In summer of 2010, I got 6 mallard ducklings for TSC. 5 females and 1 male. 4 females flew off and left me with a pair. They stayed until mid fall and then they flew away and only came around for an occasional meal. I have chickens so there was a constant food supply. This continued on through the winter and into April of 2011 when I noticed the female did not come around as much as the male. Well I discovered that she was indeed there and had built a nest in the corner of chicken enclosure. She hatched out 16 babies in mid May! It was so cute watching them follow her around and swim in our small pond.
After month, I noticed that three of the ducklings had disappeared. Something was coming around at night and snatched them. Hubby's has a friend that lives up the road and wanted to put ducks on his new pond. We live in a rural area. His pond is large and has an island in the middle. This island is vegitated and has a duck house on it. We all thought this was the perfect solution. I don't have a safe place for the ducks at night and the island sounded perfect.
Last Friday was round up day. All the ducklings and the momma were taken to our friends house and released on the island with food to encourage the momma to stay. Well she didn't. She left within a hour of being released. We were sure the ducks were still close by because they could not fly yet and we knew the momma would not leave them. We told our friend to be patient and they would be back.
Fastforward to today, Monday, my husband is in the yard working when he hears a noise coming from the tree line. Momma duck comes marching out the woods with here 13 babies in tow!!! So, hubby herds them back into the enclosure, where they went willingly and shut the gate and then called me.
That duck WALKED her babies over 1/4 mile through the woods over the course of 3 nights to return to our house. How did she remembered where to go? I find this amazing and I had to share.
Well, we are going to keep the 13 ducklings until they can fly on their own, so hubby is now making some kind of enclosure so we can pen them up and night. I am truly overrun with ducks!
After month, I noticed that three of the ducklings had disappeared. Something was coming around at night and snatched them. Hubby's has a friend that lives up the road and wanted to put ducks on his new pond. We live in a rural area. His pond is large and has an island in the middle. This island is vegitated and has a duck house on it. We all thought this was the perfect solution. I don't have a safe place for the ducks at night and the island sounded perfect.
Last Friday was round up day. All the ducklings and the momma were taken to our friends house and released on the island with food to encourage the momma to stay. Well she didn't. She left within a hour of being released. We were sure the ducks were still close by because they could not fly yet and we knew the momma would not leave them. We told our friend to be patient and they would be back.
Fastforward to today, Monday, my husband is in the yard working when he hears a noise coming from the tree line. Momma duck comes marching out the woods with here 13 babies in tow!!! So, hubby herds them back into the enclosure, where they went willingly and shut the gate and then called me.
That duck WALKED her babies over 1/4 mile through the woods over the course of 3 nights to return to our house. How did she remembered where to go? I find this amazing and I had to share.
Well, we are going to keep the 13 ducklings until they can fly on their own, so hubby is now making some kind of enclosure so we can pen them up and night. I am truly overrun with ducks!