Help! Mother and ducklings in garden pool

[Isaac 0]

The chlorine won't hurt them from a chemical standpoint but long exposure will remove the oils from their feathers. So a little chlorine won't hurt but daily would leave them a little bedraggled.

I would be concerned about the long term effects of the ducklings drinking chlorinated water on a regular basis, not to mention chlorine can irritate the eyes and skin of animals. I think it would be best not to use chlorine in the pool at all. IMO.

 

[Jlze]

Has anyone had a problem with RATS?!

I have seen 2 rats trying to get to the duck feed in the early mornings and found tunnels on the perimeter of the pool area


Should I not be leaving the duck food out at night?

 

[Isaac 0]

@Miss Lydia Has rats around her coop I believe. I wouldn't leave the duck food out at night, I doubt the ducks are eating it at night your just attracting the critters.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do not leave your feed out at night. I have been having a problems with wood rats. They haven't been getting into their feed in the daytime but hanging out under the bird feeders for the wild birds. We managed to trap 4 and now they won't go near the traps so were actually waiting for the black snakes to take care of them. Place the feed in the open so they aren't as tempted to come around. Under a chair or something to keep the weather off of it. I knew someone in Florida who lost a litter of Irish setters from rats urine and poop in their food for their puppies that stuff is a killer.

 

[Jlze]

Because it goes dark at 8pm I do usually leave them food as I don’t check on them from 8pm- 5am & have found that the food is sometimes all gone in the morning even before the rats were there.

Yes they have it under a bench right next to the pool ramp so they can easily get in & out for food without being spotted by flying predators.

Goodness I’m glad I don’t have a threat of black snakes they sound ominous!

Eww that’s a good point with the urine in the food!
I think I’m going to put poisoned food in their rat tunnels I’ve only seen 2 rats so far & I need to get them before they multiply!

Thanks friends

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just make sure nothing else can get into the poison. I can't put out poison because I have dogs who will eat anything. Plus my ducks and chickens will eat mice and if they have poison in them then the ducks and chickens are also eating it. I other words be very careful using poison. The black snakes get to be 5-6' long here and if i can keep them busy eating the rats and mice then they will hopefully leave my eggs alone.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thing is you don't always know the rats are there. They'll be fine with out food during those hrs I mean you can leave the water I just wouldn't leave feed.

 

[Jlze]

Ok thanks!

The only thing I worry about is if they don’t have food they will go round foraging- more chance of them running into a hungry rat!

And if the rat doesn’t have the duck feed there it’s only food options are ducklings?!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you think they are small enough yet that a rat would go after them?

 

[Jlze]

Hi friends,

2 ducklings were taken last night
They are at least 2 weeks old now

I feel like it happened well before I was up as the rest of the ducks were fine and didn’t seem scared or on guard as they’d been last time when I think the heron had taken them

the rat is of course a suspect

I’m thinking if it was a fox they wouldn’t just take 2 and leave the rest unharmed?
Or an owl wouldn’t get 2 in one go?
Is there anything in the way of clues for what could be getting multiple numbers leaving no trace at all and the rest completely unharmed?