:( found duck floating dead this morning

[Duck/GooseCRAZY]

okay

I have found bricks for both pools and made sure EVERYONE of them knew out to get out before I left!! I have seen where other people put crates in the middle of their pool and always wondered why. I don't know why I didn't ask, so UNLIKE me not to ask

lessoned learned....hard way, but learned. Hopefully someone can learn from my mistake..... if another one dies, I will definitely take to vet!

 

[helkat]

Sorry for your loss!

 

[hendrix25]

Quote:
this was another thought i had. what is your ratio males to females? have you ever noticed any of your males (if you have any) being more persistent than the others?

 

[L0rraine]

I had a similar experience with a few ducklings and it still leaves a horrible pit in my stomach. They were getting pretty big, nearly three weeks old and I was using a kitty litter pan and they were hopping in and out without any apparent problem, so I removed one brick to give them a little more swimming room (but still had one brick in) it apparently wasn't enough. I was horrified - I had heard the sad stories, but thought I had things covered pretty well. (They were hatched and raised by momma ducks so were supposed to have pretty good oil protection as well.)

I also have one adult runner drake that struggles to get out of the pool sometimes (usually when he's in a hurry because the dog or I am a little too close for comfort), but he seems to have no problem when he's calm - literally "walks" out then. I have a couple of bricks in for him, but I've never seem them use them even when he's struggling to get out. I was concerned that sometimes the water level is too low, but he struggles sometimes even when the pool is full (I think he's just a little less coordinated than the others).

And I do worry about the females when it's heavy duty breeding season.

It does seem our ducks lives are fraught with danger in spite of our best efforts at times.

 

[L0rraine]

p.s. I LIKE the crate in the middle of pool idea as well. I had tried a big rock at one point, but it was too heavy for me to empty and clean the pool everyday.

 

[pringle]

Is it a rouen?Becouse they have a tendancy to drown sometimes due to somthing with there feathers

 

[shelleyd2008]

An adult duck shouldn't have any problems being in water overnight, my ducks last winter were on the pond night and day, they were the reason the pond didn't freeze completely.

I would be looking for some other reason as to why this duck was dead in the water.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

I have call ducks, and I have brick "steps" for them in and out of the pools.

They can sometimes get in and out without them - but if they are in a panic (from another duck going after them or the geese wanting the pool) the sometimes freak out and cannot get out of the pool.

Also, we had a duck drown when I was a kid - we had rats - they drowned him in the pool. So, a predator might do the deed (racoon, perhaps, not necesarily a rat).

meri

 

[Duck/GooseCRAZY]

it could be the male to female ratio....they are all relatively young but, I have noticed the males getting a little frisky. I have 5 females and 9 males. I am looking for another pen arrangement. Haven't come across any yet. The dog kennel 10x10x6 at tractor supply has worked out really well, except they are $270 plus tax.

 

[FenDruadin]

I love dog kennels for ducks, and I never pay that much for them.

Look on your local craigslist--folks often get rid of, or lose, their dogs, and sell their dog kennels for less than $150 (cash, no tax). I've also found a supplier that sells their (new) scratch n dent kennels for $145 regularly--the "scratches" and "dents" are functionally minor--primarily cosmetic, with a few small areas that I would patch with wire.