getting my ducks away from the house.

[kevmoore88]

Hi, I have three mallards, 2 drakes and 1 hen. I had them pinned up in a coop while they where young but for the past 3-4 months I have left the gate open and they havnt been back in it. We loved having them run around the yard, pecking at our feet, and listening to their nonstop quacks and grunts. The only down side was they loved our porch and have pooped all over it. About a month ago the hen found her way to a cow pond behind the house and hasnt returned to the yard. I have a baby on the way and its time to put a stop to the poopy porch. I took one drake to the pond with the hen. Once he saw the hen he followed her to the water and seemed to forget all about the house.

I took the other one to another pond on the other side of the house. He spotted the house and ran to the fence and is still standing there right now wanting into the yard.

My question is, if I take the loner drake to the pond with the other ducks, will the drakes harm the hen once they start breeding? I have heard that if you have more drakes then hens then the hens could die from over breeding and I dont want this to happen. Any info would help.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please get the duck by itself and put it at least with the other 2, they are too young to even think about them over mating the duck. They need to be together so at least they have a better chance of surviving a pred attack than one by it self, and yes right now you need to be more concerned about predators than over breeding that won't happen till next year. These ducklings depended on you to care for them and feed them now you have separated them from each other and can you imagine how afraid this duckling is by itself wondering why it's not able to get back inside it's safe place. And sorry if I am being too blunt but I am sad for these duckling. and

 

[kevmoore88]

Dont worry about being to blunt, I understand that by buying them and raising them that I am responsible for feeding and protecting them. The wife and I wanted to keep them around because we love watching them run around and get all excited when we get home. I am sure if I let them, they would jump in the truck and go for a ride with me or even go kayaking with me.

After I posted this I walked outside and the duck was on the front porch with the chicken like I never took him to the other pond. I caught him again and took him with the other two. Just like the first, as soon as he saw the others he ran to them and started swimming around. What really broke my heart was after I started to walk to the house, they started to fallow me. I didnt stop them but I guess they got to tired and headed back to the pond.

The pond is only about 100 yards away from the house and we have a security light that keeps it rather lit down there. Sense the hen has gone down there, iv spent plenty of time scoping out.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

After the long Michigan winter of 12-13, my ducks had become very spoiled, and they acted like they'd forgotten how to forage entirely. They kept walking up to my house, pooping everywhere of course, quacking their little duck brains out loudly, and finally I have them 2 weeks in the pen, except for housekeeping time. That did work at eliminating that behavior.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm happy to hear they are all together again. Seems he found a way back home after all. Listen I have 16 Muscovy's [big breed] and lots of poop, my water hose is my best friend. lol... I'm glad you feel the responsibility of caring for them, so may times we see people come in and say they have seen dumped ducklings at a pond near them and it's very sad a lot of them don't make it since they have no skills to make it on their own since they have been cared for since young by humans, most can't fly, at least your little guys can fly off if a pred gets close, be ever mindful though that preds also live under water we have seen some heartbreaking posts of those who have lost their ducks or had one of their ducks seriously injured by snapping turtles.

Just happy to hear they are all reunited. also you might want to think about feeding during cold months, if these ducks are domesticated mallards they won't know to migrate so they will need to be fed over the fall and winter months.