Injured Duck

[chris330r]

Thank you so much for keeping us updated on him. You two have a close bond. My Muscovy drake and I do too.

Is your Muscovy drake wild or do you keep him in an enclosed area or pen? If I had a big backyard and no HOA, i'd build something for him to feel safe in overnight.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine is a pet hatched here almost 8 yrs ago. He has a harem of 4 females. Him and his girls sleep in the coop with the chickens.

 

[chris330r]

He's gorgeous! I love his fluffy white chest. And with his own coop and harem too. He's living like a king lol. I have about 5 or 6 drakes to just 2 females and 1 of them is bonded with one of the drakes so there's really only 1 female available to all of them. (There is also the one eyed female, but she don't count because she's mental and keeps away from the others. Being one eyed I think makes her extra defensive all the time and she always charges at the others in anger.)

 

[Miss Lydia]

Poor thing that is sad. Wonder why so many Drakes to females. Do they get picked off by predators often?

 

[Anime2lover]

He's gorgeous! I love his fluffy white chest. And with his own coop and harem too. He's living like a king lol. I have about 5 or 6 drakes to just 2 females and 1 of them is bonded with one of the drakes so there's really only 1 female available to all of them. (There is also the one eyed female, but she don't count because she's mental and keeps away from the others. Being one eyed I think makes her extra defensive all the time and she always charges at the others in anger.)

He is beautiful. He really does seem like your pet now. Muscovies (tame ones at least) are sweet. I have a muscovy mix duckling and he/she will gladly fall asleep on my chest. Her dad wasnt so tame, but it was always funny watching him.

 

[chris330r]

Poor thing that is sad. Wonder why so many Drakes to females. Do they get picked off by predators often?

I've seen raccoons across the pond and the herons swoop down to snatch the ducklings when they're little. Also, some females just disappear when they have their ducklings and never come back. I've seen females in the water with a line of babies behind them, and never see them again. So maybe they just live somewhere else.

The group that hangs around daily are mainly all 5 or 6 large drakes and the 3 females, including the crazy one eye.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Snapping turtles also prey on ducklings and ducks so they really have a lot against them .

 

[chris330r]

Snapping turtles also prey on ducklings and ducks so they really have a lot against them .

The pond is full of the turtles. They don't bother the adult ducks, but I can see them plucking the babies under the water. I toss full bread slices into the water and enjoy seeing them pull the bread underwater to eat.

They crawl out to the grass to lay their eggs while the ravens patiently watch and dig them up after they go back in the water. So it's tough out there for all of these animals to survive.

EDIT: Above I wrote I can see them plucking the ducklings under the water, meaning I can understand how they can...i've never actually seen that happen. That would be horrifying to watch! When they're ducklings, they're the cutest animals ever.

 

[Miss Lydia]

They really are precious little things I am so blessed to have them in my life. The black and white is my oldest now she turned 12 this past month.

 

[chris330r]

They're so beautiful...and I can tell they're well cared for because they look so clean compared to mine! Mine have ratty looking feathers from rough living in the wild but the feathers on your ducks look so clean and fluffy. I love the snowy white one. I never see that color here in FL. Unless it's those Donald Duck looking ones with the orange bills.