Duck question

[Baylor]

That is about the cutest odd little duck family I have ever seen

 

[JudyK]

I think all the babies are crested. We live in a rural area with only a few houses on the lake, but there is a series of lakes close to each other and a lot of farms scattered. Maybe she came from one of them. I also saw another male mallard nearby with a baby about the same size. I don't know about keeping her. We have chickens and I don't know how thrilled my husband would be about building another pen and she would want to be in the lake and as I said, we have gators.

 

[JudyK]

Sadly, I only saw two babies this morning. I was afraid of that, since they were on the edge of the lake last night and we have lots of racoons go through there at night. If I did decide to try to keep them, or at least the mother, is their housing much like a chickens? I've only been a chicken owner a little over a year. Ours are locked down at night in a small coop and free range when we are home. I know there is a lot to explain and I have a short time to prepare, if you could give me some basic advise, I would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sadly, I only saw two babies this morning. I was afraid of that, since they were on the edge of the lake last night and we have lots of racoons go through there at night. If I did decide to try to keep them, or at least the mother, is their housing much like a chickens? I've only been a chicken owner a little over a year. Ours are locked down at night in a small coop and free range when we are home. I know there is a lot to explain and I have a short time to prepare, if you could give me some basic advise, I would greatly appreciate it.

That is sad, and like someone said they were probably dumped, which means they are probably clueless to the dangers lurking around them. Sorry to hear about the ducklings, as far as housing something simular to what you have for your chickens just as you made sure your chickens are closed up safe at night do the same for your ducks, they eat the same as chickens but need a container with water deep enough to wash their faces, Not a good idea to put water and food inside of their house though because they love to play in their water and will have the bedding wet in short order. I just take up food every evening and put out fresh in the am. The lake will be an attractant to them so you may want to fence them up if there are gators in the lake. Ducks are very hardy and as long as they have fresh food and clean water[well resonably clean] lol they will do great. They do like to free range so when you let out your chickens they will range with them, my chickens and ducks do fine together. Let us know how it goes and what you decide to do, I hope hubby will be agreable to this for the sake of the ducks and ducklings.

 

[JudyK]

I tried to lure them back into the yard to try to catch them, but no luck. Last night I think they slept in the water with a flock of wood storks. If anyone is interested, one of the babies has a white throat.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I tried to lure them back into the yard to try to catch them, but no luck. Last night I think they slept in the water with a flock of wood storks. If anyone is interested, one of the babies has a white throat.

I don't know where De Leon Springs is but maybe if you put out some chicken feed and gradually bring it closer and closer to where you want to keep them they will eventually be catchable. Spend as much time as you can close to where they are and they will get use to you. I managed to catch 3 drakes that had been dumped in the river below our home by befriending them with food for a couple of weks thn I set up a dog Xpen and left one end open and put the food at the back so they had to actually walk in when they did I closed them up and brought them home. There was actually 4 drakes but I never could get close to the 4th one and he was killed a couple weeks after i brought home the 3. They were very hungry too which I'm sure had alot to do with being pretty easy to catch. So many people think they can dump ducks, geese etc and they will be able to fend for them selves but in real life not so if they have been dependant on humans to take care of them as most domestics are. I hope you can find someone to adopt this family before the rest get eaten. Or maybe adopt them your selves.