Recent content by Joan6153
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Backyard females showing up with injured legs
I think it is more likely to be an injury than an infection but anything is possible. Are you thinking bumble foot? These are wild ducks who roam as they please so it's hard to know what it could be, but the fact that it is only females makes me think maybe there is a rogue male out there... -
Backyard females showing up with injured legs
There were no wounds visible. They just pulled up the legs so they would not touch the ground and folded up their foot. The legs look a bit swollen. -
Backyard females showing up with injured legs
I enjoy a group of Muscovies that visit my backyard daily. A week ago one female came with a bad right leg that she couldn't put weight on. A few days later a second female showed up with a bad right leg. I thought it was odd. But then a day later, a third female showed up with the exact same... -
How to discourage predators from Muscovy nests - is ammonia a good choice?
I meant to share what happened with all the folks who provided suggestions. This is a long story with some strange twists... I had my wildlife camera, which is motion activated, trained on the nest and I found that a raccoon had visited the nest around 7PM one evening when the mom had left to... -
How to discourage predators from Muscovy nests - is ammonia a good choice?
Well this thread certainly has taken a turn! In the interest of harmony with my neighbor, I don't think I'm going to suggest that my husband tinkle near her front window, and I don't think I'll ask him to bottle up the stuff either. I will probably sprinkle a little commercial grade ammonia... -
How to discourage predators from Muscovy nests - is ammonia a good choice?
Since these ducks are not mine but rather are "wild" animals, I don't have any shelter for them available. They are on their own. I just feel bad that they are losing so many of their eggs. Maybe if I sprinkle some ammonia at some distance from the nest it would deter the raccoons from the... -
How to discourage predators from Muscovy nests - is ammonia a good choice?
The last 5 Muscovy females that started nests in my or my neighbor's yards have failed miserably, having been attacked by raccoons and possums during the night. I actually have photos taken with my wildlife camera of the culprits attacking the eggs. The possums seem to take the eggs away while... -
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Is this Muscovy nest abandoned?
One of the backyard Muscovy females (not sure which one) started laying eggs in a nest under my front window and returned religiously for 10 straight days, laying one egg a day. The nest was a little odd in that it had no feathers to soften it, it was just an indentation in the sand with leaves... -
Backyard mottled duck has a plastic band on his neck - how to catch him so I can remove it?
I forgot to update this post with what happened with the duck with the plastic necklace. I got some soft netting that would make it possible for me to catch him. He was getting less afraid of me. But wouldn't you know, the day I got the netting, he never came back. Some of these guys tend to... -
Backyard mottled duck has a plastic band on his neck - how to catch him so I can remove it?
Thanks for any suggestions. I have a pole with a net - nothing as deep as a fishing net but it might accommodate a duck. I'll try that the next time I see him. -
Backyard mottled duck has a plastic band on his neck - how to catch him so I can remove it?
One of the wild Florida mottled ducks that frequent my backyard showed up this morning with some sort of plastic band around his neck. I tried to catch him unsuccessfully so I could remove it. He's too quick for me. I attached a photo that shows that his neck is swollen above the band so I... -
Muscovy female left an egg in the middle of the lawn. What's that about?
Thanks for the info, Miss Lydia. The egg was broken the next day so I did not get to find out any more about it. There is a Muscovy male in the backyard that keeps chasing all the females back and forth and they don't seem interested in his attentions. But I suspect he has mated with at least... -
Muscovy female left an egg in the middle of the lawn. What's that about?
I did not see her do it but one of the backyard Muscovy females laid an egg in the middle of the lawn. It's just sitting there. I did not see her lay it but found it there this morning. I don't know of any females with nests anywhere around the house. This has happened one other time a few... -
Muscovy duck incubating an empty nest
Girlie ended up abandoning her nest a few days ago. She never laid an egg after 3 weeks of sitting there. Too bad. I would have liked to see her babies!