# Duck Attack.



## Srbenda (Aug 23, 2011)

We came back from dinner tonight about 9, and found we had been attacked. When we arrived, 1 was dead, 1 seems to have a broken neck, or cannot lift his head, and 4 others bitten around the neck and bleeding. We have applied Neosporin to all the wounds that we can, and brought them into the garage. Is there anything else that we can do at this point?

I am assuming it was a **** or a mink, as none of them were eaten or dragged away.


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

More like domestic dog. They kill to play not to eat. Most any wild animal (mink, ****, opossum, etc) will take one to eat & go. 99% of the time attacks like that are domestic dog.

I had one go after my hens one time & it just killed & played...ripping at the necks.


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## WstTxLady (Mar 14, 2009)

opps double post sorry


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## Srbenda (Aug 23, 2011)

WstTxLady said:


> More like domestic dog. They kill to play not to eat. Most any wild animal (mink, ****, opossum, etc) will take one to eat & go. 99% of the time attacks like that are domestic dog.
> 
> I had one go after my hens one time & it just killed & played...ripping at the necks.


The ducks were in their pen, completely fenced in with wire mesh attached to the split rail. It had to be something that could climb over the rail. 

I guess it's possible, but seems unlikely a dog could have done this.


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## mduncn52 (Sep 8, 2007)

That's so sad. I would flip out if I saw my ducks looking like that. But you know, the little buggers seem to be pretty tough. Hope for the best


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

We had a mink get into a 2 1/2 to 3 inch space under the duck door last spring. He killed 2 of my ducks but only stripped the neck area of any meat. The dead ducks were still intact otherwise & he got a hold of another but she must have got away & only had a couple puncture wounds.

I washed her wounds with an antibacterial wash then kept Tri-Care on her wounds for a few days until I knew they were healing up good. I also wrapped gauze around hers to try & keep them clean as possible since we all know how ducks like to play in the mud & water. I changed the guaze & put more ointment on daily.

The Tri-Care is sold at TSC in the equine section, it says for horses & dogs but I've used it on everything but horses & dogs here & it works GREAT! The tube lasts along time & is about $9.00. It has a germacidal in it, antibiotic & also something for pain.

My guess would be a mink that got your ducks, reminds me of ours, like he was going for the neck to strip them down to the bone.
We caught the mink in a live trap the next night using a peice of one of the dead ducks.


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## Kazahleenah (Nov 3, 2004)

... cat?


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

or ****?


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## Srbenda (Aug 23, 2011)

3 more died during the night, so now I am down to 2. I got Tri-Care and have applied it to the back of their necks, which is where the wounds are. 

I also got a nice big trap, and we'll see what I get over the next few nights.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

It looks like the work of a bobcat or would be if you were in my area. I started out with 12 ducks and they had so much fun on my 1 1/2 acre beaver made lake. After a couple months I lost one with no sign of feathers. 2 days later another one dissappeared, and another. Now I was down to seven and they WOULD not go back in the water. Before this they slept on like a little island out in the middle. Now they stayed on dry land. 2 days later another one missing, then another. These ducks were not tame enough to pick up so I got a 10x10ft dog kennel and trapped the ducks in it, I fixed the top where nothing could get into it unless it was small enough to go through the chainlink wire. I set-up up a camera. That night I got several pictures of a Bobcat reaching through the wire and grabbing the ducks, pulling their head through the wire and tearing up the back of their neck ---looked just like yours with blood on the back of the neck. I lost all of them but one. Its neck was hurt too. I set a big live catch trap using the last duck as bait in the bait compartment and fixed the bait compartment with hardware cloth so the bobcat could not get its claws on the duck. I caught the bobcat that night. Two nights Later I seen what was getting them in the water----a 7ft alligator(have never seen a alligator in this area before)-----do you wonder how I knew he was 7ft----don't ask! The last duck died a couple days after getting hurt.

Is it possible that something pulled your ducks head through the wire and hurt/killed them-------sure looks like it to me.


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## Srbenda (Aug 23, 2011)

I am in SE PA, so while Bobcats are a possibility, it seems a slim one. None of the ducks were dragged off or really eaten in any way except their injuries to the necks. 

Here are the last two. The one in the back is a male, and he seems to be injured more than the female. 

They are not drinking or eating now, which worries me, and I gave them corn, which they love.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

The 2 ducks that the mink killed here were 2 of my Trout Runners & the one that was the worse off as far as meat gone around the neck was a drake too. Maybe your drake & mine were trying to protect their hens & that's why they got it worse?

We have always shut our ducks up at night & since the mink killed those 2 & injured the one, we put wood over the gap at the bottom of the door. Caught that male mink in the live trap the next night we haven't lost another duck since and that was last spring.


