I need names!

[Pennys Mama]

This Sunday I'm picking up my new ducks, don't know their genders, just know I think one is a boy judging by the photo so you could leave N/A genders or just for any gender. I am bad with names for ducks because I have been through so many white ducks I just don't know what to name them anymore! Thanks.View attachment 1943967

Puddles & Waddles.....
Or
Donald & Daisy.....
(Depending on the sex)

 

[Duck_life]

I'm curious about this. I have ducks, geese, and chickens. My ducks are out free range all day. I have to lock my chickens up for a large part of the day (while I'm at work) because of goshawks, and red tails. I have never lost a duck to a hawk. I have lost many chickens to hawks. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and wondering why.
I simply don't understand why the hawks don't seem interested in the ducks, including calls, but they pick the chickens off one by one if they are out during the day, unsupervised.
Is it because ducks stick in a larger group, and tend not to wander off like chickens do? Do they seem larger from an aerial standpoint?
Is the fluttering of a chicken just irresistible to a hawk?
In all fairness to chickens, a goshawk went for one of my cream Brabanters, twice, and failed. Those things are like velociraptors.

I don't know, my muscovies have been sticking with the pekins but my muscovies aren't scared of a hawk, heck my muscovy will attack anything in their way.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I haven’t lost any ducks to a hawk but if you hang out enough on the duck thread we have had members that have had their ducks killed by hawks. I have lost some chickens to them too.

 

[Duck_life]

I haven’t lost any ducks to a hawk but if you hang out enough on the duck thread we have had members that have had their ducks killed by hawks. I have lost some chickens to them too.

It's weird I here so many people saying they lost their chickens to hawks but I've only lost 1 rooster to a hawk and that was years ago.. my main killers are foxes, bobcats, coyotes, raccoons, and opossums. I have had animals go after my muscovies but none have died in the many attempts they have on them, although the smaller breeds aren't so lucky. I'm guessing I have less deaths because if the chickens see a hawks shadow they run into the bushes or into the woods.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's one of the nice reason to have roosters. They are the alarms here. My tiny OEGB defending his females lost his life this past summer to a hawk. So tiny and yet so brave.

We if didn't have fencing and lock everyone up at night I wouldn't have any birds left. We have the same predators as you except we can add black bear to the list.

 

[Duck_life]

That's one of the nice reason to have roosters. They are the alarms here. My tiny OEGB defending his females lost his life this past summer to a hawk. So tiny and yet so brave.

We if didn't have fencing and lock everyone up at night I wouldn't have any birds left. We have the same predators as you except we can add black bear to the list.

I have never had a black bear bother us, they prefer our trash.

 

[Miss Lydia]

And bird feeders. And chicken feed if they can get to it. a few years ago a member showed a pic of her barn where a black bear ripped the door getting into the barn for feed.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Well, at least they are walking! And i bet they will walk better and more steps every day. Having other ducks around is a great motivation. Why is it a struggle for them to stay above the water? Do their feathers get soaked? That would point to a problem with their preening gland and that'll be bad…
I don't know how much food they should have daily, my ducks have their feeder available 24x7 in their house and 50lbs last 7 days for 24 ducks, that makes an average of 7.14 lbs per day and 0.29lbs per duck per day or 4.6 Oz (130 gramm). I'm sure, the White Layers do eat more than the Runners, but they also lay larger eggs (4oz average!). Just to give you some numbers.
Laying in the middle of the field, having an »eat me!« sign of their backs? - Set up a pole close to their favorite spot about 6' tall and tie some reflective tape to that. It will deter birds of prey. Create a hide-out, just a plastic container on its side or a piece of plywood and two sticks.
And the hardest one: Be patient…

 

[Duck_life]

They kept going under the 'waterfall' which kept dunking them under, they tried climbing up the rock to get to land but they kept getting bunked.. normally my duck fly up onto the rock but it isn't the case for these guys.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I'm curious about this. I have ducks, geese, and chickens. My ducks are out free range all day. I have to lock my chickens up for a large part of the day (while I'm at work) because of goshawks, and red tails. I have never lost a duck to a hawk. I have lost many chickens to hawks. I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and wondering why.
I simply don't understand why the hawks don't seem interested in the ducks, including calls, but they pick the chickens off one by one if they are out during the day, unsupervised.
Is it because ducks stick in a larger group, and tend not to wander off like chickens do? Do they seem larger from an aerial standpoint?
Is the fluttering of a chicken just irresistible to a hawk?
In all fairness to chickens, a goshawk went for one of my cream Brabanters, twice, and failed. Those things are like velociraptors.

Do you have drakes in your duck flock? - My drakes are standing guard while the girls are foraging and alarm everyone if they see something in the sky. In case of bop's everybody is then staring at those and maybe that's intimidating to them. Bop's can only hope to successfully hunt down unaware victims. Their abilities to change course during the dive-attack are somewhat limited, so if a victim (duck) watches closely they can simply out-maneuver the attacker. - Just a weird theory of mine.
Never lost a duck to a BoP too, but that's more due to the large crow families around here, they harrass all dangerous birds away.