# what predator did this to my Muscovy drake ?  (warning: graphic pic)



## eweinHiscare (Oct 9, 2012)

My poor Muscovy drake who had lived for over 5 years happily in the pasture of my backyard had his life taken in a most horrible way.

Can anyone tell from the way he was killed what the likely predator was ?

The duck had to have been at least 11 pounds, maybe a bit more.  He was a strong healthy drake although too heavy to fly.

It looks like whatever killed him just chewed his stomach area open and ate the insides..until they got full.


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## ksalvagno (Oct 9, 2012)

I would think it would have to be a coyote or dog or something. But not sure. So sorry for your loss.


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## Southern by choice (Oct 9, 2012)

we had a large coon several years ago that would kill and eat the innards, leaving the rest. A medium possum can also, but I'm thinking it looks more like one quick grab, as if it was chasing. Fox, coon. possum are seen in the day much more than a coyote. Did this happen at night or day. I'm in NC, we also have bobcats. Where are you? A trap with the animal in it might be better so you know what it was. 

Sorry bout your boy.


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## greybeard (Oct 9, 2012)

Hard for any of us to make a guess since none of us knows where you live in the world. NYC--Middle of Montana--Gulf Coast--Canada?
But--here in my neck of the woods...Since no or very little meat was eaten, I'd rule out meat eaters like bobcats or cougars. Either of those and there would be feathers everywhere and the body itself missing. Even if something interrupted it's work, odds are a cat would have taken the body with them when they left, even in a hurry.

If there were any daylight between the time it was last seen alive and the time you discovered, I would say almost anything could have killed it, but the pic sure looks like a carrion bird had been into it. That's where they start--in the back and eat the internals first.  Buzzard/vulture type and they will kill live prey--perhaps even a big owl or big hawk if the carnage occurred at night. .

Raccoon is certainly a possibility as well--they can decimate a henhouse in a week's time..and if it is a coon, and you have other fowl, he'll be back soon. Maybe even tonight.


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 9, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> we had a large coon several years ago that would kill and eat the innards, leaving the rest. A medium possum can also, but I'm thinking it looks more like one quick grab, as if it was chasing. Fox, coon. possum are seen in the day much more than a coyote. Did this happen at night or day. I'm in NC, we also have bobcats. Where are you? A trap with the animal in it might be better so you know what it was.
> 
> Sorry bout your boy.


He was not at the place where I fed him when I went to feed around 6 pm.  I had last seen him the evening before. 

It could have happened Monday night or possibly Tuesday during daytime.
My property is perimeter fenced with 6" square field fence to keep out dogs.

My farm is in Holly Springs, south of Raleigh. 
 I have not heard coyotes since about 5 years or so ago. 

Now I will be worrying about my geese. I locked them up tonight in a 2" x 4" wire cage although they already stay behind a 4" square sheep fence and do not go out to the pasture.

Thanks for caring, the coon does sound likely.


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 9, 2012)

greybeard said:
			
		

> Hard for any of us to make a guess since none of us knows where you live in the world. NYC--Middle of Montana--Gulf Coast--Canada?
> But--here in my neck of the woods...Since no or very little meat was eaten, I'd rule out meat eaters like bobcats or cougars. Either of those and there would be feathers everywhere and the body itself missing. Even if something interrupted it's work, odds are a cat would have taken the body with them when they left, even in a hurry.
> 
> If there were any daylight between the time it was last seen alive and the time you discovered, I would say almost anything could have killed it, but the pic sure looks like a carrion bird had been into it. That's where they start--in the back and eat the internals first.  Buzzard/vulture type and they will kill live prey--perhaps even a big owl or big hawk if the carnage occurred at night. .
> ...


Greybeard, right under the picture is my signature where I say I am in NC, just south of Raleigh.  I cannot figure out how to put NC in the place where my avatar is.
But anyway, there are buzzards seen around here once in a while. . and I have heard owls in the past... they would do that??!

I locked up some of my geese tonight, others would not cooperate.
There are 3 Chinese geese in another part of the pastures. They are mean but probably no match for a raccoon.
I got the Chinese geese to protect the ducks...but then they were harassing the ducks too much so I separated them.


