Advice on how to get our runaway duck back home 😭

[RosalieP]

We live in the Netherlands and we have 4 white call ducks that we raised ourselves. They get to free range during the day in our yard, a stream that runs behind it, the neighbouring gardens etc. and they are closed in their pen at night.

Last Friday something presumably spooked them and two of them flew away. We found one the same day fenced in on a private parking lot a couple of streets over, so she was easy to catch. The other duck was found the next day. She ended up on a nearby lake and has since moved to a smaller pond next to the lake.

We tried to catch her, but we have not been succesful thus far. We tried swimming after her and paddle boarding to her, but she always swims or flies away. We tried getting her to come to us with food and calling her. We tried to lure her with the other 3 ducks in an improvised pen on the edge of the pond, so they could see and hear each other. But no luck!

Thankfully she seems to be doing okay on the pond. There are other ducks there that she hangs around with. She is quacking a lot though so maybe she is not 100% comfortable (yet).

If anyone has any advice or tips on what we can do to try and catch her, it would be much appreciated! We are not ready to give up on her yet.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Hi Fellow Dutchie

Welcome to BYC!
How close to your house is this? She's quacking because she is a call duck and calling for her friends. First thing I would do is take another call duck in a cage to this place and take some food they like to make a trail around the cage (like Hans en Grietje). They will call each other and when the one on the run is close you can try to catch it.

This will take time (maybe hours) though!
Where do you live? If it's close, maybe I can assist?

 

[RosalieP]

Hi Fellow Dutchie

Welcome to BYC!
How close to your house is this? She's quacking because she is a call duck and calling for her friends. First thing I would do is take another call duck in a cage to this place and take some food they like to make a trail around the cage (like Hans en Grietje). They will call each other and when the one on the run is close you can try to catch it.

This will take time (maybe hours) though!
Where do you live? If it's close, maybe I can assist?

Thanks so much for your response!

She is fairly close to the house, it’s about a kilometer away. I can easily walk or bike there so I check on her a couple of times a day.

We did bring another call duck to her. We tried with all 3 of them (2 ducks, 1 drake). Only the drake called back to her and she did come closer, but not close enough. Yesterday we tried with just the drake, but she didn’t come any closer. Maybe she was too far away to hear him. Both times we were also standing close by, maybe we could try from a distance. But that would make catching her if she approaches harder. And maybe we didn’t try long enough (I think an hour both times).

We live in Rotterdam (Kralingen).

 

[Stipenvlerk]

Thanks so much for your response!

She is fairly close to the house, it’s about a kilometer away. I can easily walk or bike there so I check on her a couple of times a day.

We did bring another call duck to her. We tried with all 3 of them (2 ducks, 1 drake). Only the drake called back to her and she did come closer, but not close enough. Yesterday we tried with just the drake, but she didn’t come any closer. Maybe she was too far away to hear him. Both times we were also standing close by, maybe we could try from a distance. But that would make catching her if she approaches harder. And maybe we didn’t try long enough (I think an hour both times).

We live in Rotterdam (Kralingen).

An hour is long enough if she is hungry and you are lucky.. Probably takes you a little more. ducks sleep many hours a day, so maybe you find her sleeping on the shore when you regularly check. You cloud try to bring a lightweight blanket

Otherwise I would definitely try again with the duck cage. Take a female too since they are louder. And when you are with more people it's easier tho catch her.

I'm in Schoonhoven tomorrow morning for a few hours (duck related). Can drive to Kralingen later if she is still on the run? Not sure if it helps but we can see...

keyword here is patience I think. Keep us updated!

 

[RosalieP]

An hour is long enough if she is hungry and you are lucky.. Probably takes you a little more. ducks sleep many hours a day, so maybe you find her sleeping on the shore when you regularly check. You cloud try to bring a lightweight blanket

Otherwise I would definitely try again with the duck cage. Take a female too since they are louder. And when you are with more people it's easier tho catch her.

I'm in Schoonhoven tomorrow morning for a few hours (duck related). Can drive to Kralingen later if she is still on the run? Not sure if it helps but we can see...

keyword here is patience I think. Keep us updated!

That is so incredibly kind of you to offer! You are welcome to come and check it out and offer any help or advice you can, but please don’t feel obligated in any way.

Is there a possibility to direct message on this forum to exchange contact information?

 

[Yardmom]

After she finally comes for food and friends it may help to have a net or a fence that can be pulled around her.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

After she finally comes for food and friends it may help to have a net or a fence that can be pulled around her.

That is what i was going to suggest.

@Stipenvlerk If you could come up with some netting of some kind.. a fishing net, some kind of portable fencing you could set up around her once on land..It'll be a two person operation for sure. The More people the better really.
You need to be able to herd her on land somewhere where you can get her into an area where she can be cornered. Since she can fly you'll have to keep your distance to avoid spooking her and move very slowly trying to surround her with people or netting or something of that sort and just keep slowly moving in closer and closer until you can get something over her. A net or towel or sheet...or be able to grab her.

When you move in for the catch, stay as low to the ground as possible until your in position to get her. Anything moving overhead will sppok her to fly.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

That is what i was going to suggest.

@Stipenvlerk If you could come up with some netting of some kind.. a fishing net, some kind of portable fencing you could set up around her once on land..It'll be a two person operation for sure. The More people the better really.
You need to be able to herd her on land somewhere where you can get her into an area where she can be cornered. Since she can fly you'll have to keep your distance to avoid spooking her and move very slowly trying to surround her with people or netting or something of that sort and just keep slowly moving in closer and closer until you can get something over her. A net or towel or sheet...or be able to grab her.

When you move in for the catch, stay as low to the ground as possible until your in position to get her. Anything moving overhead will sppok her to fly.

@shawluvsbirds I'm planning on going there since I'm going to a place which is a 30 minute drive from Kralingen (where the duck is) tomorrow. Hopefully she will be on land. Will bring a landing net and mealworms....

I know it's a long shot and appreciate your advice

 

[shawluvsbirds]

If you had or could borrow a large kennel cage.. you could put one of your ducks in a smaller cage as far to the back as you can inside of that. Put some food in the big kennel too. If you could Cover the back section where your caged birds are so she can't see them from the side where the door isn't.. that would be ideal.
Sit back and wait. I bet she would eventually go in there and you could get her trapped.

 

[Stipenvlerk]

If you had or could borrow a large kennel cage.. you could put one of your ducks in a smaller cage as far to the back as you can inside of that. Put some food in the big kennel too. If you could Cover the back section where your caged birds are so she can't see them from the side where the door isn't.. that would be ideal.
Sit back and wait. I bet she would eventually go in there and you could get her trapped.

I have some calls too, But wouldn't it be better to take one of her own flock? She maybe recognizes them.. And the fact that I'm going to an appointment before which will take several hours and the duck will be in my car all the time.