Pet Ducks Dumped in Neighborhood Pond, Help?

[SansDuck]

X2 never even got the fencing pics on here on my computer till now. That is cute fencing but never will protect them. Nice big run behind your home but close so it won't be an eyesore to the neighbors[can't please them all] and they will be safe from predators or escape.

Thank you Miss Lydia for all of your comments, you have helped us a lot with all of your information!

The fencing is cute but you are absolutely right, it is not predator proof.
It rencely got a small update, where we added chicken wire to the inside all away around and over lapping the top fence piece.

I will upload pictures in the morning, right now it's to dark.

The chicken wire has made it pretty duck escape proof but again we still need ideas for predator proofing.

Thank you for the other comment with the links, I will definitely check those out right away.

Snice we own our house and most of the neighbors rent, we are not to worry about upsetting anyone.

Plus it seems all the neighbors enjoy them around, so I dont think anyone would complain about a run.

My idea pin would be fully enclosed and a locked gate so we can enter easily to clean, hang out with the ducks, refill water/food easily, ect.

But also something we could DIY build, we are all about reusing material and enjoying creating stuff.
I've looked online about purchasing a enclosed pin but they all look so industrial (the dog kins are a great idea but I'm not into the metal birdcage look) and on the small side unless you want to dish about a bunch of money.

Thank you again for your help, and if you come across anymore DIY pins i would love to see!

 

[SansDuck]

I'm not sure if you are willing to check out the videos, and tell me if the drake is acting to aggressive towards her.
Here is a link to my Youtube;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgylx9Cv9AK9kzmLtbsfPfQ

Looks normal too me. The bright orange bill duck looks and sounds like a male and the pale bill one looks and sounds like a female.
She will lay flat to tell him she is ready and he will bob his head at her and then hop on and do his thing.
Here is a video of mine.

Also I'm so sorry, but I wrote a mistake and it wont let go back and edit it.
You see snice the post was so long and took forever to write out, I didnt actually check what bedding we were using.

I check today and it turns out we are you using large pine shavings, again, sorry for the mistake I assumed it was cedar and didnt check before posting.

We think it's a raccoon or owl too, it just seems so weird.
It was the winter when the duck was killed, and just seem so odd the body wasnt eaten and the head wadnt taken.

It seems a lot people think we shouldn't let them back to the pond, witch we 100% agree with.
I just wanted to make sure we weren't being overprotective, snice one of the neighbors mentioned if they were getting enough excercise in their pin.

Pekins do need more exercise, because they can have leg problems, but if you make them a larger run, like Miss lydia said, it will help.
Also you can get them a niacin supplement.

I mean if they were wild ducks, I would feel horrible about pining them up but dominated pet ducks I think, need extra protection.

I definitely think they were traumatized right after the incident, at first they would run to the back of their house when filling up their water. In the fast few days they have been coming right up to the door when we have the water pitcher out.

Evertime we clean we look for eggs, nothing yet but I'm honestly not expecting any right now.
Where we live, the time this year the sunrise is at 7 am and sundown is right around 5:20-5:40 PM.
I'm not sure if that is enough light to lay eggs, and they dont have a night light in their coop. Should we add one?

That's up to you. Personally I don't. Yes extra light means more eggs, but I feel that it puts more strain on their little bodies to lay out of season and they won't live as long.

I never consider they could be white layers, after looking them up on the internet I couldn't believe how similar they look!
That is really a thinker to consider, because oh boy, that's a lot of eggs if they are lol.

We should try tomatoes, so far we given them cabbage, corn of the cob, peas, mashed potatoes, organic plain oat meal, broccoli and some other veggies.
We bought folk party crickets and quacker snackers at the feed store. Next time we go, we will pick up some folk party meal worms. I bet they will love that! And fir the poultry pellets they are on 16 % layer feed. Is that alright for them?
I know it's not a lot of protein in the feed but the quacker snackers and crickets both have a lot of protein listed on the bags.

I like to give 20% in the winter time, but 16% is just fine, especially if they are getting a lot of treats high in protein.

Also I would love to sit and talk with them but I dont want to force an animal to stay in my lap, I would feel horrible if they got hurt.

I don't put mine in my lap. I just sit near mine and talk to them. They have gotten alot more comfortable with me.

If they try to wiggle away when holding them, should I let them go?

I really do want to bond with them but not force them to love me either.

Also, snice we built the pin we have their door open the whole day but some days they will stay in their duck ark.
Is that normal?
Do they have lazy days, should we force them to come out of their duck ark?

I wouldn't force them to come out unless you are worried that they are sick. Depending on weather they will stay in their ark. Yesterday was a nice day here, but my duckies only came out for food and water and then went back into their coop.
I guess somedays they just feel like staying in.

