PheasantMan Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Ive got a few thousand ducklings on one of my rearing fields. The oldest have been outside for a couple of days. Ive been finding them dead but with no injurys but i know something is killing them as i can see blood in the back of there throats and there showing no signgs of sickness ect. Ive found a small hole at the back of there pen its looks too small for a fox it looks more like a rabbit hole or something i know if a fox got in he would of killed alot more. Im trying to work out what it is im thinking it could be a wiesel. I Put a snare over the hole last night but ive found another 3 dead today at differant times so im going to put a fenn trap there and see if i get anything. What do you guys think it could be? Im wondering if the hole was just dug by a rabbit and there being taken by a bird of some sort as the pen is not netted although ive not seen anything. Any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docholiday Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 sounds like a stoat or like would have thought a bird of prey would only take what it wanted what about corvids ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good shot? Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Gulls would do that.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beretta28g Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Stoat or weasel would do more damage to the carcass id have thought. Weasel damage should be weasily identifiable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlander Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Gulls would do that.. Do what?...he said they appeared undamaged just had blood in their throats. Suggests a disease to me but then I'm no vet. If you're a keeper and you get a disease problem or sudden unexplained deaths then get the carcases examined by a qualified vet immediately before you lose the lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libs Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Stoat or weasel would do more damage to the carcass id have thought. Weasel damage should be weasily identifiable. And stoat damage would be stoataly different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
al4x Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 strip the feathers off the throat area and check for any markings, rats sometimes can do similar but you could usually see the injury, otherwise do as Highlander suggests fast. In the mean time get every hole stopped up and personally I'd have fens in boxes round all the pens anyway. If you are in the south and want a vet let me know as I've a contact who works in one of the bigger practices that has a gamebird section and covers everywhere from the south coast up to Herts beds and bucks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tikka tom Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 stoat or polecat get some traps set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
worthy130 Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Read this before setting a spring trap for a suspected Polecat!! http://www.basc.org.uk/en/codes-of-practice/trapping-pest-mammals.cfm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PheasantMan Posted May 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Ok, I know its not disease ive not lost any of the ducks in these shed since day 1 and there 2 weeks now and its very rare that they would show no signs of illness watsoever then drop dead the sheds next door are fine not lost any which suggest to me its something coming along the ground to get them if it was a bird they would of taken from the other pens aswell, Ive also since found a pair of legs so unless its a carcas eating disease i can rule it out. Ive literally been finding 1 or 2 every hour or so but im so busy i dont have time to stand there and wait. Thanks for the offer al4x. We are one of the biggest game farms in the country and we use st davids poultry vets but im putting it down to a weasel or a stoat will see what the fenns bring up tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hushpower Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 could be a stoat with kits Actually living in the pen with food on tap. I know what its like working on rearing feilds at this time of year no time for the three Ss Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PheasantMan Posted May 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 Well if anything comes out any hole near that pen it will be the last thing it does! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodentermite Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 a weasel is weasely distinguished from a stoat which is stoatally different!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 have you ever thought it could have been a badger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PheasantMan Posted May 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 No the hole ive found is too small for a fox so it wouldnt be a badger plus its only happend in day time as there still shut in at night. I havnt lost any since ive set the fenns so i think i may have spooked it although im sure it will pluck up the courage to come back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Good shot? Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 (edited) Do what?...he said they appeared undamaged just had blood in their throats. Suggests a disease to me but then I'm no vet. If you're a keeper and you get a disease problem or sudden unexplained deaths then get the carcases examined by a qualified vet immediately before you lose the lot. "Should have explained" I have watched gull quartering the bank of my local trout fishery for ducklings and killing them one by one.When cornering a bunch of them it killed three by swooping down and grabbing the head or neck area and throwing it and only swallowed one of them before flying off.One of the remaining dead which I picked up did not have any obvious external damage to it. This is only a suggestion based on my sighting and if I had inspected more thoroughly I would not have been surprised to see blood in their throat. Having said that I agree that these unexplained deaths should be looked at by vet. Edited May 25, 2011 by Good shot? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piebob Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 I'm going for rat or hedgehog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bignoel Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 what about a fox cub . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PheasantMan Posted May 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 lol a hedgehog? I still havnt managed to trap whatever it is ive got live traps and fenns everywhere its damn clever whatever it is! Ive never had this much trouble im pretty sure its a rat its scraping away at the bottom of the night shelters and as soon as any duckling goes near that area it gets bitten or gets its head ripped off! Its killing them throughout all my huts though so its quite hard to trap it! I didnt loose any last night though i think with the crows and this rat ive possibly lost 50+ now which isnt making my %'s look too great!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hushpower Posted May 29, 2011 Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 you can pick stealth camreas up from £100 ,that will give you the facts.hope its of help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted May 29, 2011 Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 do you have moles around your breeding area? The reason I ask is that weasels frequently use mole runs to move about - If you are struggling to find the culprit, as they say, the improbable must be the answer. Best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodentermite Posted May 29, 2011 Report Share Posted May 29, 2011 hedgehoggs eat from the **** first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PheasantMan Posted May 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 Good thinking kes, We do have a ploughed field behind my pens and there is alot of moles but there is also mole traps everywhere! But there is a good fence around my field and no moles in my actual field. But i will look into that. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piebob Posted May 30, 2011 Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 lol a hedgehog? They can do a fair bit of damage although I see some woodentermite has said they eat from backend first - I didn't know that. They kill by crushing/biting neck/throat and a keeper mate of mine lost quite a few phesant poults to hedgehogs one year. Not sure how much of a problem they are now, don't seem to see as many about nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodentermite Posted May 30, 2011 Report Share Posted May 30, 2011 yep i've seen a lot of poults eaten by hedgehogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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