Ducks and snakes

[secretquail]

I have lucked out...we have a creek that splits our property that the ducks LOVE. I have put up some fencing so they have a nice run of the creek, but can't wander off. I'm fine with them in the winter, but come Spring, I'm worried about water snakes. We do have poisonous snakes occasionally, and of course, they tend to be water snakes. Should I not let them play in the creek? or will they be smart enough to stay away from the snakes? I don't want to leave them in their other yard, which I think is beautiful by the way, and they should love it as much as the creek. Since they have gotten used to the creek, Lucky 'barks' at the gate until I let her out. Then she and Spike RUUUNNNNNNN to the creek and chatter away, happy as a pig in ....
So should I keep them away, or take my chances with nature?

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
If you are in Chapel Hill in NC you are basically talking about water moccasin, or cottonmouths (same snake different names) though these have a reputation for being agressive they do give warnings before they attack and a duck can easily outswim them. I have seen two times when ducks and this snake met. My old muscovy drake was seen eating a rather small one. A good sized one was found in my duck's kiddy pool and they would not go near it but sat there and screamed until the dumb old master (me) came to see what the trouble was. Well I ruined a perfectly good kiddy pool with a blast from my 12 guage just because it appeared the snake couldn't get out and I didn't want to have it around if it could get out. Your birds, your choice but I would bet on your ducks being smart enough to avoid any snakes unless they were going to eat them like my drake did. ~gd down 15/501 in Sanford NC

 

[secretquail]

I thought as much... ducks DO live in marshy areas, so I figured nature would give them enough wherewithall to stay away from them. Thanks!

and I'm just south of Ch Hill, right inside Chatham Co. What kind of ducks do you have?

 

[treldib]

I would be a lot more worried about the ducks decimating the population of native snakes (already declining in the US due to extreme habitat loss) than the snakes voluntarily harming the ducks. I have seen wild mallards (half the size of your ducks) catch and eat 2' Northern Water Snakes. A snake would definetly rather flee than try to stand its ground against a hungry duck. They're smarter than you may think.

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
None at the moment. The NC DOT put the 421 bypass around Sanford thru my 6.5 acre farm including my barn and house and the story gets messy from there. I hope to have a new spread and new flocks some time in the future. ~gd

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Yep we never will have enough cottonmouth snakes around ( )o( )

 

[zazouse]

i have 3 ponds and a resivor on our property and i see snakes swim around all the time my ducks and they just look at each other and go on about their way.

I worry about the bobcats that may come threw more than snakes.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

Well, I don't know about the ducks. Last year my brown african goose chased one snake across the pond..and I mean that snake was moving out...

 

[Miss Lydia]

One of my Muscovy girls ate a copper head after I picked up the large rock it was hiding under. They don't seem to be afraid of snakes too much Although we had about a 6' blk. snake in the yard last year, the look on the ducks and gooses face was priceless.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I hear Muscovies are pretty much fearless...I want some for that reason also....not to mention that I think they are sooo cool.