Duck killed (graphic photo)

[RJKnott]

Lost a duck to a predator last night. My first duck Peep found her still inside the pen and can not find any entry ways in and found no tracks but her stomach and all her innards were devoured.

No gaps in the hardware cloth, no holes dug in, and didn’t find any tracks in the mud near the body. Her head was still on but her insides were gone. Thought in what could get in without a trace and leave a duck like this? North Alabama area

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

The only time I have had a predator go straight for the stomach it was a cat. Do you have pictures of your pen? Maybe we can spot something that would give us a clue. The cat attacks I have seen were launched from trees above runs and there was no trace of the cat (mountain lion) in the actual run except a flattened chicken it accidentally stepped on. I did find tracks outside the run. The other cat attacks were stray/feral cats and happened in broad daylight while the birds were free-ranging. Are there other birds besides ducks in that pen? Is it possible she died and was later eaten by something like a rat?

 

[RJKnott]

pen is fully enclosed and the top is covered. I’m going to go out this afternoon and go over the pen in detail to see if I missed anything this morning.

The pen is about 900 sq feet. All covered In Hardware cloth and fencing buried and skirted out along the bottom to deter diggers. And the top is covered in fencing to keep birds and critters out. We had some rain lately so the pen is quite muddy at the moment so no tracks was puzzling to me.

Hopefully I find something this afternoon and can plug any holes in the fencing. Will update with anything I find.

We do have a feral cat in the area but she has never bothered with the duck pen and if anything hunts the mice in the yard. It could have been a rat found her and ate her. But haven’t seen any near the pen. Will take a better look today after work for signs

 

[nuthatched]

Coons always go for the soft parts, maybe weasel.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

We do have a feral cat in the area but she has never bothered with the duck pen and if anything hunts the mice in the yard

This is what happened to me basically. I had lazy barn cat and a feral cat who mostly went after rodents. At some point she decided the chickens were good dinners but she only did it when they were free-ranging and would go after one that was separated from the flock. She wasn’t breaking into the coop or anything

 

[RJKnott]

Think I found where whatever it was got in.

About 4 feet up the side of the pen there is a tear in the fencing in one area big enough for a cat or small raccoon to get into. And from there a few steps through some, at the moment thanks to rain, watery mud to the area the ducks sleep at night.

Will patch it up after work and pick up a camera to set up there tonight

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Keep us posted!

 

[McChooky]

No domestic cat did that.They might eat 2 or 3 ounces in one meal. Whatever it was gnawed all the meat off the bone.Coon?

 

[McChooky]

Think I found where whatever it was got in.

About 4 feet up the side of the pen there is a tear in the fencing in one area big enough for a cat or small raccoon to get into. And from there a few steps through some, at the moment thanks to rain, watery mud to the area the ducks sleep at night.

Will patch it up after work and pick up a camera to set up there tonight

I thought it was covered in hardware cloth on the sides? It would take a strong predator to tear hardware cloth on the sides.Did it gets in thru the top?

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

No domestic cat did that.They might eat 2 or 3 ounces in one meal. Whatever it was gnawed all the meat off the bone.Coon?

I thwarted a raccoon attack once and the raccoon was going after the chicken’s neck/head. I got the raccoon off the chicken and that is where her feathers were removed and slightly moistened. With my feral cat deaths (this was in the city) the chickens feathers were removed from below the breast. I never witnessed the cat doing this but she used to kill squirrels and leave their pelts lying around. I doubt a domestic cat did this (although I wouldn’t put it past them) but I was thinking more along the lines of a bobcat. I have read they will drag the remains off to bury though so if the cat could fit in I imagine the duck could fit out.