Local duck pond duck...help please

[JadeComputerGal]

You need some help as many people[friends] as you can get form a human fence, someone is going to have to get into the water to walk slowly behind him towards the shore and the human fence you have in place have a dog crate set up so he has no choice but to get into it once on shore or a dog xpen set up walk him into it then go in behind him and pick him up and put him into a dog crate. Others have rescued ducks and geese this way. I got 2 drakes from our river that had been dumped by using a dog xpen setting it up at the rivers edge and putting food at the back so they had to walk into the pen to eat then I closed up the open end and picked them up put them into the dog crate and brought them home.

I think TSC and others should be help accountable maybe we all should start a letter campaign to let them know what is happening every Easter when they sell these ducklings. With pics if we can get them.

Patti, what do you do about segregation when you do that? As much as I'd like to rescue waterfowl, the thought of bringing a duck that's been exposed to who knows what on my property scares me to death. We're really worried even about our little drake the buyer is supposed to be returning, but we're of course still going to take him back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Patti, what do you do about segregation when you do that? As much as I'd like to rescue waterfowl, the thought of bringing a duck that's been exposed to who knows what on my property scares me to death. We're really worried even about our little drake the buyer is supposed to be returning, but we're of course still going to take him back.

These ducks I rescued I had been feeding for a few weeks had spent time watching them and they had no other water fowl around them, other than being very hungry they were healthy so I just brought them first to a pen I had set up at our part of the river down below our home kept them there for a few weeks then brought them home. It's going to be trickier for the OP because this duck is def sick so he needs to be kept way away from her ducks inside in a laundry room or spare bath room and she'll have to make sure she washes her shoes and hands and clothes every time she is around this one. or better take care of hers first then the sick one then change her clothes and shoes.. Really a water fowl rescue is the best way to go if at all possible. This is the second time I have taken in ducks[drakes from the river] thankfully our part of the river doesn't have a big pop of feral ducks like other parts does. Mostly Muscovy's

Here is a thread I have been following you may find interesting on the last page a member has posted links that we all need to bookmark so we can share with others when they want to add ducks to their critters or maybe thinking about taking them to the local pond.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1017863/a-goose-a-duck-or-a-swan-which-makes-the-best-pet

 

[Angie111]

Thanks for the replies. I did go back tonight, but i had no help so the first thing he did was plop his little feathered bum in the pond. I'm very worried that he is sick, i would be devastated if anything happened to my ducks, but i was going to keep him penned up for a bit. I checked online and I didn't come up with any rescue service in my area. However, there is a vet tech that said she'd be willing to look at him. I agree, tractor supply needs to have some responsibility. But i honestly dont think the employees know any better. This last spring, i asked what they do with leftover ducklings- the cashier said normally these ducks go like hotcakes when they offer them at .25 each. Then she said she had gotten one and just took it to the duck pond. I've already taken 2 babies from there this spring and found them homes (both were injured). I've ranted and raved about this- when I took the tractor supply duck from the pond tho spring- i was reprimanded by someone in the community because"they were trying to repopulate the pond". I have no idea what is going to happen in the winter when the pond freezes. I'm going to keep searching for a rescue for this little dude. I'll try to grab him tomorrow on my lunch. Maybe I can get a couple coworkers to help!

 

[Amiga]

Majestic Waterfowl in Connecticut has done several rescues - and may be able to give you some good suggestions.

I think that's where I read something like this -

Get a few people to help - get some temporary fence, like plastic poultry fence, and a duck carrier and some treats.

Have two people stand on the shore holding the ends of the fence, so the fence is in a U shape, open to the pond.

Get one or two people to either use a kayak or waders and go out into the pond beyond the duck or ducks, and start herding the duck(s) toward the shore where the fence is. A treat inside the fence helps.

When the duck gets to shore - goes into the U - The people holding the ends walk together and now the duck is enclosed - easier to pick up and put in the carrier.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Thanks for the replies. I did go back tonight, but i had no help so the first thing he did was plop his little feathered bum in the pond. I'm very worried that he is sick, i would be devastated if anything happened to my ducks, but i was going to keep him penned up for a bit. I checked online and I didn't come up with any rescue service in my area. However, there is a vet tech that said she'd be willing to look at him. I agree, tractor supply needs to have some responsibility. But i honestly dont think the employees know any better. This last spring, i asked what they do with leftover ducklings- the cashier said normally these ducks go like hotcakes when they offer them at .25 each. Then she said she had gotten one and just took it to the duck pond. I've already taken 2 babies from there this spring and found them homes (both were injured). I've ranted and raved about this- when I took the tractor supply duck from the pond tho spring- i was reprimanded by someone in the community because"they were trying to repopulate the pond". I have no idea what is going to happen in the winter when the pond freezes. I'm going to keep searching for a rescue for this little dude. I'll try to grab him tomorrow on my lunch. Maybe I can get a couple coworkers to help!

I don't mean this to be rude, just blunt. The person who reprimanded you is a moron. You don't "populate" ponds with domestic ducks. They're called domestic because they're not bred or raised to live in wild environments. Most can't fly well and have no defenses against predators, and they aren't able to find adequate food to maintain good health. I don't blame you for ranting and raving. Chances are the reason they want to "repopulate" the pond is that the others they've dropped there have met with an unpleasant death. There are plenty of ways to attract wild ducks to a pond if you want unattended ducks on a pond.