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## CochinBrahmaLover=) (Oct 10, 2012)

eweinHiscare said:
			
		

> greybeard said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Not sure on the predator but CG (Chinese Geese) are THE goose to live in the woods... They will fight anything to the death, and make a fuss in the process... I wouldn't worry much about them unless their young, or if its a larger predator... Coon vs CG would have to be pretty fair, unsure on possum.
Sorry about your boy, but muscovies aren;t the greatest fighters, so not sure that his weight means anything


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 10, 2012)

I should have left the ducks with the CG...afterall...they wouldn't KILL them !  The CG would only chase the ducks away from the scratch corn..  poor Muscovy.

Well I have 2 Muscovy hens and another drake left, they will hatch out an army of ducklings if nothing gets them before then.

I have these remaining 3 Muscovys locked inside the sheep fence with the "nice geese" now, although they did not want to be herded into the overnight lockup cage.

I think I need to surround my house with a 6' high concrete block wall with 1' deep footer, and fence mesh over the top of the whole place....


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## Southern by choice (Oct 10, 2012)

Ok, just saw the "south of Raleigh" part... so we have the same critters  
It is so worth a $30 trap from TSC... put an egg in the trap and you'll catch it if it's a coon or possum.
Both of these critters will come back once they've found a food source. Both climb fences or squeeze through them. A couple years ago we had a coon dropping in for lunch, from 1-3 pm everyday.It would quick grab and drag to the woods, eat its innards and leave. After a week of daily losses we set a trap, it was a coon. This year more possums. We are quick with the trap now. "Re-using" the old carcass doesn't work well, eggs are great. Generally a fox will grab and take the kill back to it's den. Coons and possum are more opportunistic, I think it's probably one of these.

This year my black indian runner was on 15 eggs in the woods, a coon got  11 eggs and she really fought to save those eggs, we came out early morning to see her out in the field pacing back and forth, clearly injured. The varmint had ripped her whole chest open. We had to put her out of her misery...   Our cochin bantam sat on those 4 eggs til they hatched and raised them up.  Sadly, that was the night I pulled the dogs from the field thinking they might hurt her, they are very funny about a bird they haven't seen, considering she had been on the nest for two weeks I thought they wouldn't "know" she was part of the flock.   Sometimes you can't win.

Hope you catch the little bugger!


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## ksj0225 (Oct 10, 2012)

I'm in Greenville NC.  I have muscovy's and goats and lots of ther farm animals as well as two great pyreness dogs.  In my neck of the woods, I would be thinking bobcat, coon, fox, or dog.


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## Goatherd (Oct 10, 2012)

Sorry about your drake.  For what it's worth, I'll share my theory/experience.  I have found that when a raccoon kills fowl, they take it away with them and eat it somewhere else.

I lost several chickens a few years back and I couldn't understand as they were in the barn at night that was closed and what I thought, relatively safe.
For several days, I would go in to find a dead carcass with only the entrails or guts eaten.  After the third bird was killed I set a box trap in the barn and caught an opossum. I thought I was done but lost another bird the next night.  This bird also was disemboweled as the others. 

Set the trap again and another opossum was caught.  I guess since they are basically nocturnal, they slept during the day and I didn't see them.  I continued setting the trap, but never caught another nor did I lose any more chickens.

What was odd about each killing was that only the intestines were eaten and none of the meat was touched.  I guess they find that more desirable than the flesh.

Based upon the photo that you posted, my guess would be an opossum and not a raccoon.


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## greybeard (Oct 10, 2012)

Opps. Sorry, I missed the sig--well didn't 'miss' it,  I rarely read them anymore--I just always look over at the left under the avatar where it usually says "From:"

I'll start reading every sig from now on tho before I start typing..


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 10, 2012)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Ok, just saw the "south of Raleigh" part... so we have the same critters
> It is so worth a $30 trap from TSC... put an egg in the trap and you'll catch it if it's a coon or possum.
> Both of these critters will come back once they've found a food source. Both climb fences or squeeze through them. A couple years ago we had a coon dropping in for lunch, from 1-3 pm everyday.It would quick grab and drag to the woods, eat its innards and leave. After a week of daily losses we set a trap, it was a coon. This year more possums. We are quick with the trap now. "Re-using" the old carcass doesn't work well, eggs are great. Generally a fox will grab and take the kill back to it's den. Coons and possum are more opportunistic, I think it's probably one of these.
> 
> ...


ok, I will try baiting a box cage (hav-a-heart style) with an egg...I guess you mean an intact egg and not a broken one right ?

