Raccoon got into the duck house, need help

[newbie duck momma]

So last week, I went to let my ducks out and one was missing so I opened their house and there was a raccoon staring me right in the face. I screamed and the neighbor came and took care of it for me, but he/she did eat my little buff duck sometime before I went out. My little black swedish was laying on a nest in there as well and she was unharmed, but 1/3 of the eggs were damaged. My sweet little drake (who I was told was a buff, but honestly looks more like a saxony since he had the pretty three stripes on his face) is pretty beat up. I took him inside and put him in my whelping box, it has mulitple uses, and have been giving him baths in the tote and spraying the wounds with vetericyn plus and using hen healer as his salve. I have been putting apple cider vinegar in the tote for his bath as well as his drinking water, he would only drink while in the tote for the first three or four days but is now drinking out of the ice cream bucket. He didnt eat for the first 4 days either except some mashed up peas, but is now eating his pellets soaked in warm water. It does appear he did lose one eye but thankfully, seriouosly thankfully, I was able to get the other eye to open up and he can see out of that one. His beak....the top one is 1/3 to half way gone, the lower is damaged but doesnt appear to be missing any of it. Is there anything else I should be doing for him? Hes been a fighter this whole time, and my logic is I cant give up if the animal doesnt. The other part I am wondering is, will the eggs that are still alive today hatch or because of the raccoon and their diseases is it better just to take them away? My swedish hen was terrified to go back in the house for about a day, but she went right back to broody and is laying on them again and I did candle them and they look to be around 22 days along. She had taken some of my buff ducks eggs when she was gathering up her nest and some that are still alive in the egg might be hers...if its safe and a good idea, I would love to possibly have an offspring of hers, she was my favorite duck since the day I got the 6 of them. Anyone with any suggestions in regards to my little drake or the eggs would be greatly appreciated!

 

[ruthhope]

My goodness what a sad story. Were you able to secure your duck house so that the raccoon cannot get back inside,

Your drake seems to be getting better. I had a drake that survived a raccoon attack with a deformed bill. Yours will always need to eat our of a deep dish so that he can plow his pellets against the side. Peas are best given in water in a deep dish so that he can fish them.

I don't think you should waste developing eggs if your girl is still broody. Give them a go and see what little fluffies you get.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I totally agree. Keep letting the Broody hatch out the babies but make sure everything is secure because where there is one raccoon there is usually more. Good luck with your babies and sorry about your loss. I pray that your little drake makes it. It sounds like what you are doing is just fine for him.

 

[newbie duck momma]

My goodness what a sad story. Were you able to secure your duck house so that the raccoon cannot get back inside,

Your drake seems to be getting better. I had a drake that survived a raccoon attack with a deformed bill. Yours will always need to eat our of a deep dish so that he can plow his pellets against the side. Peas are best given in water in a deep dish so that he can fish them.

I don't think you should waste developing eggs if your girl is still broody. Give them a go and see what little fluffies you get.

Thank you! After I cleaned up the mess, I did cut fence the rest of the day and made sure it was triple secure, I didn't bring my drake in right away because honestly I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, so I got on here, and dug in. Thank you for the pea suggestion, I will try that with him.

 

[newbie duck momma]

I totally agree. Keep letting the Broody hatch out the babies but make sure everything is secure because where there is one raccoon there is usually more. Good luck with your babies and sorry about your loss. I pray that your little drake makes it. It sounds like what you are doing is just fine for him.

Thank you! Yes I have secured the house and pen, which they can go back and forth so I wanted to make sure this will never happen again. We have set live traps since then and have caught 4 more, although not a single one in the yard within our fence area.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Thank you! Yes I have secured the house and pen, which they can go back and forth so I wanted to make sure this will never happen again. We have set live traps since then and have caught 4 more, although not a single one in the yard within our fence area.

Good to hear. Hopefully they were not relocated just far from your house. I have read where you have to take them more than 10 miles to keep them from returning. You don't have to say what you did with them, just letting you know.

 

[newbie duck momma]

Good to hear. Hopefully they were not relocated just far from your house. I have read where you have to take them more than 10 miles to keep them from returning. You don't have to say what you did with them, just letting you know.

Oh I believe that, and we have a state park on one side and a national park half a mile down on the other side. We caught a juvenile fox in live trap a few years back and drove it about 5 miles north and across the river and two days later he was back and staring at live trap very confused. Honestly I knew foxes ate ducks but I thought raccoons only stole eggs, not eat ducks.

 

[ruthhope]

Oh I believe that, and we have a state park on one side and a national park half a mile down on the other side. We caught a juvenile fox in live trap a few years back and drove it about 5 miles north and across the river and two days later he was back and staring at live trap very confused. Honestly I knew foxes ate ducks but I thought raccoons only stole eggs, not eat ducks.

Raccoons, as you have now experienced, are a major predator for ducks. They are incredibly strong, dexterous and wily. You can't leave a key in a lock on a duckhouse as tgey will turn ot and get in. They burrow under walls and fences. And if the can't get in aduckhouse but can put an arm through into the duck house, they will grab a duck and pull it tgeygh chicken wire or other hole. Raccoons are my nemesis.

 

[newbie duck momma]

Raccoons, as you have now experienced, are a major predator for ducks. They are incredibly strong, dexterous and wily. You can't leave a key in a lock on a duckhouse as tgey will turn ot and get in. They burrow under walls and fences. And if the can't get in aduckhouse but can put an arm through into the duck house, they will grab a duck and pull it tgeygh chicken wire or other hole. Raccoons are my nemesis.

So I had a pet raccoon that was orphaned when I was a kid, and was very

 

[newbie duck momma]

Oh I believe that, and we have a state park on one side and a national park half a mile down on the other side. We caught a juvenile fox in live trap a few years back and drove it about 5 miles north and across the river and two days later he was back and staring at live trap very confused. Honestly I knew foxes ate ducks but I thought raccoons only stole eggs, not eat ducks.

Thank you for encouraging me to keep the eggs! We had 4, that I can see, hatch today!