It was a crazy morning

[SJUDD]

Every day, I let the ducks out of their cage for about an hour in the morning and about the same every night. I turn the sprinklers on in the yard and they like to fly just over the water and then play in the puddles. this morinng, I let them out, turned the sprinklers on then went in the house to pack the kids lunches since I was running behind (I usually stay out there with them). When I came back outside I only saw 3 ducks, not 4. Of course I panicked and started looking for "baby" and couldn't find her. Usually when I call "Baby" they all quack at me so I started calling. I heard a quack to the east of us. I texted my friend, 2 doors down and asked her to look in their backyard and no, she wasn't there. That meant she was next door. They have a baby and I didn't want to wake them up but they also have a small terrier they let out around 7am and I wanted to get her before then. So I quietly knocked on their door to no answer but their terrier was in the yard yapping at me. I ran back into my backyard and got a chair so I could hop the fence (or my 15 year old son could) and all the sudden, the dog noticed the duck. We heard a few yaps, a few quacks, and then the duck took flight. We watched her circle the neighborhood in about a 3 block radius. She then hovered over our backyard and I kept repeating "land, baby, land" but no, she went east and landed where I couldn't see her. My husband and I started walking the neighborhood calling "Baby", I almost got attacked by one of the neighbors dogs by being in their front yard (not sure why it wasn't fenced) and then I saw a homeless guy with a very confused look on his face. I asked him "have you seen a duck?" and he said "Yeah, it flew right over my head, kind of freaked me out. it went that way", as he pointed north. We finally found her in the Dominoes parking lot. (Guess she wanted a pizza??) I picked her up and she cuddled her head into my neck, like she did when she was a baby and I carried her home.
Needless to say, the ducks are getting their wings clipped tonight. I have never had to do this before and am a bit nervous. My best friend is coming over and has experience clipping chickens' wings... is it the same???
Thanks! SJ

 

[Miss Lydia]

Every day, I let the ducks out of their cage for about an hour in the morning and about the same every night. I turn the sprinklers on in the yard and they like to fly just over the water and then play in the puddles. this morinng, I let them out, turned the sprinklers on then went in the house to pack the kids lunches since I was running behind (I usually stay out there with them). When I came back outside I only saw 3 ducks, not 4. Of course I panicked and started looking for "baby" and couldn't find her. Usually when I call "Baby" they all quack at me so I started calling. I heard a quack to the east of us. I texted my friend, 2 doors down and asked her to look in their backyard and no, she wasn't there. That meant she was next door. They have a baby and I didn't want to wake them up but they also have a small terrier they let out around 7am and I wanted to get her before then. So I quietly knocked on their door to no answer but their terrier was in the yard yapping at me. I ran back into my backyard and got a chair so I could hop the fence (or my 15 year old son could) and all the sudden, the dog noticed the duck. We heard a few yaps, a few quacks, and then the duck took flight. We watched her circle the neighborhood in about a 3 block radius. She then hovered over our backyard and I kept repeating "land, baby, land" but no, she went east and landed where I couldn't see her. My husband and I started walking the neighborhood calling "Baby", I almost got attacked by one of the neighbors dogs by being in their front yard (not sure why it wasn't fenced) and then I saw a homeless guy with a very confused look on his face. I asked him "have you seen a duck?" and he said "Yeah, it flew right over my head, kind of freaked me out. it went that way", as he pointed north. We finally found her in the Dominoes parking lot. (Guess she wanted a pizza??) I picked her up and she cuddled her head into my neck, like she did when she was a baby and I carried her home.
Needless to say, the ducks are getting their wings clipped tonight. I have never had to do this before and am a bit nervous. My best friend is coming over and has experience clipping chickens' wings... is it the same???
Thanks! SJ

yes it's the same and if done right no pain. So happy to hear you got her home safe. Look up Metzers web site on clipping duck wings.

 

[SJUDD]

Thank you for the response. I did not want to clip their wings but I do want them to be safe so it looks like I have no choice

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you for the response. I did not want to clip their wings but I do want them to be safe so it looks like I have no choice

I have had Muscovies for going on 9 yrs now and have clipped their wings since I first got them because I didn't want them flying off never to be seen again, I have not lost a one to predation because of it and mine free range. Or landing in someone property where they have dogs. I shutter at the thought. I think your doing the right thing, just my 2 cents though.

 

[SJUDD]

Thank you. It was really scary when she was flying around this morning. I was worried about where she would land, or if anything would kill her or hurt her. I think I used up a months worth of adreniline this morning.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you. It was really scary when she was flying around this morning. I was worried about where she would land, or if anything would kill her or hurt her. I think I used up a months worth of adreniline this morning.

I'm sure you did. One time a couple of mine walked behind the drake to the river below our home and I tried all afternoon to get them home, nope they were having too much fun, these girls are solid white so I knew they would glow in the dark at night, anyway I didn't sleep much that night praying that they would be safe, next morning I look out the window and here comes the drake with the 2 girls in tow, He wasn't living here at the time and would come up to eat. He was a dumptee at the river, anyway he has since moved in and has been here 8 plus years but he was my hero that day. Ducks love to fly and don't realize once they take off what kind of danger is out there waiting for them, as their keepers it's our responsibility to do what we have to to keep them safe. I love to see the Canadian Geese fly over our home every morn and evening but they are wild and know where they are going, there is a young Muscovy duck living in a portion of the river close to us that was most likely someones pet but she flew off and is now living at the river. Right now she is probably doing okay but come winter it's going to be rough for her to find food. I wish I could bring her here but she won't let me get close. sigh.

 

[SJUDD]

Maybe if you entice her with food, she will come by the time winter sets in? we have a man made lake in the middle of town people use as their dumping ground for unwanted water animals. There are so many different kinds of ducks, geese and turtles that people drop off there. It is sad. One of my girlfriends goes out there every now and then and picks up the ones that don't look like they will make it in the "wild" of the park and takes them home. She has quite the collection at her place and they are all happy and well cared for.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Maybe if you entice her with food, she will come by the time winter sets in? we have a man made lake in the middle of town people use as their dumping ground for unwanted water animals. There are so many different kinds of ducks, geese and turtles that people drop off there. It is sad. One of my girlfriends goes out there every now and then and picks up the ones that don't look like they will make it in the "wild" of the park and takes them home. She has quite the collection at her place and they are all happy and well cared for.

That' s so sweet of your friend. I have stopped there a few times when she is up by the road, scares me to death when I see her so close to it, but as soon as i get out of the car and start walking towards her she flies off. I take food along too but she is just not going to have any of it. Today there was an Eagle sitting in a tree where I most of the time see her swimming in the river, I didn't see her so hopefully she was hiding. If it wasn't so steep there to get to the river I could walk down and sit and see if I could make friend but it's a mountain river with very steep sides at this part.

 

[SJUDD]

Well let me know if it works out for you. Maybe when it starts getting cooler, she will be more inclined to come towards where you have your ducks all warm and cozy

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well let me know if it works out for you. Maybe when it starts getting cooler, she will be more inclined to come towards where you have your ducks all warm and cozy

She'd have to fly up river to where we are, I'm not saying she wouldn't because thats how I got my first Muscovies they flew into our part of the river.I have never seen her any other place in the river except this one area and then up by the road. But thank you I would love to give her a home. she is blue/white like my girl in my avatar.