Duck & chicken mom needs help!!

[RERICKSON4122]

Hey y’all!! I’m new here and from Ohio. I’ve referenced and used your blogs and posts/questions on several occasions this past year. Finally, I’m reaching out because I’m stuck on making a decision for my female duck. She is 3 years old, has been free range the entire time. We had two other male ducks she came here with as babies that ventured out to the main road over this past winter on separate occasions about a month apart and got hit. Our female has never ventured down there but I caught her yesterday just soon enough to shoo her back up into our yard. She wanders across our side road over to the neighbors house to get in their pool and I assume lay her eggs… still can’t find them…but never went down to the main road (state route) or anywhere near it. I put her in our large dog run (200ft rectangular set up off the side of our house with a wood gate and welded wire fencing) with shelter, and small pool as well as a dark enclosed small nesting box (the top of an old dog house, small opening) but now I am feeling guilty and worried she will be in distress. She wants nothing to do with other ducks and seems ok with the chickens (we only have hens) but with it being 8 on 1, they tend to attack and chase her in their pen/coop run. So we’ve just let her free range until yesterday afternoon. The neighbors will be putting chemicals in their pool soon and we’d really like to have her eggs as we do enjoy eating them!! Any help or suggestions or maybe reassurance that I’m not a bad mom for putting her in a safe run would be appreciated. No foxes or raccoons in the area that we know of either. Never had that problem.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

Can you build an auxiliary coop/pen with a shared fence line so she can have her own space? I'd still get her a companion.

 

[RERICKSON4122]

The run is all hers. The chickens have their own coop/ run right beside her….my husband said she has always been free roam but after yesterday I don’t feel it’s a good idea. She’s also never had babies but is very broody. I’m not even sure what kind of duck she is but she imprinted me I believe. I’m the only one she walks up to and she goes crazy when I bring her food out and I believe I get the flirty nod quite often with the head bobbing up and down. Should I introduce an adult male or female since she’s never had or been around anything younger than her? She’s not pacing the fence line or anything like that. She has actually been sleeping inside the brown box since this morning after I fed her. Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. She laid her egg along the chicken coop fence line.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to explore and hang out.
She needs a friend I agree.

 

[RERICKSON4122]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens. This is a great place to explore and hang out.
She needs a friend I agree.

Thank you!! An adult friend? Will she be ok in the run or should I let her out with supervision?

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Welcome to the coop! I use the Forums and Articles tabs at the top of the page to do research. You can get lost for hours. It's nice to know you are minutes away from getting help with questions and emergencies! I always check in the "What's New" section as well at the top of this page. This way I can read how I may have a similar question or help give some advice.

 

[pennyJo1960]

If you have a dog crate they make a great way to integrate.
one here age or almost adult.

 

[RERICKSON4122]

If you have a dog crate they make a great way to integrate.
one here age or almost adult.

Yes we do. I wasn’t sure if that was the way to go or if she’d even accept a new friend. She never acts depressed or sad she’s always sleeping near the house/coop up until the past week. The two males have been gone almost 6 months now and she has stayed in the yard more since they got hit. So I shouldn’t be worried that she’s been sleeping (head tucked behind her back & flat on the ground) in the little nesting box all morning? She has come out to eat/snack a couple times.

 

[pennyJo1960]

They mourn the loss just as we do. some take it harder. Might think of re homing her,
might be easier on her change her outlook.

 

[RERICKSON4122]

They mourn the loss just as we do. some take it harder. Might think of re homing her,
might be easier on her change her outlook.

She seems fine. They passed away 6 months ago and she has acted the same if not better. When they were around they were always trying to mate so most of the time she was hiding or roaming and they stayed close by. She seems very happy and active. I was just worried that putting her in the run for a couple days would put her in distress. But it is also cold and cloudy today. The chickens aren’t really out in their run either.