Thank you Cayuga Momma! You and Miss Lydia, have helped us loads with our questions!

I watched the video, and it seems like the mating for ducks is pretty short?
Where your ducks matting successful, or is that impossible to know?

How big should their run/pin be?
We would love to update their pin in the future but I would like to get some ideas on size.

My idea pin, would be a DIY wooded fully enclosed pin, with a locked gate for easy access.

And deffinly will be buying a niacin supplement.

Thank you for answering about the light, we most likely wont be adding one unless it would deter predators away from house at night.
I agree no need to put stress on their little bodies, plus if they never had a family that's more love to give to them.

Oh yes they are getting spoiled with treats, though I am a bit concern.
I read the debate over angel wings, and the connection with a high calorie/protein diet.

What is your personal opinin on angel wings, is it diet or genetic?


I gotcha, I will definitely sit and talk softly with them! I can even read to them as well.

That's good to know some days ducks just want to stay inside, and we definitely wont force them to come out.

At first we honestly thought maybe we made the door too small but they have come out a few times, so I'm sure its not that?
But I did read ducks rather come out together, so we might modify a bigger door in the future, so they both can waddle out together.

Thank you again for answering every question I had, Cayuga Momma and I hope you have a awesome day!

 

[SansDuck]

You can get some posts and chicken wire to put around their area and then some netting over top.
As long as they are locked up tight at night they should be ok until you can secure them better.

Thank you again, Cayuga Momma for the reply!

Yes they are only let out around late morning/ early noon, and put back inside the duck ark every night. It has a lock, and we even put a brick in front of the door just in case.

We added the chicken wire inside the pin, and it even overlaps the top a bit. I will post picture here later, when I get the chance.

And I think the net idea is very genius!

Until we can build them a better pin/run, a net over top should help keep them more safe.

But a net is not 100% predator proof, correct?

I would still deffinly need to keep an eye on them durning the day, while they are outside in the pin, correct?

You have been a great help to us, thank you again, CM!

 

[SansDuck]

Owls also kill by removing the head. I had 3 ducks get killed by an owl in the same way. The head was gone or next to them. He got one each night until I put the netting up

I am so sorry that happened to you, I think that's why we are sure it was an owl

Beside the head being right hy the body, no meat from the body was missing. The breast was fine, some feathers were ripped out but no other damage.

I would assume a hungry raccoon in the winter time would of eaten more then pluck a few feathers out and remove a head.

Another clue was, no tracks in the snow.

I would assume a raccoon would leave some type of tracks especially if it were attacking something, but a owl swooping down might not leave any tracks at all.

And it might be me being paranoid but I swear days to a week after the attack, right before sundown, I would hear a owls "Hoo" in the distance.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Pen size depends on what it's going to be used for, If they are going to be spending most of their time in it during the day then go as large as you can or they will make it a muddy mess. Ducks love to root. If your going to let them out while your out with them then it should still be large. But if your only going to keep them in there for short periods and let them been outside of it most of the time then it doesn't have to be very large. But I think most of us on here would agree with not letting them out unless they can be supervised for their protection. Sounds to me like they have found the perfect home.

Once you decide on the size of your pen and get it set up then look into covering it there are lots of ideas here on BYC to covering part with some kind of roofing to keeping it open and only using netting that has been secured all the way around. Just make it easy for adults to walk under. Please keep us updated on them .

 

[Kkrista123]

1) By picture alone, can you see anything wrong with the ducks...
These ducks appear healthy and happy! If you are ever worried, upload a video of them walking, talking and eating. Post a pic of their bathrooms and everyone can tell you if everything is normal!
2) can you tell the age?
These ducks are probably young and have some learning to do about predators. There is a way in the feathers to tell but it seems really complex and I have never even attempted. A vet might be able to give you a guess but "young adults" is probably your answer!
https://deltawaterfowl.org/how-to-determine-a-mallards-age/
Here's a link to telling age through feathers on mallard derived ducks.

3) what are the genders?
I agree, 1 drake and 1 hen

4) if they are dating, when should we expect eggs?
Well that's where the surprise is! Depends on lighting, nutrition intake, stress etc. Little things can add up to prolong the process.

5) Also we recently put a fake egg in the ark, they moved it to the back and buried it some in the straw.
Ducks like to make nests, hide eggs and cover their tracks! Do some digging. If you find eggs in an inconvenient or unsafe place, get more fake eggs or golfballs and leave them where you want her to lay.

6a) Should we eventually allow them to go to the pond durning the day or is it encouraging them to stay in the pond the whole night
Depending on the weather would be a good way to decide if it is a pond day. The more they are in the pond, the less they will adjust to you and higher chance they don't like coming back. If you can she them they only spend a couple days a week in the pond and lure them back to their safe place with treats, they'll eventually learn the routine.
Would they learn to come home at night on their own? Or is this just asking for trouble?
Ducks follow routine but if given access to the pond whenever they want, they will want to be on the pond at night. Showing them that the pond is just a mini vacation will give them a routine they are used to and will want to follow.

