Addicted to Quack

[houndsrtops]

Thought I'd share some pictures of my ducks. This all started a year ago when I brought home 3 Mallard ducklings from the feed store last May. I blame myself for this addiction, and I find myself sinking deeper into Quack dependency.

Last years ducklings turned into this years proud parents.

This year's ducklings, newly hatched and on the pond within hours

I've also been incubating some eggs. first clutch of runners hatched a little over a week ago.

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

Adorable! I'm guessing there won't be any trips to rehab in your future!

 

[ChicknThief]

Those are fabulous pics!! Wayyyyyyyy toooooooooo cute!!!!

 

[eggzettera]

Oh too cute.

I have recently been adopted by a couple of (I believe to be) mallards. I have been putting out wild bird seed & water in a deep bowl, they have been regulars ever since.

Is there any thing else I can do for them?

I'm sure they have already built a nest somewhere in my neighborhood, so I guess what I am asking is where/what to yours nest in?

The feedstore where I get my chicken feed only sells 50# bags of "gamebird" feed which would probably go bad before the pair could eat it all.....oh & is it true that they eat snails? I hope so...

TIA
N

 

[Frosty]

I HAVE to ask! How big is the pond? It looks like it has a liner... man made? If it is, how do you keep the water so clean? I am thinking of digging a pond for my ducks and am still in the research stage. Any info that you can share is appreciated! Those are some stunning pictures!

 

[houndsrtops]

Thanks! The ducks make great subjects for my photography!

Nadine---I wouldn't recommend wild bird seed. try cracked corn from the feed store...ducks love the stuff. Gamebird feed is ideal too. Just don't overdo it ( it can fatten them up quick ). My hen built her nest right next to the pond ( after walking the entire property for 2 weeks looking for the perfect spot. i swear i put on 10 miles just tracking her ). They eat snails, they also eat just about any bug they can catch ( and they catch quite a few! )

Frosty---Thank you! The pond is manmade and relatively small...about 5,000 gallons, and yep it's lined. I originally built the pond years ago for Koi and goldfish, but it's " evolved" since getting the ducks. It's home to about 100 fish, numerous frogs, snails and of course the ducks. I do not currently run a filter for the pond, but I should. Trust me, the pond water has been much cleaner. The ducks WILL make a mess out of a small fish pond, but if you can live with that then it's a good mix. Not sure what size pond you have in mind, but just match a good pump and filter for the gallon size you have in mind. use an EPDM liner. Don't bother getting pond plants, the ducks will snack on them till nothing's left.

 

[Chamelle]

Great looking duck family.

AMAZING photography.

Just gorgeous.

 

[rooster-red]

Great pics!

 

[Frosty]

I have been trying to find out what kind of filter would be able to keep up with ducks... I do know how messy they can be. I am planning a deep pool (4 feet deep on one end, then gradually slanting up), about 6 feet wide and 10 feet long. I want to go deep because I have Mandarins and they like to dive. Don't know if I can do fish unless I find a way to heat the pool (without going broke) since the frost line here is something like 6 - 8 feet and ice on lakes gets thick enough to drive a vehicle on it. Probably just empty the pond for the winter and refill in the spring. Right now I have a pair of Mandarins, 2 pairs of call ducks, 1 mallard, and 5 Black East Indies (the BEI are ducklings). I have noticed that the water stays clean longer with the bantam type ducks compared to the larger breeds... I figure cattails may be safe in their pond... they are still in our stock pond with the wild ducks coming and going, and if the ducks leave them alone it'll give the ducks somewhere to hide. Planning on landscaping the pen, and researching safe plants.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Beautiful photos... you have a flair!

I love mallards... had them when I was growing up. We MAY wind up with a few... who knows?