Yoshi is missing and our black Silkie died. Not a good day.

Our black and white duck Yoshi is missing. He was there yesterday evening around 7:30 with the other ducks. They normally roam the yard and never really go very far. When it starts to get dark they come back to their pen and go inside their pen. We also let out some of our chickens in the evening to roam. Last night my son went out to check if everyone was in and he found our black Silkie hen dead in their house. Not sure what happened, she may have overheated since it is in the 100's here. I checked them earlier in the day and she was in the house, but I thought she was laying an egg :(. My husband closed up the duck pen but didn't check if all were in it. This morning my son comes and tells me Yoshi is missing. We searched everywhere and there is no sign of him or feathers. He is a big heavy duck, what could have gotten him without us knowing or finding feahters. We have a dog in the yeard that barks when anything comes near and we don't get too many predators near the yard. My son is heartbroken, his Silkie and now the duck too.

This is the Silkie. Poor thing.

A racoon will kill a duck or chicken and drag them a long way before eating them.

I'm really sorry about your loss Smedge, It's really hard to put into words but I know this has to be a terrible experience, for your son and yourself as well...I hope he is able to transfer his affections to a different lovable bird that needs what he has to offer...Hay

i am so very sorry...

I'm so sorry. The heat is taking it's toll this year. It's so hard when they're just gone, I keep hoping.

I get laughed at because I'm so obsessive making sure everyone is where they are supposed to be before closing then up. I hear "oh, they'll be okay". Well, recent daytime losses just proved that there is indeed something(s) out there, so I'll obsess when I want.

I hear you catmad, you never know what is out there.
I just can't figure out how a duck the size of this one, could disappear without a trace. Even a coon would have had to leave something. And don't coons have to eat with water? The only water source, that is quickly drying up, is the big pond and there is no sign of him there. We walked the field back and forth and found no sign, no feathers, no nothing. We checked in the woods, we checked everywhere and found nothing. I just can't figure out what could have gotten him in the span of about 2 hours and left nothing and the dog didn't even bark. It's just plain weird. And the chickens were out too and they are all there.

Can Yoshi fly? Perhaps he has gone visiting.

That is just sad. I've walked those miles looking before.. not a happy trip. :(

Sorry for your loss...I know the feeling about losing a duck. Ours was there one minute and gone the next. I just lost her Thurs. all 6 were together on the pond just hanging around and then swam down to one end where I can't see very good and then only 5 came back. I'm hoping she is being a broody girl (had been getting lots of eggs in the coop) and will show back up when she finally gets hungry or has babies.

Too bad you aren't close and could adopt some of the ducks from our waterfowl rescue. They had some black ones last time I was there. They also had a lot of Pekin and Khakis too...or maybe I should say they had a lot of everything since the rescue of 200 birds from the hording case.

I had recent daytime chicken losses, and the only sign was a pile of feathers which I actually think was from one who survived. They were all carried off, from wooded places, not from the open. None were large birds, juveniles and (sniff) bantam cochins. I have since added deterent fencing (won't stop anything that really tries to get in) and don't let the Featherkids out until 8:30 am.

One of the reasons I haven't followed up on the duck rescue is fear. I would hate to "rescue" them, only to have them become victims of my inexperience.

Yoshi was really to big to fly, he could get off the ground a little, but not fly like flying ducks. It's just so odd to not find anything and he always stayed close to the other ducks. If they could just talk......

When I found the chicken that the coon got they were on top of my shed and in my pear tree.It had to drag them up an over my gate which had a two inch gap I didn't think a coon could get through. I was wrong and the chickens paid for my mistake.

I am so sorry for your loss.

sounds like a coyote. When my juvenile goose disappeared there was no signs of anything. Then I caught one that tried to get Spaz and he was a huge Embed Drake about 15 to 20 lbs. It managed to drag him half way across my yard when we hollered and it released him and took off. Not a feather lost. They grab them by the neck

Haven't seen or heard coyotes in a while, several months, but you never know. Strange thing is that the chickens were out too and they are all there.

Catmad - I understand not wanting to rescue to have the fear of losing them. I have to just look at it that they are having a much better life then they had before. If they get carried off by a predator then I know they had a good life for the short time I had them.

I must say that they are very wary of anything ... they keep a good distance from me and jump in the water if I get too close. I have also noticed that they are starting to look up in the sky as if to see if there is anything coming from the sky... so they are pretty smart cookies it seems. I also think it helps to have some wild geese out there to learn from.