poultry keeping......... harry

[sandy]

Just Nature,  you are a fast food outlet for Mr Fox, see it from his point of view, anyway, they may well have gone off, especialy the duck as if they can roam they at least will have been able to fly away!!! Go and have a milky coffee, I've just had 3 cups of tea

[hexhammeasure]

This is fox time, The vixens are looking to feed their young and will take more chances than they usually would. It doesn't really help being more vigilent anyway as the alternative is to shoot the vixen and thus starving her cubs which I wouldn't really want to do. That was one of the things that the local hunt was always insistent on - No hunting while the vixens were rearing pups. Nowadays we lose more hens and ducks AND vixens get shot anytime.

PS I am Neither PRO nor ANTI hunt