How do you catch a sick duck in a pond - she can't get out

[Mashie]

Hi,
My lovely Cayuga (Coogie) has hurt one leg, maybe because with the drought there are a lot of exposed rocks at the edge of my natural, spring-fed 1/2 acre pond. We built a ramp to help the ducks in and out when the water levels started to fall a month ago. She has tried to stand at the end of the ramp where it is just under water but she sort of falls to one side.

Seems she can't stand and so she can't get out. The pond is about 2 feet lower than usual now. I've been able to get food to her and she has preened (falling over a little) and is now snoozing, standing on her good leg. She seems to have trouble folding up her bad leg the way they usually do, and she keeps trying to scratch her head with the bad leg and stopping (or maybe she's doing something to the leg, not sure). She is low in the water when she swims but I've seen her that low before, maybe it's because she hasn't preened properly - and she is not swimming quite right. I can't see any injury.

I don't know how to catch her to examine her. She is fairly nervous (she'll eat out of her bowl when I hold it but she doesn't eat from my hand and doesn't accept treats from a hand). The pond is big. She'd be terrified of the boat and oars, or if I carried anything towards her. I've picked her up when on land occasionally but am worried I could hurt her if she panics, even if I could reach her.

Yesterday she had a slight limp, which happens often... this could be the same issue or a different one. A few months ago her sister had a bad leg injury (possibly a dog) and had to be put down and I feel sick thinking the same could happen -- Coogie is my favourite, she is such a character. The other ducks are white campbells so she is a little bigger and bosses them about.

Have read that I could maybe drop a sheet over her head and then catch her.. right now she is about 2 feet from the bank in shallows so I could get close enough to do this but worry she'll panic and hurt herself. I've caught her in the past on land with help from a cardboard box.

Any advice? RIght now I'm hoping rest and food will enable her to pull through, or if she feels sicker (heaven forbid) that I'll be able to catch her. The neighbour's dog can no longer get in so the worst risks other than the injury itself are our cats (which leave the ducks alone but might chance it if they realise she is sick) and a fox - we haven't seen many lately. So for now she is just sat there near the edge of the pond... :-( and I'm feeling sick.

Help with a good way to catch her would be great, also advice about the leg!

 

[SmiYa0126]

Can you get help? If two people corral her to towards you, you have a better chance to catch her. Ive seen nets and sheets being used but they seem to be really stressful for the birds.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You'll need help so someone can get behind her and guide her to shore and someone on shore with a large net or sheet etc to catch her once she gets out. If she has injured her leg she shouldn't be able to get away to quickly once you get her on land.

 

[Mashie]

I didn't manage to catch her (despite two people to help and a boat and two landing nets.... she went like the clappers when she had to, charging around the pond and through water lily pads - so much so I thought she would hurt herself more). I thought she was getting perkier after a few days although she still couldn't stand on the bad leg -- but sadly a fox got her and one of her friends. I think this is because they weren't sitting where they normally do (out by an island) but close to shore, because she chose to do that (close to food)... though I'm surprised a predator got two when they would both have been in the water. Very sad but I really did my best. I would probably give up on ducks as being too difficult, but as I only had one left, I have found two more (same breed) to join her - she has been very miserable, mourning and yelling and very reluctant to go away for the night.

For years I used to have small white ducks that could fly as well as mallards (seemed to be white mallards that bred true, can't find the breed) and they did fine. The cayugas and white campbells lay better but need much more attention. The originals (inherited, introduced locally 50 years ago) died out because over the years the flock became 90% male!

Wish me luck with the new little flock... I am still sick inside to have lost Coogie...:-(

 

[SmiYa0126]

I'm so sorry ! It's so hard losing our little friends.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sorry you lost Coogie and her friend. I hope the 2 new ducks settle in and that you can keep them safe from predators.

 

[Canadian Wind]

I'm sorry Keep your little ones in your heart, they will never be far away.

 

[lwharran1]

Can you get help? If two people corral her to towards you, you have a better chance to catch her. Ive seen nets and sheets being used but they seem to be really stressful for the birds.

Do you have the snapping turtles in the pond? They are horrible to water fowl. They seem to do a lot of damage to them. I had two ducks that limped really bad for quite a while and I think it was because of the snapping turtles in the pond. I hope you catch this duck and help her because she wont survive if she's not helped.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I hope your new ducks stay safe and I am so sorry for the loss of your other two. My friends all think that ducks need a pond but they often are not safe on one. Mine all have three large containers of water that they bathe in and are quite happy that way. They have never known a pond. What they don't have they don't seem to miss. Good luck with your new ducks and I hope it all works out well for you.

 

[Mashie]

Thanks everyone. I'm in UK so it's not snapping turtles... however I now think it may be mink. I've lost two more birds (thought this morning they had all been taken but one is left, although she seems to have lost her voice). I think I'll have to keep her fenced, which feels tragic. She is very shaken and almost soundless, though she opens her bill. She shakes when I come near her. I'm devastated - I've kept ducks free-range safely for 10 years, losing very few, and have lost 7 this year, 5 to predators, one to illness and one who broke her leg.

Reason I think Mink is that the last two carcases, half eaten, were found at the edge of the island in the middle of our pond, 7 yards from the closest land. We lost all our carp a few years ago, I think to mink, and the heads were found on the island...