ducks at lake.

[BackyardBirds1]

My friend was at the lake and saw these two white ducks, She asked me to post on here as she is worried what will happen to them at winter She has never seen white ducks in the wild and thinks someone may have dropped them off. W

ill they fly away at winter? what will happen to them

 

[desertdarlene]

No, they were dumped and can't fly away. Rescuing them is the best thing for them. But, in the least she can make sure they get fed through the winter.

Is this a lake she usually goes to? Is there a caretaker she could talk to?

 

[BackyardBirds1]

She goes to the lake at least once a week, And there is no caretaker but they are friendly enough to catch should she do that? They follow the other ducks around and eat fish and other things like the wild ones.

 

[desertdarlene]

If she can supply a home, she should catch them. They are domestic ducks. Are they male or female? If either of them are female, then they definitely need to be caught because she won't be able to fly and breeding season is bad enough for the ones who can fly.

It looks like a hen and a drake in the photo.

 

[BackyardBirds1]

Yea there a hen and drake, and today I went to the lake and saw 4 other big white ones in someones yard eating out of a bowl

 

[desertdarlene]

Hmmm. Maybe those two got out or maybe those owners are thinking that they're doing a good thing by "giving them their freedom". I think it's a bad move if this is a public lake. You can ask the person at that house if they own the ducks because they might not and be concerned about them like you are. If they do own the ducks, at least you'll know who to talk to if one gets hurt or sick.

 

[needlessjunk]

Are all pekin ducks domestic? I have seen a handful at different ponds in the area. It never even crossed my mind that they could of been "set free" there. They have been there a few years and our winters are mild so I just assumed they belonged. Why to people just think they should let animals go? Dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, birds, rabbits... They are really hurting the wild population!

 

[desertdarlene]

Yes, pretty much any large duck that is white or have a large amount of white on them is domestic. I don't know of any wild species that has a large amount of white on it. Some wild species have small patches of white, but not entirely white or mostly white. All wild ducks can fly very well, too and can leave an area that they don't like or doesn't meet their needs.

I've talked to some people and a lot of it is because they can't or don't want to keep them and feel like letting them free is a good thing for them. Most people mistakenly believe that ducks can live on their own. They tell me that they see them getting fed all the time, so they know they don't go hungry. I've seen ducks starve while being stuffed with junk food. They also live a shortened life because of the food even if predators don't get them. Imagine a human eating nothing but bread, crackers, chips, popcorn, cereal all his life. By the time he's middle age (the equivalent would be about 3 or 4 years old for a duck), he would be full of health issues. That's what happens to animals, too.

Also, there are hybrid mallards, like Cinnamon in my avatar, who are also either dropped off or a result of those big domestic ducks breeding with wild mallards.

 

[BackyardBirds1]

Alright thanks for your advice I will talk to the owner.