jayytee17
Chirping
- Mar 22, 2016
- 43
- 47
- 89
Hi all!
Yesterday evening I had let my ducks and chickens out of their runs (the ducks and chickens are housed separately but next to each other) to roam the yard (as I typically do whenever the weather is nice) while I was doing stuff around my yard. I always let them out to roam the yard when I'm home, but put them away at night so they are safe. When I went to put them away last night, my hen mallard, Little Duck was gone. The chickens had put themselves away per usual, and my other duck, Loretta, (a female mixed breed I purchased at TSC two years ago as a duckling) was in her pen as well.
I rescued Little Duck this past summer as a duckling at a marina about an hour from my house. She was alone wandering around and couldn't have been more than a day or two old. There were no other mallards or ducklings in sight, I looked around for a nest but could not find one. I tried to leave her in hopes mom would come back for her, but then a cat started stalking her and I got worried so I caught her and brought her home and raised her. When she was big enough, I put her with my two ducks from TSC, Loretta and Dolly, (but Dolly has since passed).
The duck's pen has a kiddie pool that is refilled weekly with fresh water, three waterers that are always filled with fresh water, and access to food, treats, and other goodies. Typically when I let the ducks and chickens out, sometimes Little Duck will fly around the yard up above the trees, almost as if she's doing laps, but always comes back to be with her buddy, Loretta. They are very attached and whenever Little Duck flies off, Loretta will call for her and quack loudly until Little Duck returns. If I call her or shake food because I don't see her, she will quack and come to me, as will the other duck and chickens.
I have never had Little Duck fly off and not return, and I opted out of clipping her wings in case she was roaming in the yard and needed to escape a predator. The strange thing about last night is I never heard Loretta calling for her, as she always does when Little Duck flies off and she did not seem distraught to be put in the pen alone without Little Duck when I put her away for the night. There were no feathers or sign of struggle, which I assume I would have seen if something had gotten Little Duck.
I looked around this morning before work and I still could not find her, despite calling her and shaking food. I am wondering if something may have spooked her so she flew off and roosted somewhere else for the night? My neighbor said she will probably come back while I am at work because Little Duck knows where home and her food is, but she is also technically wild (even though I have had since she was a baby) and I am wondering if maybe instinct finally took over? there is a pond about two miles down the street from my house and I will check there for her after work. I do not know she would even go that far from home but if she is not there, I have no idea what could have happened to her.
From what I have found on BYC, it is pretty up in the air whether she will come back or not. Some posts say that in this situation people have had their mallards return while other have not. Does anyone have any insight on what they think has happened to Little Duck? I am so worried that Loretta will be lonely =(
Thanks in advance!
Yesterday evening I had let my ducks and chickens out of their runs (the ducks and chickens are housed separately but next to each other) to roam the yard (as I typically do whenever the weather is nice) while I was doing stuff around my yard. I always let them out to roam the yard when I'm home, but put them away at night so they are safe. When I went to put them away last night, my hen mallard, Little Duck was gone. The chickens had put themselves away per usual, and my other duck, Loretta, (a female mixed breed I purchased at TSC two years ago as a duckling) was in her pen as well.
I rescued Little Duck this past summer as a duckling at a marina about an hour from my house. She was alone wandering around and couldn't have been more than a day or two old. There were no other mallards or ducklings in sight, I looked around for a nest but could not find one. I tried to leave her in hopes mom would come back for her, but then a cat started stalking her and I got worried so I caught her and brought her home and raised her. When she was big enough, I put her with my two ducks from TSC, Loretta and Dolly, (but Dolly has since passed).
The duck's pen has a kiddie pool that is refilled weekly with fresh water, three waterers that are always filled with fresh water, and access to food, treats, and other goodies. Typically when I let the ducks and chickens out, sometimes Little Duck will fly around the yard up above the trees, almost as if she's doing laps, but always comes back to be with her buddy, Loretta. They are very attached and whenever Little Duck flies off, Loretta will call for her and quack loudly until Little Duck returns. If I call her or shake food because I don't see her, she will quack and come to me, as will the other duck and chickens.
I have never had Little Duck fly off and not return, and I opted out of clipping her wings in case she was roaming in the yard and needed to escape a predator. The strange thing about last night is I never heard Loretta calling for her, as she always does when Little Duck flies off and she did not seem distraught to be put in the pen alone without Little Duck when I put her away for the night. There were no feathers or sign of struggle, which I assume I would have seen if something had gotten Little Duck.
I looked around this morning before work and I still could not find her, despite calling her and shaking food. I am wondering if something may have spooked her so she flew off and roosted somewhere else for the night? My neighbor said she will probably come back while I am at work because Little Duck knows where home and her food is, but she is also technically wild (even though I have had since she was a baby) and I am wondering if maybe instinct finally took over? there is a pond about two miles down the street from my house and I will check there for her after work. I do not know she would even go that far from home but if she is not there, I have no idea what could have happened to her.
From what I have found on BYC, it is pretty up in the air whether she will come back or not. Some posts say that in this situation people have had their mallards return while other have not. Does anyone have any insight on what they think has happened to Little Duck? I am so worried that Loretta will be lonely =(
Thanks in advance!
