Female ducks seem confused

[teampao]

I acquired 5 ducks recently that have been together since hatching 6 months ago. I can't keep them all so a friend took the three males a couple days ago. Now the two females left seem very confused to what to do. They had been sleeping and laying eggs in their house when the males were around but now are staying on our back porch all night and some during the day.

How can I encourage them to go back to their home? Do I need to put in fresh hay so the males scent is no longer there? Will they get over this? Should I try to get one of the males back? I am all new to the whole duck keeping thing.
Thanks

 

[Frank Phinster]

For starters, ducks can smell about as good or bad as humans - actually most birds do, so the scent of the males is not an issue.
The problem is, that the ducks were part of a small flock and now they are only two - ducks love to form larger flocks because to them, numbers mean safety. They feel insecure because the protection of the flock is now gone, I once had the same problem, the two birds left stayed all day long in their shed for about a week before they had gotten used to being only two and dared to leave the shed and behave normally again.
Your ducks will get over this and soon wander freely around your property. You could put them into their shed at night, though, might be safer than your back porch and may get them used to it better.

What breed are they?

 

[Miss Lydia]

For starters, ducks can smell about as good or bad as humans - actually most birds do, so the scent of the males is not an issue.
The problem is, that the ducks were part of a small flock and now they are only two - ducks love to form larger flocks because to them, numbers mean safety. They feel insecure because the protection of the flock is now gone, I once had the same problem, the two birds left stayed all day long in their shed for about a week before they had gotten used to being only two and dared to leave the shed and behave normally again.
Your ducks will get over this and soon wander freely around your property. You could put them into their shed at night, though, might be safer than your back porch and may get them used to it better.

What breed are they?

I totally agree with Frank, and also agree they need to be inside at night locked up for their protection.

 

[teampao]

That is what I was thinking about loosing part of their group. We live in suburbia so the ducks have a nice-sized fenced in backyard. Predators aren't a huge deal. We do have a make-shift pen set up that we keep them in at night with their dog igloo house. I guess last night they flew the coop and hung out on our back patio. It was freezing (we live in Houston so this doesn't happen very often) and I felt bad for them.

One is a female mallard? or Rouen? and the other is a black and white one. Not sure the breed, but smaller than the mallard.

We were thinking of adding another female. Do you think this would help or make too much more change.

Should I just make them stay in their pen until they get over their depression? They did wonder around the yard yesterday pecking at the grass etc. Mainly, it was at night when they usually are nice and snug in their igloo laying eggs that concerned me. No eggs today though. Guess they are mad.

 

[Frank Phinster]

That predators are no big deal doesn't mean that they won't strike one day - I once lost a duck to a hawk, I fed them, left for a few hours in the afternoon, and when I came back, one was dead, the flight muscles, which are most desired by hawks, missing. We also live in Suburbia, didn't keep the hungry bird from stopping by...

If you post a picture, we will help to identify them

With two females, you might also add another drake, it's a more natural setup than only females. If you do not want offspring, you can take the eggs away, provided that they even want to incubate.

I would put them into their pen and lock them up at night. Ducks,like to stay outside at night, because naturally they are part nocturnal, so one or few exceptions can make them uncooperative when you try to herd them into their shed.

 

[Carcajou]

Quote:

I totally agree with Frank, and also agree they need to be inside at night locked up for their protection.

X2, and

 

[teampao]

Here are the girls. I am guessing one is a Rouen and not sure about the other.

So we will start building an enclosed pen around their igloo. They stayed in their pen last night and I think in the igloo bc there was an egg. The pen right now is just some plastic chicken wire staked around their igloo and pool.

We were thinking of another female for the eggs. I wasn't thinking a boy since they would only be ornamental at this point and trying to keep noise down since we have neighbors. But if it is better to just keep the two instead of adding a third female we will do that.

Thank you, thank you!! I appreciate all your help!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think the other maybe blk swedish or a mix. Very pretty and as for noise actually drakes are not loud it's the ducks who quack loudly and often, adding another duck or drake would be fine but intro has to be done slowly so the 2 resident ducks don't look at newbie as a threat to their truff. Ducks can peck un mercilessly on a new potential flock member till they get use to sharing. Hope you cam get them secure pen set up before what ever got the others comes back. They depend on you for their protection

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

X2

 

[teampao]

She could be a black Swedish. Looked up some pics and that looks like her. The other 3 ducks we gave to a friend bc we didn't want 5 in our yard. Thinking now we should have kept 1 male. But they are happy at my friends larger property and big real pond.

So going from what we have now... Should we keep just two females, add another female for more eggs for us, or add another male?

Oh and I am guessing x2 means agree with above post?