Duck Dilemma

[Waddles24]

Hi All,

Well, one of our juvenile mallards has disappeared. It's been about a week and he has not come back. My partner and I, while still mourning, need to make a difficult decision: do we give our other duck to a sanctuary or get him a new friend (note: we bought both our mallards when they were two days old, as brothers)? We do not know how ducks integrate or if it is better to get another baby or get another juvenile/adult duck. Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks,
Mourning Our Mallard

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi All,

Well, one of our juvenile mallards has disappeared. It's been about a week and he has not come back. My partner and I, while still mourning, need to make a difficult decision: do we give our other duck to a sanctuary or get him a new friend (note: we bought both our mallards when they were two days old, as brothers)? We do not know how ducks integrate or if it is better to get another baby or get another juvenile/adult duck. Any advice is appreciated!

Thanks,
Mourning Our Mallard

so sorry to hear about your duck, do you think it flew off or was taken by a predator? either way very sad, Really up to you on what you want to do, you probably won't find many ducklings this time of year most wait till spring to hatch but check craigslist to be sure, you'd have to keep duckling separate till at least 4 weeks old gradually getting the 2 use to each other letting them spend a bit of time together each day with supervision until they are completely bonded. Or you might be able to find someone trying to rehome an extra drake or 2. Still they will need time to bond. A sanctuary may take your lone duck but then you'd be without any at all. So really depends on what you both feel is the best. Any way around it your lone duck will be very lonely till you do one or the other. All the best and let us know what you decide.

 

[Haunted55]

As Miss Lydia has said, bringing in another duck will take a bit, but should be fine. If this isn't what you are wanting to do right now, you can always bring him closer to yourselves. I have had many a house duck who has had to do without duck company for long times. The Mallards especially 'get' that you are their flock and settle in quite well. Messy and does take some time to keep up with, but a house duck is a lot of fun as well. If closer, I could offer you one of mine.

 

[Amiga]

I will say that if you are fond of your ducks, and happy to care for them, that shelters might appreciate you adopting one or two drakes rather than handing over another one.

Ducks can be integrated, with some patience and planning. I have brought in a pair and then a trio to our flock.

Haunted55 makes a good point, also, that single ducks, if you are willing to give them the attention they need, can manage in a household. In my experience with cats and ducks, the willingness to adapt smooths things out time and again.

 

[Waddles24]

Thank you all for your advice! Quentin was gone one day without a trace. No sign of struggle. No feathers. He was fenced in (although not covered on top) and we have large trees that form a quasi-canopy over the top of our yard so a bird of prey seems unlikely. He would have been taken in broad daylight and we don't live in a neighborhood with many wild animals, dogs, or cats. We're hoping he just got the urge and flew South.

We're looking into two options at this point: getting him a new friend (baby or grown) or investing in some duck diapers and keeping him in the house. We're spending more time with him each day (holding, petting, talking), and he even sleeps on the end of the bed at night. Any feedback on the diapers? What about the length of time for ducks to bond with their humans who had previously bonded with other ducks?

Many thanks,

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you all for your advice! Quentin was gone one day without a trace. No sign of struggle. No feathers. He was fenced in (although not covered on top) and we have large trees that form a quasi-canopy over the top of our yard so a bird of prey seems unlikely. He would have been taken in broad daylight and we don't live in a neighborhood with many wild animals, dogs, or cats. We're hoping he just got the urge and flew South.

We're looking into two options at this point: getting him a new friend (baby or grown) or investing in some duck diapers and keeping him in the house. We're spending more time with him each day (holding, petting, talking), and he even sleeps on the end of the bed at night. Any feedback on the diapers? What about the length of time for ducks to bond with their humans who had previously bonded with other ducks?

Many thanks,

Best there is from what I have seen written on here. http://www.etsy.com/listing/1504877...tail-diaper-harness?ref=listing-shop-header-0

 

[Going Quackers]

Thank you all for your advice! Quentin was gone one day without a trace. No sign of struggle. No feathers. He was fenced in (although not covered on top) and we have large trees that form a quasi-canopy over the top of our yard so a bird of prey seems unlikely. He would have been taken in broad daylight and we don't live in a neighborhood with many wild animals, dogs, or cats. We're hoping he just got the urge and flew South.

We're looking into two options at this point: getting him a new friend (baby or grown) or investing in some duck diapers and keeping him in the house. We're spending more time with him each day (holding, petting, talking), and he even sleeps on the end of the bed at night. Any feedback on the diapers? What about the length of time for ducks to bond with their humans who had previously bonded with other ducks?

Many thanks,

Well mallards fly super well, so possible he took to the air .. i have calls mine are full flight they fly tremendously well, but i keep the pen covered as well he has 3 girls lol If he just had a brother he may have gone off looking for a mate.

He may return, many posts here of birds coming back, they have pretty good instincts. I would lean towards a friends, duck really do well with others of their own kind, no matter how much we dedicate we cannot replace what another duck can provide.

It can be tricky to integrate a new duck but i recently added a young female to my big flock, while it was a bit nerve wracking she has fit in and surprisingly well and this was a good sized flock, 19 birds she had to mingle with of varying ages.

 

[Waddles24]

Thanks everyone! We are also hoping Quentin comes back.

We're putting the diapers on hold until we integrate Howard's new friend, picked up yesterday afternoon at an animal rescue center. So far so good. As soon as I released Big Boy into the yard, Howard starting doing his "excited quack" and came down faster off the hill than I've ever seen him do before. New duck is very calm, friendly, and about 4 months older than Howard. I spoke with the owner of the rescue and apparently he is half mallard and half harlequin, although as you can see in his picture he looks like full mallard.

The one strange thing Howard is doing is trying to put his neck over the new duck while walking around and when in the water it looks as though he is trying to mount the other duck. What does this display mean?

Appreciate it and enjoy this shot:

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks everyone! We are also hoping Quentin comes back.

We're putting the diapers on hold until we integrate Howard's new friend, picked up yesterday afternoon at an animal rescue center. So far so good. As soon as I released Big Boy into the yard, Howard starting doing his "excited quack" and came down faster off the hill than I've ever seen him do before. New duck is very calm, friendly, and about 4 months older than Howard. I spoke with the owner of the rescue and apparently he is half mallard and half harlequin, although as you can see in his picture he looks like full mallard.

The one strange thing Howard is doing is trying to put his neck over the new duck while walking around and when in the water it looks as though he is trying to mount the other duck. What does this display mean?

Appreciate it and enjoy this shot:

New duck is beautiful. and Howard is displaying his dominance over the new duck but as long as he isn't being aggressive then there's nothing to worry about, Is new duck drake or duck? hard to tell for me with mixes He may even try to mate with the new duck which is unusual for drakes to do either.