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## PD-Riverman (May 24, 2007)

Srbenda said:


> I am in SE PA, so while Bobcats are a possibility, it seems a slim one. None of the ducks were dragged off or really eaten in any way except their injuries to the necks.


Once I put mine in the dog kennel, none of them were drug off either, but the bobcat would run around the pen grabbing a duck through the wire and tearing up the back of the ducks neck trying to pull them out---giving up on that one then grabbing another one etc, then the tore up duck would pull its head back into the pen and all were dead except for the one which died a couple days later. If I had of not had a camera----I would be just like you----wondering how something tore up my ducks when I even had a top on my kennel. None of my ducks died with their heads hanging out the wire---they managed to pull their head back in and died afterwards. I went into the pen the next morning with dead ducks laying around inside the pen. My pictures of all this are on another computer that I got stored----I wish I had them moved to this computer---looks just like your ducks. Wish you the best.


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## Patrick (Sep 13, 2011)

WstTxLady said:


> More like domestic dog. They kill to play not to eat. Most any wild animal (mink, ****, opossum, etc) will take one to eat & go. 99% of the time attacks like that are domestic dog.
> 
> I had one go after my hens one time & it just killed & played...ripping at the necks.


It doesn't really matter what killed them. If they were in a pen that is not secure, it will be able to get in again. All of the mustelids, as well as dogs, raccoons, foxes and others will often kill way more than they can eat. There is no single MO that each species uses every time. Worrying about what did it is a waste of time. Make secure pens so that nothing can get them, and you don't have to worry. Weasels are about the only thing that are almost impossible to fence out.


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

I'm so sorry about your ducks...those pictures are heartbreaking


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## Srbenda (Aug 23, 2011)

Both of the 2 survivors made it through the night last night. We did let them go to the pond yesterday afternoon, and the female enjoyed it and was swimming, eating, and drinking. The male drank minimally.

I still have not seen them eating their feed though, so I am still worried about them making it.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Nothing in the trap yet?


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## Melissak37 (Jul 12, 2018)

My duck was attacked last evening this is my poor mr quackers. Any suggestions on how to fix him? The guy at the feed mill is telling me he probably wont make it but i will not accept that.


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## Oregon1986 (Apr 25, 2017)

Melissak37 said:


> My duck was attacked last evening this is my poor mr quackers. Any suggestions on how to fix him? The guy at the feed mill is telling me he probably wont make it but i will not accept that.
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That duck needs to go to the vet or be put down. Poor thing


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

That duck is suffering. Even if it lives, it will be in pain for years. Raising livestock isn't all cookies and coolaid. Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but it's still the right thing.


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## Melissak37 (Jul 12, 2018)

muleskinner2 said:


> That duck is suffering. Even if it lives, it will be in pain for years. Raising livestock isn't all cookies and coolaid. Doing the right thing isn't always easy, but it's still the right thing.


The vet gave me stuff to put on it and they instructed me on what to do. They are not livestock to me they are family. He is comfortable and in the house resting well. I will attempt the spoonfeeding as suggested by the vet. If they think there is a chance than im going to try what i can to save my boy. Thank you so much for your advice


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## Melissak37 (Jul 12, 2018)

Oregon1986 said:


> That duck needs to go to the vet or be put down. Poor thing


Took him to the vet and doing everything they suggested.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

Melissak37 said:


> The vet gave me stuff to put on it and they instructed me on what to do. They are not livestock to me they are family. He is comfortable and in the house resting well. I will attempt the spoonfeeding as suggested by the vet. If they think there is a chance than im going to try what i can to save my boy. Thank you so much for your advice


Good luck.


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## FCLady (Jan 23, 2011)

We had a mink get 5 of ours this spring. Looked like that too. The mink was coming through in the day time. So we made many trips to the duck building all day long until we finally nailed the mink with a pitch fork. To make matters worse they were sitting on eggs so they were literally "sitting ducks" when the mink came in. Lost lots of 1/2 incubated eggs and the 5 hens. Very frustrating.


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## GeneV (Nov 28, 2015)

I'm really sorry about your ducks. I've had attacks a couple times. Once by raccoons, they killed 4 at once and injured others. Then I think a mink got at them another time, got one, injured another one. Also had a few go missing, maybe hawk attack or snapping turtle dragged him under in the pond. 

What I can say is, if they're not hurt too bad they'll survive w/o intervention even, ducks are pretty hardy.


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## ladytoysdream (Dec 13, 2008)

Any updates on the duck ?


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## Ryan. (Aug 3, 2018)

I hate when this kind of thing happens. I recently had 15 of my chickens killed by raccoons overnight. My recommendation is to keep an eye on your pets when they are around your ducks to see what kind of body language they have.


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