Predator mauled all my ducks, but didn’t kill them.

[tlcmurphy]

I agree with @Sic
If something moved cinder blocks in your coop and opened a dog crate, you’ve got a 2-legged predator. Perhaps one that then let their 4-legged friend “Play” with your ducks.
Can you put out a game camera?

 

[Toxicrye]

I agree with @Sic
If something moved cinder blocks in your coop and opened a dog crate, you’ve got a 2-legged predator. Perhaps one that then let their 4-legged friend “Play” with your ducks.
Can you put out a game camera?

That’s what I’m planning to do, I’ve been meaning to as well just never got around to it. Someone on the property has a security cam that points near my coupe, I asked but they said they don’t know the passwords to it.

 

[lintlicker]

Whole situation sounds very sketchy and suspicious. Keep an eye out for sure, be sure everything is buttoned up tight and if anything happens again where only humans could be the culprit...be ready and contact the police.

If by chance it is ONLY that rogue dog and you know who owns it I would be stopping by their house to have a discussion to keep their dog penned up and on their property. Next time it shows up and tries to kill your livestock I think there are other options for that, especially after speaking with the owner.

 

[lintlicker]

I am not sure how this site works exactly, but I wanted answers, or at least other people’s input. This morning something very bizarre happened and I can’t make sense of it. All four of my ducks are in their coupe all mauled but alive with one wound on their back, and or side. The reason it doesn’t make sense is because almost all predators I know kill on site, either eat immediately or drag off to be eaten. With this, our chicken wire fencing is stomped down(I put extra wires in place to prevent it from falling, I’ve even tested this with my own weight), the coupe door is set to the side open, and the cinder block removed. I also have wolf piss around the property that deters predators. (I live in a rural area, but not country country, there’s still neighbourhoods and buildings, just not cities.)

I have a drake with scoliosis that I keep separate in a metal dog crate in coupe due to his aggressive behavior lately but his cage door was also open. And I last I checked, no predator I know of has strong enough thumbs to open doors like that. Also given how stomped down the fencing is on both sides, you’d assume a big predator like a bear or human.(But we don’t have bears here.) This is where I’m so lost for words on what happened, our gunnies took off into the forest (they’re all alive and well), I still assumed a dog got ahold of them, and went into a prey drive/surplus killing minus the killing part, since I’ve seen that happen with dogs before, where they attack for play but don’t kill. And our neighbours do have some big ones that get out occasionally, but there are no tracks in the mud at all, just the fencing all flattened, doors opened, and ducks mauled. And the reason I can’t wrap my head around it being a coyote aside from the other obvious issues in that story, is because my duck with scoliosis is the slowest, he has mobility issues. And Coyotes grab prey by the neck instant kill, that duck would’ve been the first to go, so this wasn’t no “chasing issue, moving onto next bird” type thing in my opinion, or at least from what I can gather.

Spoilers for graphic images(?) I don’t know how to work this site, not sure if that’s a thing, sorry.

UPDATE: It’s 6:00am. I heard barking and something scratching at the wind tarp outside, I looked out my window seeing a tall figure and in a fit of panic I ran outside, as I opened the door I quickly shut it because I heard a man’s voice. And was pretty dumb of me to run out there without thinking.I got me máthair and we went outside to take a look, didn’t find a person but she chased off this really huge German shepherd. We went to check on the birds and we fixed the fence yesterday but now the part that was stomped down last time, is completely destroyed, it looks cut, ripped apart and one of the metal posts is bent. And where the dog was easily just leapt over the back fence without touching it. So now we know for a fact the damage was done by a dog, and maybe some sadistic sick person. I don’t know how to go about this or what to do.

get rid of the chicken wire if you can, grab welded wire wit ha strong gauge, maybe 2x4. Contact the police and share with them the pictures you took and details about the person and their dog.

 

[EvieChickenGirl]

The same thing happened to my chickens 2 years ago. They went to bed, safe and happy, and then the next morning they have ONLY 1 wound on either their breast, back, or side. The creature clearly tore down the chicken wire and weaseled its way into the coop. We didn't find any prints or stuff and we also assumed it was a dog because they were mauled. We watched the camera footage and saw that it was a skunk. A huge one though. It was terrible and I can relate to the pain you are feeling. It probably was a skunk or weasel. Dogs tend to be clumsy and not hide their tracks

 

[EvieChickenGirl]

Just awful, my sympathies. Looks to me, based on open gate, cinder block moved and opening dog crate door, you have a Two legged predator. Did you piss someone off recently? Because the motive appears to be malice.
BTW: I am retired LEO

It could be an oppusom...they tend to eat on site and then get full easily........but they aren't 2 legged

 

[Toxicrye]

Whole situation sounds very sketchy and suspicious. Keep an eye out for sure, be sure everything is buttoned up tight and if anything happens again where only humans could be the culprit...be ready and contact the police.

If by chance it is ONLY that rogue dog and you know who owns it I would be stopping by their house to have a discussion to keep their dog penned up and on their property. Next time it shows up and tries to kill your livestock I think there are other options for that, especially after speaking with the owner.

I definitely plan on securing it better, this was a temporary thing given we had recently moved; and couldn’t take my original duck coupe with me. On camera it’s a tan Husky and German shepherd, given the damage that was done and my property is purple posted, if they come back I’m simply going to shoot the dogs. This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with someone’s dog being let loose more so, not caring about my livestock dying from their dog.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I definitely plan on securing it better, this was a temporary thing given we had recently moved; and couldn’t take my original duck coupe with me. On camera it’s a tan Husky and German shepherd, given the damage that was done and my property is purple posted, if they come back I’m simply going to shoot the dogs. This isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with someone’s dog being let loose more so, not caring about my livestock dying from their dog.

Where I live you can call Animal Control and they will come and take the dogs and make the owners pay for the damages to your birds by paying vet bills for them. We have a leash law here and roaming animals are not allowed. I am so sorry that this happened to your precious ducks. It's so sad. I pray that they all make it.

 

[Toxicrye]

Where I live you can call Animal Control and they will come and take the dogs and make the owners pay for the damages to your birds by paying vet bills for them. We have a leash law here and roaming animals are not allowed. I am so sorry that this happened to your precious ducks. It's so sad. I pray that they all make it.

We can call animal control here I’m sure, but they’ll end up putting the dogs down anyways. As for my birds, there won’t be any pet bills due to they all passed away from the injuries and I have only 3 Gunnias now. And given it seems a lot like surplus killing that means the dogs will only do it again and won’t stop, since it’s a prey drive. They can still pay for damages to the coupe and fencing though, which I definitely will do.

 

[Luv Ducks]

We can call animal control here I’m sure, but they’ll end up putting the dogs down anyways. As for my birds, there won’t be any pet bills due to they all passed away from the injuries and I have only 3 Gunnias now. And given it seems a lot like surplus killing that means the dogs will only do it again and won’t stop, since it’s a prey drive. They can still pay for damages to the coupe and fencing though, which I definitely will do.

I would also make them pay for your birds. When our neighbor's dog jumped our fence and killed my pet Bunny, I told them they owed me 90 dollars as that is what I had to pay to have it neutered. It was a rescue from another neighbor. They paid up after I reminded them the second time that they had agreed to it and I had not heard anymore from them. Good luck with this situation. The more they have to pay the more they will think twice about letting their dogs run loose. I am so sorry for your loss.