PREDATORS & THIEVES
Guard against threats to your ducks and their eggs.
Skunks, snakes and owls — oh my! No matter where your property is located, your ducks are always under threat from a variety of predators that can wreak havoc. The best defense includes the installation of tight perimeter fencing and a secured duck house where your birds are kept every night and encouraged to nest. This list of predators is not exhaustive, but it covers many threats faced by duck farmers throughout the United States.
MARAUDING MAMMALS
Domestic dogs: When left to roam, well-fed domestic dogs often kill ducks and other poultry for sport. Evidence of dog strikes on a flock usually show multiple birds injured and mauled without any attempt to consume the kills. Dogs are best deterred through high fencing — 5 to 6 feet in height — along the entire perimeter; attacks can happen at any time of day.
Foxes: These stealthy predators leave behind little evidence of their nocturnal incursions. They usually attack a single adult duck sometime between dusk and dawn and carry the bird to their den before consuming
it. You can bury the bottom of your fencing — about a foot deep and angled outward — to prevent foxes and other burrowing animals from slipping or digging under fences.
Opossums: These nocturnal opportunists go after eggs, adult birds and their feed. Evidence of an opossum visit might include crushed and chewed eggshells found in the nest or a single dead bird opened at the abdomen to eat the organ meat favored by these nuisances. Losses from opossums can be limited by installing a single electrified strand at the top of your perimeter fence to discourage climbing mammals.
Raccoons: Clever and determined, the masked bandits are responsible for the nighttime deaths of many ducks and ducklings. Raccoon predation can be identified by distinctive behaviors: the heads of waterfowl chewed completely off, the breast and crop opened, and entrails sometimes consumed. Multiple ducks often die in a single night, and eggs might be stolen, too. Raccoons are known to grab ducks through fencing and attempt to pull them through, injuring and killing birds in the process. Like opossums, raccoons are excellent climbers; an electrified strand atop of the fence will help deter them. Any overhanging branches along the fence line should be trimmed to limit access.
Skunks: The pungent mammals and notorious egg thieves are primarily nocturnal foragers and will not typically attack adult ducks. Their chief interest is in eggs and
occasionally ducklings. Visits might be detected by a faint skunk odor and from eggs that have been punched open at the end. The best protection against skunk predation is a tightly closed duck house and a single electrified strand installed 4 or 5 inches above the ground on the outside of your fencing.
Weasels/minks: These related mammals are true carnivores known for slipping through the tiniest of openings in pursuit of adult ducks and their eggs. Attacks occur largely at night and result in the death of multiple birds, many more than could be consumed by the predator. Tiny sharp teeth marks can be found around the neck and the side of the head, which are the only portions of duck typically consumed. Additionally, the dead birds might be neatly stacked after the kill. The best protection against weasels and minks is using a fine hardware cloth (quarter inch or smaller) to cover every possible opening to the duck house.
AVIAN ASSAILANTS
Owls: Of all the owl species in the United States, the primary threat to waterfowl is the Great Horned Owl. Active between dusk and dawn, these large owls will target both juvenile and adult ducks, attacking a single duck at a time. Owls often pluck their victims, leaving behind a tell-tale cluster of feathers and a carcass with evidence of feeding on the neck, breast and sometimes head. Attacks can be prevented by keeping your ducks inside their housing when owls are hunting.
Hawks: Both ducklings and adult waterfowl are vulnerable to attack by larger hawk species such as Red-tailed Hawks. Hawks are active during the day, meaning that ducks are susceptible during foraging if they are allowed to free-roam. Similar to owls, hawks tend to pluck their kills and target the chest and neck of the duck. By removing prospective perches, such as isolated trees and utility poles, you can
modify the habitat and reduce raptor visitation. The inclusion of guardian animals in your flock can diminish the likelihood of successful attacks. The only assured protection from hawks comes from providing an enclosed range that is fenced and tightly covered with netting raised well above the animals.
ravenous reptiles
Snakes: If duck eggs go missing without a trace and the nest is left intact, the culprit might be a snake. Rat snakes and several snake species commonly dine on poultry eggs and occasionally ducklings while leaving adult waterfowl unharmed. Snakes cannot dig and will take advantage of any openings or cracks in your duck shelter. Closely examine duck housing, and cover possible entrances with the same smallgauge hardware cloth used against weasels and minks. Your perimeter fencing can be modified to employ a low electrified strand (1 inch above the ground) on the exterior of the fence to discourage snakes from entering the duck range. Additionally, reducing the rodent population around the farm and snake habitat — rubble piles and tall grass — will naturally discourage snakes.
Snapping turtles: These reptiles primarily prey on swimming ducklings and occasionally attack and injure adult ducks. Aside from disappearing ducklings, you might notice adolescent and adult ducks with distinctive leg or lower-body injuries. The majority of losses from these aquatic predators can be prevented by keeping ducklings out of water suspected to be inhabited by snapping turtles. ■
Kevin Fogle is a freelance writer and photographer based in South Carolina.