Duck mom looking for advice

[RERICKSON4122]

Hey y’all!! I’m new here and from Ohio. I’ve referenced and used your blogs and posts/questions on several occasions this past year. Finally, I’m reaching out because I’m stuck on making a decision for my female duck. She is 3 years old, has been free range the entire time. We had two other male ducks she came here with as babies that ventured out to the main road over this past winter on separate occasions about a month apart and got hit. Our female has never ventured down there but I caught her yesterday just soon enough to shoo her back up into our yard. She wanders across our side road over to the neighbors house to get in their pool and I assume lay her eggs… still can’t find them…but never went down to the main road (state route) or anywhere near it. I put her in our large dog run (200ft rectangular set up off the side of our house with a wood gate and welded wire fencing) with shelter, and small pool as well as a dark enclosed small nesting box (the top of an old dog house, small opening) but now I am feeling guilty and worried she will be in distress. She wants nothing to do with other ducks and seems ok with the chickens (we only have hens) but with it being 8 on 1, they tend to attack and chase her in their pen/coop run. So we’ve just let her free range until yesterday afternoon. The neighbors will be putting chemicals in their pool soon and we’d really like to have her eggs as we do enjoy eating them!! Any help or suggestions or maybe reassurance that I’m not a bad mom for putting her in a safe run would be appreciated. No foxes or raccoons in the area that we know of either. Never had that problem. She doesn’t seem stressed, just confused because we have her closed in and we used to leave the gate open but I know she will try to go right back to that puddle on the main road and get hit.

 

[CountryCuratesWife]

I think you're doing the right thing! We also keep our ducks in a pen and they have a very happy life.
Maybe after a few days she will adjust. Does she like to play with anything? I know some people like to give them hay or grass to mess around in, and you already have a pool for her.
Hang in there!

 

[RERICKSON4122]

I think you're doing the right thing! We also keep our ducks in a pen and they have a very happy life.
Maybe after a few days she will adjust. Does she like to play with anything? I know some people like to give them hay or grass to mess around in, and you already have a pool for her.
Hang in there!

Ugh this helps so much. She really isn’t acting any differently other than walking over to the gate because we always left it open. She’s actually been sleeping in or close to the brown nesting box which she’s never done. I’m going to buy some hay this weekend and any suggestions are welcome!! I was worried about posting on here because of different views etc but the run is huge. We used 250 yards of the welded wire fencing and it runs the whole side of the house. I also thought about a bush or two? I don’t want to “crowd” her. As far as a companion, I’m not sure how that will work. She is much happier and stays much closer to home than she used to. There were times she wouldn’t come home at all when they were alive. She’s never been a momma so I’m unsure of how she’d be with a baby

 

[CountryCuratesWife]

Ugh this helps so much. She really isn’t acting any differently other than walking over to the gate because we always left it open. She’s actually been sleeping in or close to the brown nesting box which she’s never done. I’m going to buy some hay this weekend and any suggestions are welcome!! I was worried about posting on here because of different views etc but the run is huge. We used 250 yards of the welded wire fencing and it runs the whole side of the house. I also thought about a bush or two? I don’t want to “crowd” her. As far as a companion, I’m not sure how that will work. She is much happier and stays much closer to home than she used to. There were times she wouldn’t come home at all when they were alive. She’s never been a momma so I’m unsure of how she’d be with a baby

I don't think adding bushes would bother her, but thats up to what works for your family.

There sure are lots of different opinions out there, I read all the information I have and then make decisions that are reasonable for my situation, then don't sweat the rest.
I know our ducks love a good watermelon, cut it in half and lay it out and it keeps them occupied for a time

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you don’t keep her up she will eventually end up like your 2 that got killed. Maybe try and find her a female duck she can be buds with. As for the chickens messing with her you might have to end up making a separate area for her which having a female adult duck as a friend would keep her from being lonely

 

[Barbara Borgeld]

Hey y’all!! I’m new here and from Ohio. I’ve referenced and used your blogs and posts/questions on several occasions this past year. Finally, I’m reaching out because I’m stuck on making a decision for my female duck. She is 3 years old, has been free range the entire time. We had two other male ducks she came here with as babies that ventured out to the main road over this past winter on separate occasions about a month apart and got hit. Our female has never ventured down there but I caught her yesterday just soon enough to shoo her back up into our yard. She wanders across our side road over to the neighbors house to get in their pool and I assume lay her eggs… still can’t find them…but never went down to the main road (state route) or anywhere near it. I put her in our large dog run (200ft rectangular set up off the side of our house with a wood gate and welded wire fencing) with shelter, and small pool as well as a dark enclosed small nesting box (the top of an old dog house, small opening) but now I am feeling guilty and worried she will be in distress. She wants nothing to do with other ducks and seems ok with the chickens (we only have hens) but with it being 8 on 1, they tend to attack and chase her in their pen/coop run. So we’ve just let her free range until yesterday afternoon. The neighbors will be putting chemicals in their pool soon and we’d really like to have her eggs as we do enjoy eating them!! Any help or suggestions or maybe reassurance that I’m not a bad mom for putting her in a safe run would be appreciated. No foxes or raccoons in the area that we know of either. Never had that problem. She doesn’t seem stressed, just confused because we have her closed in and we used to leave the gate open but I know she will try to go right back to that puddle on the main road and get hit. View attachment 3442278View attachment 3442279

My favorite duck, Penny is my dearest bird and for the past three years I let her free range with my 3 hens. She loved it. Last fall I built an 18x8 covered run as I have been gambling too long with their safety. The love the run. We tend to humanize our critters and think that their fun days are over. Not so. Give them all a chance to get really familiar with each other and odds are they will be fine. She will be happy with that much room. Your prepared area looks great. You can take her out once or twice a day while you are with her and she can get her walkabout that way. You're doing great!

 

[tbruner]

I wonder if you could put one of your chickens in with your duck? Choose one with a mild temperament. Maybe the two will get along.