Chicagoland- six month female pekin house duck

[Polski]

Hi! I live in the Chicagoland area and I love my pekin duck. She's a sweetie, really.

She's almost six months old and I was present at her hatching at my university. However, I'm starting grad school soon and I just won't have the housing resources for her. She grew up as a house duck but I won't be able to legally have her (different towns seem to have laws against having waterfowl), I won't have the space for her, and I might not have the time for her.

I want to be able to find a solution where she can continue to have a lot of interaction with people, her toys, and me getting maybe monthly updates that she's doing swell? She also likes the outdoors. Not as much as her pen but she is learning to forage!

I started looking into petting zoo like places, but the first organization I called were not even knowledgeable on ducks ("Your duck should really be in the wild..." No... I'm not sure if Pekins can even live well completely alone in the wild?) and the second place said once I hand her over I will never get to ask or hear a word about how she's doing then implied they'd just get rid of her.

Feel free to respond!

 

[chickster5003]

Ship?

 

[Polski]

I don't know how to ship a large duck!

 

[richejamie]

I live in Oregon IL and have six Perkins and a mallard and a Rouen. They all live outside but are fenced in at night and free range the 10 acres during the day. I would be able to take her in if you like the set up we have. I would need you to meet me to pick her up unless you would like to come out here and see the place.

 

[Polski]

Sorry I took a little while getting back to you! I was having a family emergency situation and I'm still in the middle of it, but it's easier for me to juggle things now.

I'm from the western suburbs, so around Berwyn or Cicero. You'd be two hours out, so it would depend on the day if I could drive the whole way out or not.

I'm not sure how well a pekin adjusts to other ducks, but she's recently been trying to court me the past few days, so she's certainly into people, I'm just concerned she might not remember what other ducks are like and that she is one!

 

[richejamie]

Well any day works for me I am a stay at home mom so I am also here starting next Monday. I leave for vacation on Wednesday. I am sure that she would acclamate well with the other ducks it would just take a week or two. I just took in a rescue mallard ( her mate had died and her owners didn't want her to be alone) shea week later and she has been accept into the flock by my two eldest Perkins and therefore accepted by all. She follows them around where ever they go ( during the day they have supervised free range time of all our land. They love the long grass. I think for your peace of mind it would probably be better if you dropped her out here so you could see where she would be living. Also are you sure of the sex of the duck. Has she played you an egg yet? If the has one curled feather on her tail she is a he not a she.

 

[Polski]

She's laid eggs and quacks :- ). When she was few weeks old I wasn't sure but the quacking was a dead giveaway.

Her first egg was actually on Mother's Day (how adorable is that!?), and she's been laying every three days.

So you're free starting next Monday? I'll try and see if I can go all the way there, then. My car acts up a little but it I have the time to make the whole drive I could probably do so. I also worry about how to safely transport her for that long of a ride.

 

[Polski]

Oh, and today marks her first time laying two days in a row :- )

 

[LizD1]

Did you re-home your pekin duck?
I ask because my 4 month old ducklings are looking like 2 drakes and 1 duck. I think we may need a better female to male ratio. I live in Waukesha, WI.

Thanks, Liz

 

[Polski]

I did. I apologize for not updating this, I had a pretty busy summer!

Sorry I can't help you out, but I'll try and keep an eye out. My suburbs aren't big on having ducks though, but I'll still try ;- )