Country Ducks - living off the land

[Miss Lydia]

Cool, I should have said free range, sounds much better

I mean, of course they can do well. As long as owner doesn't "Garfield" them. Funny, I actually feel much safer when they're out now too. At night I worry a snake will somehow get in, or a raccoon will figure out the trick to unlocking the door and they'll be trapped. Are you saying they literally sleep on the water?

I'm not sure how I'd handle the next generation of little ones.. They are super vulnerable but its awesome so many of them made it. I figured they'd do a good job, just not that good!

Did you teach them anything or just let them hang out and learn? I'm kinda doing both. I don't know everything they'd learn in the wild, but I figure the more they know, the more they have to decide to use or not. I started recently teaching them to hangout in the woods by the lake. I figure safer for land and air issues. If they don't want to, then they wont.



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As an update, I "re-domesticated" them for a few days after making this post. Then started giving them some space since they seemed very babied. They're now mostly doing their own thing AND treating me like mom more than ever before which is cool. I did have a scare tho. I know I said I'd wait til six weeks.. Monday I left them alone all day. I had a bunch of stuff to do around town. While I was out, I got an email saying a gator was spotted in the lake. Every once in a while a gator comes and the whole neighborhood alerts everyone and calls someone to remove it. When I got home, I was afraid to count or even check on them. When we united, they were all there, acting super baby and hungry which I thought was weird.. (Its a big lake. I get one of those emails once or twice a year, but have never seen a gator) When I went to take them to the lake, there was the gator, right in their favorite spot.

I'm glad they're not complete feather brains, and alive. I tried to catch the gator myself for three hours. Got close, but they're not THAT dumb. I saw it the next day too, same area, but hidden. It was in the trees and came out when I got in the water. Then swam away fast when it noticed who I was. The ducks have been scared of the lake since. They wouldn't go in even with me first until a few hours ago. I'm not sure if they've removed it yet but I'm ready. We do randomly get a gator from the river (I guess) and its always out fast after someone notices. Good to know they're not an easy meal without me around but sucks reality is, that's nature.

I also saw the larges snake I've ever seen by FAR... And it was right outside the door, which is up the stairs, on the deck. I've only seen a few snakes, and most couldn't eat them, like for sure. This one was at least 3-5 times of 2nd place, and could definitely eat one, or two. Looked poisonous but I think it was a water snake which look like that. It could probably eat my dog Funny how everything has seemed so safe for years, but I know there are hidden dangers, and in one week I find two.

Some how word of free food gets around. Hope they get rid of that gator.

 

[Blondiega1]

Cool, I should have said free range, sounds much better

I mean, of course they can do well. As long as owner doesn't "Garfield" them. Funny, I actually feel much safer when they're out now too. At night I worry a snake will somehow get in, or a raccoon will figure out the trick to unlocking the door and they'll be trapped. Are you saying they literally sleep on the water?

I'm not sure how I'd handle the next generation of little ones.. They are super vulnerable but its awesome so many of them made it. I figured they'd do a good job, just not that good!

Did you teach them anything or just let them hang out and learn? I'm kinda doing both. I don't know everything they'd learn in the wild, but I figure the more they know, the more they have to decide to use or not. I started recently teaching them to hangout in the woods by the lake. I figure safer for land and air issues. If they don't want to, then they wont.



-----
As an update, I "re-domesticated" them for a few days after making this post. Then started giving them some space since they seemed very babied. They're now mostly doing their own thing AND treating me like mom more than ever before which is cool. I did have a scare tho. I know I said I'd wait til six weeks.. Monday I left them alone all day. I had a bunch of stuff to do around town. While I was out, I got an email saying a gator was spotted in the lake. Every once in a while a gator comes and the whole neighborhood alerts everyone and calls someone to remove it. When I got home, I was afraid to count or even check on them. When we united, they were all there, acting super baby and hungry which I thought was weird.. (Its a big lake. I get one of those emails once or twice a year, but have never seen a gator) When I went to take them to the lake, there was the gator, right in their favorite spot.

I'm glad they're not complete feather brains, and alive. I tried to catch the gator myself for three hours. Got close, but they're not THAT dumb. I saw it the next day too, same area, but hidden. It was in the trees and came out when I got in the water. Then swam away fast when it noticed who I was. The ducks have been scared of the lake since. They wouldn't go in even with me first until a few hours ago. I'm not sure if they've removed it yet but I'm ready. We do randomly get a gator from the river (I guess) and its always out fast after someone notices. Good to know they're not an easy meal without me around but sucks reality is, that's nature.

I also saw the larges snake I've ever seen by FAR... And it was right outside the door, which is up the stairs, on the deck. I've only seen a few snakes, and most couldn't eat them, like for sure. This one was at least 3-5 times of 2nd place, and could definitely eat one, or two. Looked poisonous but I think it was a water snake which look like that. It could probably eat my dog Funny how everything has seemed so safe for years, but I know there are hidden dangers, and in one week I find two.