I can check around for a letter that can be modified that you might be able to post as a flyer. I think @Amiga wrote the initial version, and some BYC people modify it to use as flyers and letters to the editor around Easter when there's usually a rash of purchasing "disposable ducks."

All that being said, I don't fault TSC or any other farm store selling ducklings or chicks. They're simply a company selling a product, and it's up to the buyer to use/care for the product appropriately. I fault the people who get into something they aren't willing to see through, the same as I do with people who buy dogs because they're cute as puppies then take them to a shelter when they inevitably grow up.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the replies. I did go back tonight, but i had no help so the first thing he did was plop his little feathered bum in the pond. I'm very worried that he is sick, i would be devastated if anything happened to my ducks, but i was going to keep him penned up for a bit. I checked online and I didn't come up with any rescue service in my area. However, there is a vet tech that said she'd be willing to look at him. I agree, tractor supply needs to have some responsibility. But i honestly dont think the employees know any better. This last spring, i asked what they do with leftover ducklings- the cashier said normally these ducks go like hotcakes when they offer them at .25 each. Then she said she had gotten one and just took it to the duck pond. I've already taken 2 babies from there this spring and found them homes (both were injured). I've ranted and raved about this- when I took the tractor supply duck from the pond tho spring- i was reprimanded by someone in the community because"they were trying to repopulate the pond". I have no idea what is going to happen in the winter when the pond freezes. I'm going to keep searching for a rescue for this little dude. I'll try to grab him tomorrow on my lunch. Maybe I can get a couple coworkers to help!

He maybe just malnourished, hopefully that is all but Great that a vet tech is willing to check him over thank goodness.

I'm sorry but I feel that living animals are more than a product. and that selling anything alive should come with great responsibility just like when I had to sell a few duckling the people who bought them went home with a care sheet and still I worried that is why I don't hatch to sell. I'm not coming down on those who do but for me I cannot do it.

I hope you can get this duck and hopefully some of your co workers will help.

 

[enola]

I don't usually defend Tractor Supply, but the remark about Tractor Supply (or any other supplier of poultry) being held responsible for their customer's irresponsibility is just not appropriate.

I would be willing to bet that more than 50% of poultry buyers at most 'stores' that sell poultry know very little about raising baby ducks. I have been in Tractor Supply and watched people buy baby ducks because they are sooooooo cuuuuuute! When asked if they knew how messy baby ducks can be, I was RUDELY informed that they didn't CARE how messy baby ducks are. After all they are soooooo cuuuute!

Soooooooo cuuuuuute becomes becomes what the he** were we thinking when we bought these dam* things!!!!

That's how a lot of ducks end up on public "duck ponds". Not Tractor Supply's responsibility at all!

 

[Amiga]

I will say that TSC has responded at least in our state with a 6 duckling minimum to reduce likelihood of ducklings being bought for cuteness then dumped.

I'd say when things go wrong, there's often a bit of blame that will stick to any of us. Lack of education (on their needs, on their benefits, responsibility in general), lack of supervision, and who knows how many factors. Yet here we are, and we need to deal with it.

This duck needs to be rescued, fed, at a minimum have a fecal test done, and rehomed.

I must run -

 

[JadeComputerGal]

He maybe just malnourished, hopefully that is all but Great that a vet tech is willing to check him over thank goodness.

I'm sorry but I feel that living animals are more than a product. and that selling anything alive should come with great responsibility just like when I had to sell a few duckling the people who bought them went home with a care sheet and still I worried that is why I don't hatch to sell. I'm not coming down on those who do but for me I cannot do it.

I hope you can get this duck and hopefully some of your co workers will help.

You don't need to feel at all sorry if you were responding to what I said. I actually agree with you from a personal perspective. Scott says that I "grill" prospective buyers. I don't consider it "grilling;" I consider it "interviewing," and I've always done that even when I bred Persian cats. I won't sell a duck to just anyone who calls, same as I've never done that with a mammal. I want to make sure our ducks are going to a home I can feel good about, not just shuffle them out the door as quickly as I can. Because of that, I turn down probably a quarter of the people who call, telling them I don't think our ducks are a good fit for them.

One thing I think all the farm stores should do is better educate their employees about any animal they're selling. I don't know how TSC does at that, but our farm store doesn't do a good job of it. I've heard them calling Rouens Mallards and calling Anconas some other breed I can't remember. I've heard them tell people the best feed to buy is medicated chick feed despite the fact they have real duckling feed right there on the shelf, numerous other things. I wish they'd make it a policy to have informed employees, and I also wish they'd have a duckling/duck care and information sheet to give to potential buyers. I don't think any of that is too much to ask of them.

One thing I've wondered for a long time and kept forgetting to ask is does this same thing happen with chicks? Our farm store has far more chicks than ducklings in the spring, and I can't remember ever hearing of these abandonment issues with chicks after they mature.

 

[enola]

Abandoned chicks end up on Craigs list. Or on feed store bulletin boards. Or in SC in our Wal~Mart parking lot, no joke!