I'm leaning towards thinking it was a possum...  but I may not "have a heart" when I do catch it!!! 
(haha)
 I'm not feeding it more eggs and making a pet out of it !  : (


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## Southern by choice (Oct 10, 2012)

The live traps are safe and yes a whole egg, not cracked, put the trap close to the area of the attack site.
It is the law in NC that you may not re-locate a coon/fox, not sure about a possum though. Honestly we are having a real rabies issue in NC coons,skunks,fox.coyotes too are huge vectors. They are kinda cute in that lil' cage, BUT put a stick up to the cage (don't poke the thing - that's just mean :/ ) and watch it bare its teeth and get aggressive. Not cute after that!  Can you believe it was less than 20 years ago and there was NO rabies here in NC.... hope you get it, fall is here and the predators will be increasing. Do you have dogs?


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

Live trap is a great idea.
I sent my husband a text to get his opinion - he's a lifelong poultry expert, and also a huge hunter/trapper outdoorsman.
Agree also about the racoons - they will haul it off. We used to have lots of them, and he has a blue tick coonhound that he hunts with and has taken that population down a bit. They are BAD if you have poultry 
Around here (MN) I know a possum would do that - also the other similar predators - fishers, weasels, etc.


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## Alice Acres (Oct 10, 2012)

And his opinion was weasel or mink.

Sorry about your Muscovy.  My husband grew up with them, and they are tough birds, usually.


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 11, 2012)

Alice Acres said:
			
		

> Live trap is a great idea.
> I sent my husband a text to get his opinion - he's a lifelong poultry expert, and also a huge hunter/trapper outdoorsman.
> Agree also about the racoons - they will haul it off. We used to have lots of them, and he has a blue tick coonhound that he hunts with and has taken that population down a bit. They are BAD if you have poultry
> Around here (MN) I know a possum would do that - also the other similar predators - fishers, weasels, etc.


oh my friends....it got WORSE last night....

I am so sad to report that now I have lost my 2 Muscovy HENS!!!!    Only one drake is left alone.



It was still dark and I did not see the Muscovy girls in the geese yard...only the drake.
I had 4 geese in the  maximum security pen under the deck but the ducks were in medium security (obviously NO security at all...) daytime geese yard.

Did not see the bodies, will look for them when I get home this afternoon.

I think it is foxes!  (theres no weasel, fishers,mink around here that I've ever heard of).
Because they had to jump over the 4 foot fence to get into the geese yard.
They took both the hens last night, so it is more than one predator coming...

I hate them..!!!

I do have a dog who might keep a predator away if he wasn't busy moping and whining at the door all night to be let back in...
he is 30 lb Spitz mix...but it might come to that.

I am going to get some can cat food and try putting that in the trap...along with an egg.

This weekend I will have to be building fence ceiling over the geese yard.  Basically one gigantic cage!
: (


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## Goatherd (Oct 11, 2012)

Sorry to hear that.  Yes, if the bodies are gone, you have more than one culprit.  Once they get a taste for the "free meal," they come regularly until you eliminate them.

When I first started trapping I relocated the animals, which is illegal I know, but I didn't want to shoot them. After it became a regular thing, I found the fortitude to shoot them as I knew I couldn't keep taking them away.  The worst was when the opossum was a trapping females with babies in their pouch.  Eliminating her eliminated about a dozen future killers.  It still bothers me, but if it's a choice of my fowl or a predator, the fowl is always going to win.

I do hope you can get a handle on this soon.


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## Alice Acres (Oct 11, 2012)

oh no   

I hope you get whatever is killing your birds!


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 16, 2012)

happy update!

I found my two Muscovy hens alive! 

 They had apparently gone into their duck house without the drake and stayed in there so I didn't see them.
I have hotwire around their pen now, and so far no more losses.

