Very scared ducks

[chickadoodle]

Hi all, I wondered if you have any ideas. I have 5 ducks that all get along well, The 3 ladies are still laying an egg each day. They live in a large enclosed area with grass, mud, paving slabs a pond and a wooden house. At night they are housed in a run with a wooden house and paved area, this was due to a fox attack. About ten days ago, they started to behave strangely. They will not go on the pond at all nor will they drink from it. I have had to put a trug of water in with them. They will not eat from the bowl undered the covered area, I have to put the bowl out on the lawn. Then this morning, they will not come out of the wooden house! I had to go to work so left them, when I got home, They are huddled into a corner, all looking distressed. I let them out into our garden and turned on the garden tap and they drank for ages. I feel that something has spooked them and possibly still is spooking them. I have several dogs who herd them and would bark if there was a daytime intruder, unfortunately I cannot leave the dogs out at night as the neighbours would complain if they did bark. Can anybody explain what could be frightening them? Why they would starve rather than drink from the pond! Any advice greatly appreciated.

 

[NEWTODUCKS]

I was also puzzled by this one and then it occurred to me is there any chance anything is flying round that is scaring them?

 

[crewy05]

If you have had a fox attack in your garden, then to be honest the most likely thing is the fox is coming back in the night time and can smell where the ducks are and is probably trying to find a way in and the ducks can sense this. If they are spooked from my experience they only want to be in small area's where they know they are safe and can see everything going on around them. You will need to go out and spend lots of time with them in the garden to show there is nothing to worry about, oh, and also sort the fox out!

 

[chickadoodle]

My neighbours ducks were both savaged by a fox last night. It got into the duck area and into the coup via the nest box area. So it would appear I now have the answer as to why my ducks wont go into their area. How do you deter a fox?

 

[Icemaiden]

Allegedly by depositing human urine around the edge of the enclosure, using an electric fence (wouldn't wee on this 11 )
or hanging up the corpse of a dead fox... These are all methods that I've heard of.

Personally I'm sticking with the "build a run that they can't get into" method; it's worked to date, but I've only been keeping poultry for 2 months so far...

 

[chrismahon]

Human urine seems to work on rural foxes but the problems seem to stem from urban fox releases. And you need a lot of urine because it washes away in the rain. Urban foxes fear nothing and will strike in broad daylight under your nose. Electric fences need to be tall enough and on all the time. A fox will sense when it isn't working so in snow or with heavy undergrowth or a flat battery it will strike. Can't beat a proper enclosure and electrification can be added to the top and bottom for extra protection with the fence itself being the earth circuit. We have secure sheltered runs inside our enclosure in which the chickens are kept on hunting (Chasse) days, just to avoid tempting the dogs to try the enclosure.

 

[chickadoodle]

Their duck night enclosure is very strong, large panels of strong welded mesh, it would be hard to electrify anything as I have dogs. I will work on the problem and keep you all informed. Thanks for the advice.
ps, my other neighbour says she has a badger in her garden! It may been that, as it lifted the nest box lid which had concrete slab on it.

 

[Mooner]

hiya - if any of your dogs are male, let them urinate around the outside of the duck pen as well, and when you brush the male dogs, put their hair around on the ground and in the fence as well. If you have a man about, get him to urinate there every now and again too. We do all of this, and also, when I cut my husbands hair, i put the hair around the edge of the duck/chicken paddock. It has worked so far, (touching wood), and we are in a rural area.Hope your situation has improved and the ducks are now settled.

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hiya, I managed to miss this post somehow. Really interesting and I would love to know how it all turns out.
Zo

 

[Chuck]

Urine will not deter foxes - why would it, they are used to human scent which will be all around the duck pen. A badger will do even more damage than a fox as they are very strong. It does seem likely that it is either a fox or a badger that has spooked your ducks. All you can do is keep them safe, making sure there are no weak spots in your penning.

 

[BasilF]

it would be hard to electrify anything as I have dogs.

Ducks are stupid and they soon learn to avoid the electric mesh. Dogs are more intelligent and it usually only takes one shock to teach them.

My ducks are in an electric mesh encloseure and I don't lock them up at night. Have only lost one to a fox in 3 years when I stupidly left the power off.