guess who's back

[SureIsSweetTho]

This feral mom is back again with another dozen eggs behind my heat pump. I have a question though. I know when the chicks hatch, the mom will walk them down to one of the ponds, because I followed them once, but will they come back? The thing is I have a serious privacy fence, so the duck has to fly in and out of my yard, but she apparently doesn't have the foresight to realize the chicks won't be able to get out of the yard unless I let them out. But after the last one I got worrying about if they wanted to come back at night, I'd have to let them back in. If that's the case, I really wouldn't have any choice but to leave the privacy fence gate open for them.

 

[SureIsSweetTho]

Side note, I'm pretty sure this is the same duck that hatched a bunch of babies 6 weeks ago, but I've never seen any of them. Are they weaned already, or is it more likely she lost them all?

 

[Miss Lydia]

She’s looks at your yard as a safe place. I’m not sure once feral muscovy ducks hatch they will bring their duckling back to were they hatched I am thinking probably not. But I do know from reading about these ducks in a wild environment that they lose the majority of their ducklings. Snapping turtles land and air predators pick off a lot. Have you every watched at dusk to see if mama an duckling are around the outside of your privacy fence?

 

[SureIsSweetTho]

No I haven't done that.. I followed her and the dozen ducklings down to the pond where she was immediately overtaken by aggressive males while another male stood over the babies.. it was pretty upsetting, and I couldn't do anything about it, so I left, and I didn't see her again until a week or so ago. I think this time I'll just leave the gate open for a day or two and see if she comes back.. I'd hate to think she came back to a closed gate and that I contributed to losing all her babies.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Keep it closed while shes brooding that will help keep her safe. She looks like one of my Muscovy. I love this breed.

 

[SureIsSweetTho]

The gate always stays closed, so she's fine for now. I mean once they hatch I have to open the gate to let them out, or else they stay stuck in the yard. So once I let them out I'm considering leaving it open for a couple days to see if they come back. Although I've been reading more and it doesn't sound like they do, so perhaps a moot point, but I should be able to tell by that evening, and it won't hurt to leave it open a couple days if she's gone anyway.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Please keep us updated!