A mallard-derived sister for Daphne?

I"m so glad to hear Daphne is getting a friend! I was just looking at one of your pics the other day thinking she has no one to 'talk' to LOL! Can't wait to see the pics!!! :pop Regarding your space, it's perfectly adequate for 4 ducks. I have an 8'x8' pen that my 4 stay in during the day and get supervised yard/pond time. They are perfectly happy and healthy.
What do you do to get your ducks off them pond? I have heard it is really hard and want some feedback before I let mine go!
 
You're not going to believe this - but all I have to say to get my ducks back into their pen, whether they are in the pond or foraging, is 'Inside'. If there is a hawk or eagle circling, I say 'Hawk - Inside' in a very scary voice and they RUN to their pen. I have trained my ducks on certain words using meal worms LOL. My family and friends are absolutely amazed at how they respond to commands - ducks are SO smart!!! And mine will do anything for meal worms. Now they respond even when they don't get a treat after... They also know that everything good comes in a red cup - so if they are ever giving me a hard time, I shake the red cup and they respond. :D
 
You're not going to believe this - but all I have to say to get my ducks back into their pen, whether they are in the pond or foraging, is 'Inside'. If there is a hawk or eagle circling, I say 'Hawk - Inside' in a very scary voice and they RUN to their pen. I have trained my ducks on certain words using meal worms LOL. My family and friends are absolutely amazed at how they respond to commands - ducks are SO smart!!! And mine will do anything for meal worms. Now they respond even when they don't get a treat after... They also know that everything good comes in a red cup - so if they are ever giving me a hard time, I shake the red cup and they respond. :D
Cute..I Quack and holler to them. They come ripping back. At bed time I say "Bed time" and each group heads back to their own pens. Certain ones know their names too.
 
Have you found Daphne a friend yet?

No friend yet, as I haven’t found the right girl and am also in the middle of a long stretch at work without any days off (except for one day off for a medical procedure). Meh. I will say that Daphne has been in an exceptionally good mood recently. She’s leaving the Goons in the dust when free ranging (seriously, the girl can MOVE!), is eating everything in sight, and is being very affectionate and playful.

My husband noticed that she’s strongly bonded to me, which surprised me as we got her at 2 years old and she was undersocialized and terrified when we adopted her. This morning, she came over and very gently tapped at my pant leg several times as I was apparently taking too long to make her breakfast. I just wanted to pick her up and squeeze her!

Daphne remains the boss of the Goons. She’s always the first one out of the barn in the morning and she calls to them to follow. At first it’s a gentle mumbling quack. If they dawdle, she gets louder and louder until they come rushing out, at which point everyone does an excited dance - Daphne doing her side to side head bobbing thing and the ‘Scovies doing some highly exaggerated Muscovy strutting before all head off to forage or swim.

I got off track here, but my main point is that I do think that Daphne is very happy with the current set up, so I’m not rushing to find a friend. Whoever it is will have to be the right one :)
 
How many scovies do you have? She can live with other ducks including Muscovy so I would not even bother getting a new duck. I am glad she is doing so good!
She doesn't need another duck friend true. But, she might want one she can converse with. Muscovy and mallard derived ducks have a different language - like chickens and ducks.
My muscovy will heed the rooster's warning call, but that's about the only thing they understand from one another.
I am considering adding runners to my muscovy crew, but will get 2 if I do because I wouldn't want the one to be lonely.
 

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