Also the ducks would have to cross the street to get to the pond each day, it's not that big of a concern considering we are the last house on a dead end street but accident can still happen.
That would lead me to only do supervised pond time and never trust them to come home on their own!

6b) Would I need to worry about snaped fishing lines or hooks that have fallen off into the water hurting them?
They can get their little legs or feet stuck. Worse case tragedy, they dive down and get stuck...

6c) opinions on keeping ducks in a backyard with pool/pen vs free range at day and coop at night.
If you have a raccoon issue, free range is asking to feed the raccoons! Predators usually hunt at night when ducks are at their weakest. They don't see much, aren't moving quick and usually resting or relaxing.

And reading about ducks and bacteria from a pond doesnt make me feel safe letting them take a dip either.
This is always a concern. I have a large creek going through my backyard. My deal is, if the fish and wild ducks aren't being harmed from the creek water, it must be safe for my duck and I

7) after a major event or even maturing, do ducks personalities change?
Ducks grieve trauma for a long time. After maturing, they get a lot of hormones and do change a bit but that's only while the hormones are affecting them. They're like moody teenagers at that point.

8)Could a human or something that resembles it killed the third duck and now they're scared of humans? I know we have young kids and teens that hang around the pond occasionally.
Usually I would say raccoon. Although, there is a neighbor kid near me and he also has a creek in the backyard. He has thrown rocks at animals and stacked dead ones up in the front yard when he was younger. Now that he's older he doesn't do any of that psychotic stuff but there was a change in the wild ducks. They used to love seeing people's ducks and chickens in the backyards and would walk up to them. Now the wild ducks and squirrels keep SO FAR away for literally years following. They'll watch my duck but they won't come on people properties anyone. (This boy is lucky I never saw him around when he was younger or the dead animals because I probably would have went to jail. The kids parents were also NEVER around. Someone eventually told his parents though and this was all a long time ago at this point!)

9) like mentioned we are pretty sure they are pekins, but we could be wrong too.
Hmm, let me come back to you with this one once I can find a thread from the past that was great at explaining differences between pekins and white layers!

10) what are the most important things i should know as a new duck owner?
In a nut shell... Meal worms are your bestfriends, they need water bill deep to keep their nose and eye's clear and also to help them eat their food. No food without water ever. Treats can be a lot of kitchen scraps and ducks are contagious.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/the-ultimate-list-of-duck-treats-and-supplements.242460/
Here's a helpful article on treats and supplements. Ducks also get bored so I take a plastic water bottle, take the cap and label off and fill it with treats. Duck plays with it forever and treats slowly fall out. They like to keep occupied at all hours of the day! Night time doesn't mean bed time for them. They tend to just take naps throughout the day so this leaves them vulnerable at night when they don't see too great. Ducks need a great source of niacin in their diet which will come from duck feed. If they don't eat duck feed, they will need additional niacin. When laying its good to offer oyster shell for extra calcium. When it's cold out it is good to offer cracked corn to help keep them warm! Ducks can get frostbite and it's serious and painful. Watch out for the feet! Vitamin B can usually solve anything small. Spend time with them so they will get used to you. Get low, so they see you're coming to their level. Then use a lot of meal worms and you'll gain their trust!

Good luck with the new duckies!
\

 

[Kkrista123]

I would guess white layer ducks just because Pekins usually have bright orange bill with matching feet. White layers tend to have a little something different going on with their feathers and their bill color being a little lighter.
Here is a picture of a white layer

 

[Cayuga momma]

watched the video, and it seems like the mating for ducks is pretty short?
Where your ducks matting successful, or is that impossible to know?

Each duck is different. I have seen others that mate like mine. Your guy looks like he might be new to it and be learning, but maybe thats just how he does it.

How big should their run/pin be?
We would love to update their pin in the future but I would like to get some ideas on size.

Runs should be atleast 10 sq ft per duck. But as Miss Lydia said you are gonna want a bigger area, because they are gonna tear it up and make it muddy.

My idea pin, would be a DIY wooded fully enclosed pin, with a locked gate for easy access.

I am still working on my idea/dream run. Be forewarned they don't always work out the way we want them too.
We love pics here on the BYC so don't be afraid to post pics of what you have and what you want.

And deffinly will be buying a niacin supplement.

Nutritional yeast, Brewer's yeast, and B complex.

Thank you for answering about the light, we most likely wont be adding one unless it would deter predators away from house at night.
I agree no need to put stress on their little bodies, plus if they never had a family that's more love to give to them.

