Hello everyone! So, the day before yesterday somebody posted about a duck in a local 'Lost n Found Pets' group that I'm in. The post basically asked if anybody had lost a duck because one had been in a popular pond in town for at least a week now, and best the person could tell it was a "juvenile". The OP posted a few pictures and commented how friendly it was, and then somebody else replied that it had been there for over a month. A few people replied saying they'd add the duck to their flock if somebody else would catch it, but nobody seemed too interested in going out there and catching it themselves. Here's a couple of the pictures.
If you're like me, and I know a lot of you are, then you know how hard it was going to be to get the poor little thing out of my mind. Yesterday morning I went out and searched for an hour or so, but all I found were a pile of duck pellets on the shore, so I just assumed somebody had gone out the day before and got the duck after seeing the post. I commented with my thoughts and was told the duck had been spotted an hour before I was there. There had already been a few people there with dogs when I arrived, and the cattails there can get thick, so I agreed I probably did just miss it. A couple hours later I went back and spotted it on the other side of the pond. By the time I got to the other side the duck had entered the thickest section of cattails, and after wading in after it I quickly realized how hopeless it would be to search for it alone in there. So, I went home, but a few hours later I was able to get my brother-in-law and 6-year-old nice (who had the only useable kayak lol) to meet me there.
We were so close to being able to get the duck by shaking a small bag of pellets, but it was smart enough to stay just a step or two out of reach. At a certain point I think it realized we were trying to lure it in and so it slowly took off back to the middle. Time for Plan B: teaching a 6-year-old how to herd a duck in a kayak. After 30 minutes or so of trial-and-error we were finally able to direct her to direct the duck to a good spot where there was a large bank, shallow water, and a few trees/brush/cattails that cut off her escape. During this time, I heard it quack for the first time too. It's a girl!
So, my brother knelt down on the bank and was able to get her to come close tossing some pellets out. I stood in the water cutting off one side, my niece was in the kayak cutting off the middle, and from there we were basically trying to corner and grab or push her out of the water. Took a few tries to get my niece on the same page; she'd get in a good spot and then start daydreaming, but finally I was able to grab her!
The duck is a cute little Blue Swedish. The original poster was right in thinking she was a juvenile. She stills peeps a lot between her quacks. She's a little skinny but fortunately her legs and feet look great. Nothing visibly wrong in the few hours I've spent with her so far. I'll get a few more pictures later when she wakes up.
If you're still reading up to this point, thank you! Probably just wrote a little more than I intended. I do have some questions though! This is my first rescue duck, and I've read some conflicting things on quarantining, so I'd like to hear some of your thoughts/experience on the matter. I've read from 30 days, a blood test, multiple fecal tests to the idea that ducks don't need quarantined much at all. Right now, I'm thinking a week or two separated while I check/watch her general health to the best of my ability. Please let me know if I'm being irresponsible there. So far, her eyes, nares, mouth, crop, wings, legs, feet, vent all seem healthy and in good condition from the best I can tell. Is there anything I'm forgetting that I can reasonably check by myself?
Also, are there any kind of vitamins or supplements I should be giving her after a month on the pond? Like I said her feet/legs look pretty great, but I figured I'd give her a round or two of B complex just to be safe. Anything else I should be giving her?
And then after quarantine, I have a good idea on how to begin introductions/integration. but I'm interested in a few opinions on that as well. I know I'll have to move my drake, he's going to hate it, but how will a 2-month-old hen fare with four 6-month-old hens? I know a lot will come down to the individual duck(s), but should I expect any worse than some standard pecking order squabbles? This little girl is a sweetheart, but she's also pretty feisty! She freaked my cat out by hissing at her. I think it was the first time I've actually heard a duck hiss!
If you're like me, and I know a lot of you are, then you know how hard it was going to be to get the poor little thing out of my mind. Yesterday morning I went out and searched for an hour or so, but all I found were a pile of duck pellets on the shore, so I just assumed somebody had gone out the day before and got the duck after seeing the post. I commented with my thoughts and was told the duck had been spotted an hour before I was there. There had already been a few people there with dogs when I arrived, and the cattails there can get thick, so I agreed I probably did just miss it. A couple hours later I went back and spotted it on the other side of the pond. By the time I got to the other side the duck had entered the thickest section of cattails, and after wading in after it I quickly realized how hopeless it would be to search for it alone in there. So, I went home, but a few hours later I was able to get my brother-in-law and 6-year-old nice (who had the only useable kayak lol) to meet me there.
We were so close to being able to get the duck by shaking a small bag of pellets, but it was smart enough to stay just a step or two out of reach. At a certain point I think it realized we were trying to lure it in and so it slowly took off back to the middle. Time for Plan B: teaching a 6-year-old how to herd a duck in a kayak. After 30 minutes or so of trial-and-error we were finally able to direct her to direct the duck to a good spot where there was a large bank, shallow water, and a few trees/brush/cattails that cut off her escape. During this time, I heard it quack for the first time too. It's a girl!
So, my brother knelt down on the bank and was able to get her to come close tossing some pellets out. I stood in the water cutting off one side, my niece was in the kayak cutting off the middle, and from there we were basically trying to corner and grab or push her out of the water. Took a few tries to get my niece on the same page; she'd get in a good spot and then start daydreaming, but finally I was able to grab her!
The duck is a cute little Blue Swedish. The original poster was right in thinking she was a juvenile. She stills peeps a lot between her quacks. She's a little skinny but fortunately her legs and feet look great. Nothing visibly wrong in the few hours I've spent with her so far. I'll get a few more pictures later when she wakes up.
If you're still reading up to this point, thank you! Probably just wrote a little more than I intended. I do have some questions though! This is my first rescue duck, and I've read some conflicting things on quarantining, so I'd like to hear some of your thoughts/experience on the matter. I've read from 30 days, a blood test, multiple fecal tests to the idea that ducks don't need quarantined much at all. Right now, I'm thinking a week or two separated while I check/watch her general health to the best of my ability. Please let me know if I'm being irresponsible there. So far, her eyes, nares, mouth, crop, wings, legs, feet, vent all seem healthy and in good condition from the best I can tell. Is there anything I'm forgetting that I can reasonably check by myself?
Also, are there any kind of vitamins or supplements I should be giving her after a month on the pond? Like I said her feet/legs look pretty great, but I figured I'd give her a round or two of B complex just to be safe. Anything else I should be giving her?
And then after quarantine, I have a good idea on how to begin introductions/integration. but I'm interested in a few opinions on that as well. I know I'll have to move my drake, he's going to hate it, but how will a 2-month-old hen fare with four 6-month-old hens? I know a lot will come down to the individual duck(s), but should I expect any worse than some standard pecking order squabbles? This little girl is a sweetheart, but she's also pretty feisty! She freaked my cat out by hissing at her. I think it was the first time I've actually heard a duck hiss!
