Ducks gone!

[chknman79]

My wife went out ( In a cage beside the deck) this morning to feed and water the ducks(3.5 weeks old) and the cage had been moved 50 feet and all but ne duck was gone. I am totally bumfuzzled as to what happened. It would not be such a mystery but the water bowl with rocks in it was still upright, cage door closed and latched. No sign of blood feathers nothing. I guess that's what i get for leaving them outside. The cage was completely enclosed so I thought it woudl be OK. Guess we will go to the flea market and hope the lady i bought them from has got some more. I was really excited to see the Welsh Harlequins grow up. Now all I got left is one Khaki Campbell. Guess I shoudl feel blessed it is still alive. Don't wasn to raise it by itself so I will go get three more Saturday morning if they got more. I really hate it. I wasn't so atached but DW was a little. She has wanted duck since I got the chickens and it was my present ot her since I suprised her with em. I will keep these inside till they are completely feathered out. They will stay in the shed til then to be protected. Just wanted to tell someone what had happened. I am hoping however that when I get home that they had somehow escaped and are hiding under the porch. I doubt it but can't keep from hoping.

 

[JudyMcKinn]

Probably a raccoon. They can reach thru wire and pull them out a piece at a time. Ducks wouldn't have feathers yet, so there wouldn't be much to see left. What size wire did your cage have on it?
Sure sorry. That is so disappointing for you, I know.

 

[chknman79]

It is very small wire, like 1/2" X 1" wire. They couldn't even stick their heads out of it. The cage had been moved 50 feet away from the original location too. You think a coon could do that? A possibility.

 

[JudyMcKinn]

What about a 2 legged predator? Moved the cage away from the house a ways, in case they quacked noisily while they got them out? Didn't you say they took the ducks you wanted most, and left one little off-breed?

 

[Frozen Feathers]

My suspicions are also with a 2 legged predator! Raccoons are smart, but opening a cage door and then closing it back up afterward?? Don't think so. Call the police, you've been robbed!!!

 

[chknman79]

Not much use to call the police now! I know htey wouldn't put out an APB for a duck theif especially around here. i guess i need to keep a close eye on my chickens too. I hate to think somebody would steal ducks. I am the type of person that if anyone asked me for something i woudl gladly give it to em. But it makes me so mad when somebody steals stuff. This hasn't been a good day anyway because somebody broke into our church last night. They didn't take anything that we know of just broke down the office door, I guess looking for money. Some people!

 

[BeckyLa]

I keep padlocks on everything for more reasons than just the racoons.....

 

[cgjsmith]

cknman. thers a guy in beech grove who has the harliquins if you can't find anyone else. he goes to the flea market in triune. But is always glad to fill an order. Crystal

 

[BigMama]

Could it have been a small snake?

 

[4H kids and mom]

Could it have been a small snake?

Not likely IMO. I used to keep a few. After a meal of three good size ducklings, there is no way that snake would be able to squeeze back out the way it came in, and it would have been caught sleepin in that cage in the morning. Snakes dont chew, so digestion is very slow, and the "bulges" of the ducklings would have made it impossible for a small snake to get back through a 1/2" x 1" hole when 3.5 week old ducklings would weigh about, what, half a pound or more? No way a snake could eat a 2-3 pound meal and then take off through that tiny of a hole!

I'm with the idea that someone stole them, personally.​