There is a video on youtube of a fox getting zapped by hot wire while trying to get into someone's chicken coop.

But I'm still working on making it even more secure.
I also use deer netting at ground level and snakes get caught in that when they try to push their way through.

thanks for caring!


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## Alice Acres (Oct 16, 2012)

Good news that you found your hens....and that whatever has been after your animals is NOT getting in anymore.
Fingers crossed that it continues!


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## Royd Wood (Oct 23, 2012)

Hey I missed this post 

Heres my thoughts eweinHiscare 
Rule out the fox, coyote and racoon as you found the corpse pretty much in tact
Night time kill and only a small amount eaten would suggest owl but they do like eating brains so its possible your loyal old drake just keeled over and passed away. Domestic cats like eating ducks and chickens just after natural death. - Just another idea to think about.


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 24, 2012)

Royd Wood said:
			
		

> Hey I missed this post
> 
> Heres my thoughts eweinHiscare
> Rule out the fox, coyote and racoon as you found the corpse pretty much in tact
> Night time kill and only a small amount eaten would suggest owl but they do like eating brains so its possible your loyal old drake just keeled over and passed away. Domestic cats like eating ducks and chickens just after natural death. - Just another idea to think about.


Royd, he had another drake, his buddy, and they always stayed together and slept by the gate.
The buddy was ok, unharmed but alone, so I went looking for the white drake.
There was a trail of feathers to far out in the pasture where his body was found half eaten (the pic).
He was dragged or chased out there, definitely not a natural death...

I keep the remaining drake and his two female Muscovys locked up with the geese now.

I have set a hav-a heart trap outside the gate baited with an egg every night (which I put in the frig during daytime) for 4 nights now but have not caught a thing.
I'm thinking it was a tough big possum who killed my white drake.

And he must be gone now...or can't get into the goose yard, I put hot wire around and the fence is 4" x 4" sheep fence...and some 2" x 4".
I'm still working on securing it even better.


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## bonbean01 (Oct 24, 2012)

You need to get Royd to come with his rake


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## goat boy (Oct 29, 2012)

we had coons and opposums still do and they killed about 40 chickens('',%20''); we have just been cacthing ona after the other


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## Tmaxson (Oct 29, 2012)

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> You need to get Royd to come with his rake


Very sorry for you loss, however this post made me laugh


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## Mamaboid (Oct 29, 2012)

Hawks leave piles of feathers, but usually eat the bones, coons leave feathers, bone and a very clean carcass.  Owls takes some prey away if they can carry it, if not they leave the same as a hawk.  Foxes, Coyotes, and usually dogs carry off everything and hide it to eat later...the only thing I have ever had eat one of my chickens and leave it like that picture was a weasel.  I interrupted his meal though, so not sure what it would have ended up being if I had not disturbed him.


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## eweinHiscare (Oct 31, 2012)

bonbean01 said:
			
		

> You need to get Royd to come with his rake


ah yes!  I just saw Royd's fox killing exploit with the rake on the other thread !   He is deadly with the tool !!

Grim Raker indeed !


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## pdpo222 (Nov 5, 2012)

We had owls killing ducks.  It was a Great Horned Owl, but they only took the heads.  If hunting is good for them they tend to eat only the brains and leave the body.  We found our first headless duck and called Wildlife for the info.  So I doubt it would be an owl.


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## LMB (Sep 16, 2017)

I'm in Fayetteville NC and my duck was killed by a possum. I caught him in a fox trap. At first he was after her eggs. And one morning I went out and bam he was holding on to he chest and I had to put her down. I got some of her older eggs I found that smelled and caught him. Whatever killed your duck WILL be back. I promise u. Trap that bastard and shoot it.


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## Latestarter (Sep 16, 2017)

Greetings and welcome to BYH @LMB  You should consider putting your location in your profile as it will make a difference if you share or ask for help/advice. The post you are responding to is from late 2012 or almost 5 years ago. Those folks aren't here any longer. Please take a moment and visit the https://www.backyardherds.com/forums/new-member-introductions.17/ section and introduce yourself so folks can give you a proper welcome! Then browse around and make yourself at home!


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