That might be a better idea. The reason I had used a box before is because I'll have to carry her all the way around my house and my neighbors have complained about my feeding them, so I didn't want to start a thing. Lol this would so much easier if I had a gate that opened up to the creek. Hubby wint be able to help til Monday, but maybe by then she will trust me again and I can hand her over the fence to him.
There is almost no problem with ducks that cannot be solved with a handful of meal worms! My ducks trade their eggs for meal-worms…
I think I may need to find my girl a new friend. Her sister so so scared without her, she did eat from my hand today but was super skittish and mostly kept a distance. I'm not giving up yet. However the rouen I did catch is so stressed out. She normally loves her all flock pellets but since I caught her she won't touch them. She won't eat from my hand and just pants when I get close. I did give her some romaine and parsley in her water today and she ate almost all of the romaine She also munched on a weed next to my house some, but wouldn't touch her pellets. I noticed a lot of feathers laying around, I'm hoping she isn't pulling them out. I feel so bad for her. While I don't want to give up on her sister, I feel like maybe I should go ahead and find her friend so she isn't lonely. I looked briefly and there are lots available close to me, runners, golden 300 and muscovy. I also think I will need to run to the feed store and get some meal worms. Maybe that will perk her up.
Mealworms perk them up for sure. A friend would be nice. And she is most likely molting it’s that time of year. If you get her a friend will you still take in her sis if you can get her? Do you have a hand size mirror you can attach to her coop wall? Being able to see another duck can help. Don’t give up it’s all new to her.
Thank you so much for your help, a hand mirror is a great idea. I don't have one but they are cheap, maybe I will try that. Unfortunately we are only allowed two ducks in city limits, however my HOA actually doesn't allow ducks or chickens and that didn't stop me... lol. Some neighbors down the street have had chickens and a rooster for 3 years with no problem so I decided to have ducks anyway. ♀️ So if we get her a friend I may still keep trying with her sister. Part of me does worry that her sister looks to be more mallard and I worry a bit about getting in trouble having her. The issue with my neighbors, aside from the woman two doors down squawking at me for 30min about why I shouldn't be feeding the ducks by the creek (about a month and a half ago), I also had a fish and game officer show up at my house because he received several calls from my neighbors (probably just her) about my feeding them. He said it's perfectly legal to feed them there and he can't stop me, however he was hoping I'd stop so the neighbors calling him. It's silly, but given all the drama I almost worry about having a duck that looks so much like a mallard. Don't get me wrong though, these two are so bonded If I can get her I plan to, she is so sweet. Her name is Squeakers. She still hasn't warmed back up to me though. She will est from my hand but she is so jumpy and skittish, won't stay long and runs off if I make the slightest movement. I hate that they are apart . Jimmy, the girl we already caught (my son named her when she was tiny thinking she was a boy lol) is still so upset. She won't touch her food, only ate one mealworms that I saw and left the rest She has been wating her romaine and today my husband fed her a Caterpillar, a grasshopper and several snails. She has a lot to say to me, but doesn't want me near her. (Sorry this reply is crazy long!)
Maybe you need to find a friend for her asap. I know its so hard when they first move into a new place. and being alone she has no one to relate to. As for her friend at the creek maybe she should just stay there she is with other ducks so I doubt she really misses her friend as much as the other way around. What part of the US are you in? might be some rescues around that adopt ducks they have rescued. {domestic}
She does really like to You might be right. I know Squeakers was really lost the first couple of days after we took Jimmy. I saw her just sitting by the creek alone and she would call out to Jimmy. She seems better now and hanging with the other ducks, but still a little bit off. They were so bonded, I hate it. It seems she can fly, at least from the grass down into the creek she can. I put up a post in a local farm group but no one has responded. I have checked craigslist and the only one left that is close by is a wild mallard that had been hit by a car. She is healed now but her wing is messed up, that may be an option but again a wild mallard. I called a local hatchery today but they are out of duck til February. A rescue is a good idea, I will see if I can find on nearby. I'm in Nampa Idaho.