Lonely duck :*(

[ZoeS95423]

Okay, so Long story short, Last spring I bought 6 khaki ducklings, after they got old enough to find out which were males, and which were females I sold all except a pair, and when I sold them I made sure I knew who was pair up with who, and this pair has been paired up since about last June. The female doesnt like being around the other ducks for some reason, and the male would go in the pond every morning, while the female would quack in the lawn until he came out, then they would go across the road and play in a rather large puddle. Which I was never very happy about, I live on a road that has almost no traffic, and most of it is older people anyway. Either way, earlier this week, I walked over to get them, and the male was acting weird. He was walking around and everything, but let me pick him up and carry him back to the coop. The khakis are the most skittish ducks I have. So I carried him back to the coop, the next morning he was dead.

There were no physical damages on his body, and he was walking around completely normal, so I dont think that he got hit by a car, but if he was attacked by something I dont think I would have found him, or the female for that matter.
Either way, no the female just stands in the lawn, quacking trying to call him to her, and she is completely heart broken, and will not pair off with any of my other ducks. And I cant get another male until I get rid of 2 that I have, that are kind of a-holes, which I think is why she doesnt like being around the other ducks.
Is there anything I can do? I feel like she is going to die of a heartbreak. Its been almost a week, and she is still looking for him, wondering why he isnt coming.

Does anyone have any pointers?

 

[Mum]

No pointers; just feeling sad for your duck! And, for you!!

 

[jessiduck]

Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for your loss! My heart is breaking for you!

Maybe the water was contaminated?

 

[duckfeathers]

I'm so sad to hear this story!

My best advice is just to do whats best for the duck. If i were in this situation maybe i would consider buying another male just for her sake. I understand you cannot get any other ducks but....
And...I used to own four ducks-one male three female. I sold a pair off but was left with two females. They are great together and look out for each other. Maybe you could consider adding another female? It all depends on your duck. Another option is giving her away to someone who owns a larger flock of birds...she could socialize and never be alone. I did this once and it worked...again..it depends on the bird.(although i would think this option through!) Do you think isolating her with another male would help? I isolated two of my birds and they created a great bond
I hope i helped!
Good luck with the sad duck

- i hope she gets happy soon

 

[jreynolds]

I feel so bad for your poor duck!!!

I hope you can come up with a solution.

 

[veronicasmom]

I would get another female and put them somewhere alone together until they bond. Then introduce them back into a flock. Sorry about the loss of your drake.

 

[ZoeS95423]

Thanks for all of your opinions!

I dont think the water was contaminated, because then she too, would die.
But I am getting a new chicken/duck coop soon, ( 12 feet by 20 feet) and its going to have two rooms in it, and I will have to build a new outdoor pen, I may consider getting a new female duck, and putting them in together and hope that they bond, or possibly another male. Because right now, I dont have anywhere to put just the two ducks together. I hope it works! I really wish I knew why he died.

 

[duckfeathers]

Do you think he ate something toxic? I read these toxins: Aflatoxin poisoning,Botulism,Castor bean poisoning,Rapeseed meal,Insecticides, rodenticides can be particularly harmful to ducks. The death is quick as well. Here's a site you could look at:
http://www.duckhealth.com/duckhlth.html

I think this is the solution to your mystery.
Hope your plan works! And hope i helped!

 

[campchickens]

I also had a pair of ducks, and the male wad killed last night.

My now solo female is about 7 months old and pals around with my chickens pretty well (they share housing), especially a rooster she and the male duck were raised with from day one. Will this be adequate? Should I try to acquire ducks her age? (Long term goal is to get more ducklings in the spring anyway, so looking for tips on integrating flocks-- is it just like chickens?)

 

[User353335]

@ZoeS95423 - I'd bet it must be heartbreaking to see a duck call out for his/her friend. I'm confident that with time and introduction to new ducks, things will heal over. I'd mirror what other said regarding getting another duck to keep her company. Another girl might be less stressful for her, and they can be sisters. You can get a necropsy / post-mortem to figure out a cause of death if you wish to know. Local universities usually have great pricing.

@campchickens - I've had good luck with getting ducks around the same age. Remember to keep watch that you don't have too many Males (1:3 to 1:5 male to female ratio is ideal). If you're planning on getting more ducks, I'd recommend getting another duck asap to help the solo female adjust to the loss. As for integrating them, I'd recommend letting them play with each other under supervision for a while. They may battle a bit, but it's best to let them work it out unless someone's really getting hurt. It doesn't last long. When you can't be there to "supervise" keep the new duck in a protected area / cage, but make sure that cage is still visible to the other duck so they can still bond. I think this practice is similar to chickens, but by in large, ducks are much less aggressive. When you're ready to let them be together without supervision, I've found it's best to do this as you put them to bed. They seem to go to sleep, get up, and things are a-okay. Good luck!