I bought solar motion detection lights off of amazon and put it on the front of the coop to deter predators and to get my attention through the window at night.

Oh yes they are getting spoiled with treats, though I am a bit concern.
I read the debate over angel wings, and the connection with a high calorie/protein diet.

I don't give mine alot of treats. They get some tomatoes once or twice a week and that's it. I didn't start giving the 20% feed until the temp dropped. Once it gets back up to 50°F I will go back to 16%. Each duck is different, some ducks might be more susceptible to angel wing. You will just have to watch them and see how they do. If a problem arises take pics and let us now.

What is your personal opinin on angel wings, is it diet or genetic?

Personally I think its diet, but I believe the susceptibility is genetic.

I gotcha, I will definitely sit and talk softly with them! I can even read to them as well.

That's good to know some days ducks just want to stay inside, and we definitely wont force them to come out.

Once summer is here they will probably come out and want to stay out all day everyday. Mine are like that in the summer.

At first we honestly thought maybe we made the door too small but they have come out a few times, so I'm sure its not that?
But I did read ducks rather come out together, so we might modify a bigger door in the future, so they both can waddle out together.

My coop doors are small. My ducks come out one at a time. My chickens on the other hands squeeze out together like the coop is on fire.

Your duckies are probably still getting use to their new place. They probably just need time to acclimate to their new way of life. Just give them time.

 

[SansDuck]

Pen size depends on what it's going to be used for, If they are going to be spending most of their time in it during the day then go as large as you can or they will make it a muddy mess. Ducks love to root. If your going to let them out while your out with them then it should still be large. But if your only going to keep them in there for short periods and let them been outside of it most of the time then it doesn't have to be very large. But I think most of us on here would agree with not letting them out unless they can be supervised for their protection. Sounds to me like they have found the perfect home.

Once you decide on the size of your pen and get it set up then look into covering it there are lots of ideas here on BYC to covering part with some kind of roofing to keeping it open and only using netting that has been secured all the way around. Just make it easy for adults to walk under. Please keep us updated on them .

Thank you Miss Lydia for your replies, you have been super helpful.

Yes, we are definitely keeping them inside their pin and house. Why risk something happening to them, so they can enjoy a dirty old pond.

And thank you for the lovely compliment, i hope this is the perfect home!

It's funny we were not going take in anymore animals, we already had three cats and two dogs.
But just a few years back a newborn orphan kitten was brought to us, and we took on the care for him and ended up adopting him. He turn out to be the best cat we have ever had.
And just this year, we gain two beautiful smart ducks!

We are definitely a full house now(four cats, two dogs, and now two ducks), but it is so worth it knowing all these animals are safe and in a loving home.

I even found a few vets near by that accept exotic animals and birds!

I finally got around to taking pictures of the pin with updated chicken wire, I'm not sure if you could tell me if the pin is big enough?

My SO says it about over 100 square feet, but im not to sure.

Yes, definitely a net over the top is in the near future!

Thank you so much for your help, and I will keep you all updated!
If their is ever a issue or even a egg celebration, BYC will be the first to know!

Also I would love to get your opinion now that the pin has been updated with chicken wire, here are some pictures and a video of me walking around the pin to give a better idea on size.

 

[SansDuck]

Thank you so much for taking the time to read and comment Kkrista123!

You have taken the time to answer all my question, and I very much appreciate it!

I do currently have a YouTube set up with videos of them, here is the link;
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgylx9Cv9AK9kzmLtbsfPfQ

I will definitely upload more videos of them in the future!

It sounds like the pond would be nothing but trouble, but I do very much like your idea of making pond days mini vacations!

I'm still a little worried about fishing hooks and fishing line, the pond has never been drained.

And it doesnt have a creek for anything to wash out from, it does have a tube to flood rainwater into the pond but I dont think it help collecting garbage thrown into it.

But I will definitely consider mini vactions here in the future, thank you for the wonderful suggestion.

Ducks are like moody teenagers lol

Oh man, that kid sounds like a absolute monster!

It's amazing how cruel kids can be, that's why I wouldn't put it passed a kid to do some target practice with a rock and a swimming duck.

If you can find that thread, that would be so awesome. Before I posted, I didnt even consider they could be anything but pekins.

But those white layers really have me wondering now, from pictures alone, I cant tell the differnce between a white layer and a pekin.

We need to buy them some meal worms next time we are at the feed store, right now as treats they are getting crickets and quacker snackers.

I still need to get them on some supplements though, so that will also need to be bought soon too.

And I love the bottle idea! I didnt realize ducks get board easily, do you have any other ideas for duck toys?

But seriously the bottle idea is so genius, thank you so much for the suggestion!

You have been great help, thank you so much again for commenting!