DUCKLINGS KEEP MISSING,..

[bernie131]

For the past three days I have been feeding a new Mallard Mommy that had 10 cute little chickies following her around and Mom following me around to feed,..well tonight TWO are missing,...What happened? They are at the same college pond that Shorty and Rocky are at and I don't know if it could be turtles,..snakes,.do other birds (like geese ) go after them? One of the Mallard drake nipped at one and mom got right in there to set the record straight,..what can I do to help,..I can't see her lose all of them,..I went looking for them all night tonight but nothing,..?????

 

[EmilieW]

This happened to me about a month ago. I had an older male and a couple babies about 2 months so we decided to put them out with the larger male. About 1 week after all of them (5) vanished. A couple days later I had 4 babies disappear as well. I was thinking a fox or a hawk but not sure.

 

[bernie131]

So,..other ducks/geese don't hurt them or kill them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd say snapping turtle are your best bet. But herons and other large birds will kill and eat ducklings too. and then you have your ground preds also. Cats, dogs foxes etc.

 

[bernie131]

I wish I could move them,..I saw 3 baby geese with Mom and Dad in the litter pond and I was feeding them and here comes a turtle going right for the gosling,..I freaked and yelled to make the parents stop eating and save their baby ,..I then ran away so they would come up on land and sure enough they did,..got to my car and forgot my phone so had to go back to the pond to get it and all were safe on land,..I am going to have a breakdown here,..Crackers is still itching like crazy and I am going crazy,..!!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I am not sure but you might put a call into a rehab facility and ask them what you can give to crackers to help with the itching. Mites are blood suckers so he may even be anemic so be sure to put some good poultry vitamins in his drinking water to build up his immune system. Daily bathing should get rid of them soon.

As for the birds at the lake, I bet they are very thankful [human terms] that you care enough to go there and feed and care for them. I can't even go by a lake and see the dumped water fowl it breaks my heart.

 

[bernie131]

I did save one,..while feeding Shorty (the Pekin) at the college,..I saw another Pekin walking over the hill FROM THE PARKING LOT,...he was scared to go into the lake but was real thirsty ,..took him home,..has fleas.mites SO BAD,..SCRATCHING CONSTANTLY,..he won't eat seed, or cracked corn or any kind of berries,..he just forages around my yard and he does NOT like the swimming pool I got for him,..he freaks out when I put him in it,..I leave him on the back porch with a cage at night and when we are gone but,..HELP,...what next,..what can I do??