Lost a duck today

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Experienced duck Keepers, please tell me if you've ever had a duck drown in her water bucket?

My newest Runner, who may or have not had some sort of undetermined vision issue but otherwise seemed like she had adjusted well to living with ducks instead of chickens... Well, she was fine with the flock at 8am, and my son says he thinks he saw her at 2pm, but I found her dead in the water bucket about 3pm. I'm at a loss and I feel terrible. She was livestock and all, but quite a nice and friendly duck. The board that is normally atop the bucket was totally off but the depth of the water I do not believe would have been a real issue. So did she get stuck and just give up?

 

[jdywntr]

It can happen, usually with younger ducklings that can't get out. She could have gotten stuck and tired herself trying to get out. Or if you have a drake he could have been holding her and she couldn't get her head out.
I would either make a permanent top or put a brick or two in the bottom so that it isn't as deep.

I'm sorry for the loss. I look at my birds as livestock, not pets but still don't like to lose any.

 

[BantamWhisperer]

So sorry for your loss

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Thank you so much! That brick in the bottom idea makes so much sense I cannot believe I didn't think of it before! Yes, I certainly don't want to lose any more, so I will add a brick!

 

[PoultryGirly]

How deep was the water?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Well the bucket and setup is identical to the one Wynette pictured on the Winter Waters Thread, the total volume is about 5 gallons, and the bucket was half full. Maybe just not enough to get out?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well the bucket and setup is identical to the one Wynette pictured on the Winter Waters Thread, the total volume is about 5 gallons, and the bucket was half full. Maybe just not enough to get out?

Oh Holly so sorry to hear about your Runner, I have a hard time understanding how she drowned in the 5 gallon unless like jdyw said she was stuck. I actually took all the tops off my buckets not because of fear of getting stuck but because it was so hard to clean up around the top of the buckets, I haven't seen any of mine trying to get inside of any of them I have 1- 5gal; and 2- 2 gal. I could almost see them getting stuck inside of a 2 gal. easier. I am just so sorry to hear this.

Have you noticed any of your drakes trying to mate with her? maybe one climb in with her and drowned her because she wasn't able to get her head out.

 

[Carcajou]

So sorry to hear of your loss.

 

[Going Quackers]

I'm sorry for your loss. I cannot say i have, i have various types of things here to hold water, including pools in better weather times. I am not really sure what happened, perhaps she died and then fell into the bucket? definitely, puzzling.

 

[Amiga]

No, no, no.....