help!!!!!!

[Duck mommy 2019]

i let my 5 ducks go into my pond now i can’t get them out! they can go on land but the whole pond is fenced in and there is steps (way to big for ducks) so they just stay there and run into the water when i try to get them! i’ve tried traps, sneaking up on them, and i still can’t catch them!!! they are all pekins so they can’t fly so i’m worried they’ll freeze in the winter since i can’t put their coop in the pond! anyway to save them?

 

[DuckyDonna]

Remain calm! Unless you live in Alaska you’ve probably got time to figure this out.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Remain calm! Unless you live in Alaska you’ve probably got time to figure this out.

it doesn’t get too cold and snowy here until november-december but i’d rather be prepared (first time duck mom haha i’m worried about them) and also we have coyotes and foxes around that try to get the ducks (they go under the fence)

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

i let my 5 ducks go into my pond now i can’t get them out! they can go on land but the whole pond is fenced in and there is steps (way to big for ducks) so they just stay there and run into the water when i try to get them! i’ve tried traps, sneaking up on them, and i still can’t catch them!!! they are all pekins so they can’t fly so i’m worried they’ll freeze in the winter since i can’t put their coop in the pond! anyway to save them?

We trained our ducks to leave the pond and go to their coop with “carrot and stick”. Carrot is treats, like mealworms or scratch that they get when they come out of the water as I call them. They get more as they walk the path to the coop. “Stick” is my kayak. If they don’t come when called, I get in the pond with the kayak and herd to shore. DD is waiting there with a herding stick and ensures that ducks don’t run back in the water after I ground the kayak!

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

We trained our ducks to leave the pond and go to their coop with “carrot and stick”. Carrot is treats, like mealworms or scratch that they get when they come out of the water as I call them. They get more as they walk the path to the coop. “Stick” is my kayak. If they don’t come when called, I get in the pond with the kayak and herd to shore. DD is waiting there with a herding stick and ensures that ducks don’t run back in the water after I ground the kayak!

to small to put a kayak in the water and my ducks won’t come out for food and just eat stuff out of the pond and eat the plants around it. we feed them everyday but have tried to not feed them for a day and they will still not come up for food as we were hoping!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

What if you take a bright coloured rope of tape and span it across the pond with a second person, then slowly moving it across. I bet this time your ducks will be afraid if that giant "snake" and flee the water.

 

[DuckyDonna]

it doesn’t get too cold and snowy here until november-december but i’d rather be prepared (first time duck mom haha i’m worried about them) and also we have coyotes and foxes around that try to get the ducks (they go under the fence)

Well, that is not good! You've most likely got hawks and owls too that can get them from the sky. Also, if you've got snapping turtles in that pond they will kill them or maybe just eat their legs which won't be pretty! Even if you build them a floating house on the pond there are otters and weasels that can swim out to them for a nice duck dinner.

You might do better to fence in an area in your yard which includes their house and get them a kiddie pool if you want to keep them safe from predators and make it easier for you to lock up at night. I don't know your pond set up but it might even be possible for you to fence in a small portion of the pond too? I have a friend that did that and it worked well for him.

 

[ducktalk]

I live in Vermont and our ducks (Khaki Campbell) have now gone through one winter. Honestly they were happier in winter than they are when it gets really hot in summer. I'd go outside on VERY cold days (5-10 degrees) expecting they would've come closer to our house to find a spot to huddle, or gone into the very nice house we'd provided them, but they were happily splashing in what was left of their pond (much of it had frozen over). Basically we gave them lots of options of places to be warm and let their instincts do the rest - so far no one has suffered and we had a pretty cold winter last year.

In terms of predators, according to my husband who works for the Forest Service, they are likely safer in the water (assuming no snapping turtles) and I know that my ducks have been saved by having a pond several times (last winter we saw coyote tracks all around the open spot in the water, but didn't lose any birds...to that predator anyway, haha). To deter avian predators, we strung a line of neon paracord across the length of the pond. Apparently this confuses hawks/owls and they are less likely to dive there.

 

[PirateGirl]

So the whole pond is fenced and your ducks can go in the pond but also climb out onto the land? Is this correct?

So why do you need to catch your ducks?

Can their house just be closer to the pond inside part of this fence?

Can you post a photo of the existing setup?

If they can get in and out of the water they will be fine in winter. Ducks are incredibly cold hardy. Mine choose to sleep out in the snow most days/nights. When the weather is really terrible in winter they are smart enough to seek shelter in their house or behind a wind block. When the sun is bad in summer they are smart enough to seek shade. As long as your ducks have access to shelter and protection, they should be able to figure out how to use it when needed.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

What if you take a bright coloured rope of tape and span it across the pond with a second person, then slowly moving it across. I bet this time your ducks will be afraid if that giant "snake" and flee the water.

the pond is to big to do this