Big, Bad Duck is Dead
Posted on April 17th, 2008 By scott at 8:35 pm (All, Chickens, Ducks, Four legs, Two legs)
One of the dogs — well, Pollack — killed the big, bad male duck today. We’re now down to two females and two males. Hopefully, this ends the duck aggression, which is probably how the duck died.
When this male thought you were too close, he’d charge you. Too close was sometimes five feet and sometimes 100 yards.
Our best guess is the big, bad duck decided to attack one of the females, which drives Pollack nuts (it really is a rape that takes place). Pollack would bark from the other side of the fence. The male probably decided Pollack was too close and charged her, and then Pollack pulled him through the fence. And, that’d be it.
Animal count: 12 chicks, 8 hens, 1 rooster, 4 ducks, 4 cats and3 dogs.
Brad K. said,
April 18, 2008 at 8:35 pm
General wisdom when I grew up in northwest Iowa, USA, was that once a dog tasted blood - injured - livestock or human, the expectation is that the dog *will* kill in the future. Any dog that chased and caught poultry or other livestock was put down. It wasn’t a matter of whether the dog’s behavior could be excused, it was a matter of protecting the other animals from a known and avoidable danger. And it hurt, each time.
Robinson said,
May 4, 2008 at 8:28 pm
I understand this line of thinking, I really do, but the dog isn’t going to be put down. She had been really manageable until mating season came around and the male ducks, the one who died in particular, became aggressive with the dogs. I feel like we lost a lot of ground on that front. See, she’s also a cat chaser and we had really cut down on that activity. Since the incident and having to brood the new chicks in the house cat chasing is up again.
If at some future point we decide that she absolutely can’t be managed within our home she will be rehomed. Until that time, she has a home here.
Nanny said,
June 22, 2008 at 6:26 pm
That duck deserved to die. Give Pollack a medal