I'm not sure they are actually sleeping on the water, but they will stay out there all night.
They come on shore and sleep during the day some. They've got a couple of favorite spots under the cedar trees.
When I first got ducks, i waited till they were fully feathered at about 8 weeks old before I released them.
I had to walk around the lake to feed them in order to get them to explore because at first they wouldn't leave the little area of the lake where their pen was.
They know my dinner call and would come to where ever I was to eat.
That's about all the "teaching" I did.
When the ducklings hatched this year, mama duck taught them how things work around here.
Now the new ones come home to eat with the others at 5pm everday.

 

[Beer can]

Mine sept in the water, even in the winter with most of the pond froze over, snowing, freezing rain whatever the weather. Our chicken coop was open, they could have slept sheltered anytime they wanted to. It was where they lived until they were fully feathered and we let them lose. Never tried to 'teach' them anything, they must of hd some instinct, and learned as they went. I do miss them and plan on getting some more but this time I think we will get flying mallards, they might be able to avoid predators better.

 

[sweetcaroline]

I agree needlessjunk they're too young. I wanted to make sure by the time they're adults they're done learning. I'm actually going to take a step backwards. They're learning plenty fast, and I am concerned about safety. Reality is it only takes a moment for something awful to happen. When they go swimming, I'm usually physically in the lake keeping an eye out for predators and ready to act. Before they would eat and drink from the edge without me right next to them. A few hours ago today was the first time they went in completely on their own, unafraid swimming around and I didn't like that. They could be bait.. My ducks lived a long time btw as a child. I think they were still there when I moved. And that was not done in an informed way. They're eating more than once a day. I wasn't clear before. In the morning I stopped feeding them as long as I'm taking them out. Being hungry helps. I take them to bugs or in the lake and they eat plenty. I know they're done eating when they stop and start playing or lounging instead. A couple of times I've given them feed after to make sure. They always eat some, but a very small amount compared to normal. The container stays over half full. In part, I am expecting them to figure it out. In part, I'm teaching them. Their first 2 weeks they were much more open to eating than they started to become before now. They had less interest in bugs etc. I've been leaving them alone more to make sure they're not too psychologically dependent on me. That was a mistake. I feel confident now that it wont be a problem as adults. And I'm concerned it may be a problem now. They're a bit too comfortable not following me some times or coming when I call. The majority of the time they've been outside, I've been right there. Now I'll make sure its all the time until they get older. Babies will be in danger without me, especially now that they don't stay in one spot. I know what I'm doing is possible, and I'm not a duck. I started the thread to get information specifically for that purpose. The timeline/age questions have helped. I was 'pushing' them because I thought it would take a while to learn. They have adapted super fast. Its extremely impressive. If my phone could record a full day, I'd prove it. They definitely don't *need* me. If I disappeared, they would eat no problem, and I know their two favorite safe-ish places they'd sleep at night. I'm not saying a turtle wouldn't get them, but mine are a lot more like wild ducks than pet ducks. All day they eat, play, lay in the grass, swim, play, eat lay in the grass. I'm really just supervising at this point. And protecting when the time comes. Its really very much how Tracydr and Beer can said. They're just being ducks. I noticed them getting 'domesticated' behaviors, kind of like my dog, acting like pets not animals. I just tried to encourage outdoors. For a while at the beginning, I would leave the greenhouse open, and they wouldn't come out, definitely stopped eating at little bugs and grass. Now they're doing it, and its they don't want to go back in all day. Six+ weeks is what I was originally thinking Miss Lydia so that sounds good. I appreciate the help. Reading back, I may not have differentiated what I'm doing vs duck dumping. These ducks are by no means literally on their own. They're never far, usually within my sight, but out of there's. At most, an ear away with an open window or door for a few minutes. Still, in hindsight that was a mistake. I'm lucky there haven't been any problems.

 

[sweetcaroline]

[quote name="sweetcaroline" url="/t/930112/country-ducks-living-off-the-land#post_

I live in a Hoa community with six man made lakes, we have wild and domesticated ducks. The Muscovy's nest in the neighborhoods and often hang out with their ducklings in our yards. Many residents have taken in ducklings that became orphaned and or adults that were injured, I myself have done this often. Usually this happens from cars.
We release the motherless ducklings around 8 to 12 weeks back to the lake with other Muscovy's. We feed them twice a day for three weeks then taper off slowly until they are acclimated with the flock and lake, this has proven to work. Legally we cannot keep them in our backyards so this is what we have to do. The Hoa does nothing to protect or preserve the ducks in this community. In Las Vegas there are not many duck sanctuaries and to be honest with you I would rather see these ducks have quality life over years if it was that they went to an overcrowded bird sanctuary. So I understand what you are doing and I believe it can be successful.