MALLARD THREAD...not rouens, Mallards!

[Miss Lydia]

@buff goose guy so sorry about your boy!

@dishrag my mallard girl was quite vocal anytime a car or person came up. She would also "talk" back at us if we said something to her, but other than that she was pretty quiet. On the cat note, Maggie thought she was a cat, and our cats just accepted her as their feathered overlord lol. It really just depends on the cat, usually they won't bother ducks or chickens.

I wouldn't trust a full grown cat with tiny ducklings though I'd be worried the prey drive would kick in.

 

[jannakaye]

I wouldn't trust a full grown cat with tiny ducklings though I'd be worried the prey drive would kick in.

Good thought miss Lydia! I wasn't even thinking about ducklings

 

[dishrag]

Jannakaye, are you saying a cat could kill a mallard (adult female)? I'm not worried about being buddies, I just don't want a stray cat to eat her during the daytime.
I've had exposed bantam chickens and they were OK, but maybe their sharp beaks are more intimidating to a cat??
Thanks for your advice

 

[Rocky64]

I have had mallards in the past and liked them, they were free range all the time and were that way for at least 4 years. My first mallards(first ducks also) actually did stay in a pen. Their names were Sparky(drake) and Alexis(hen), they lived with 4 chickens. One day, when I was at school, my uncle came over and was cutting wood when he heard the chickens and ducks going crazy, so he quickly grabbed a gun and went to see what the racket was about. A mink had gotten in the pen and already killed 2 chickens and Alexis when my uncle came and scared the mink away. The mink slipped into the pond that was right near the pen and my uncle shot it while it was swimming. I got to see the dead mink when I got home. Years later, my grandparents got me some ducklings and they grew up just fine and one of the hens even hatched a brood of eggs. We counted the ducklings when momma brought them to the pond and there was an unbelievable 15 or 18 ducklings!!! One morning, when I was going to school, I insisted that I see them before I left and my mom took me to the nest. When we came upon the nest, horror filled me; dead ducklings strewn about, no mother to be found. I leaned over the middle the nest and seen some movement in some brush about 2 feet away, I looked and found 3 alive ducklings, huddling and shivering. We raised the ducklings and they turned out to be 3 drakes. They lived a few years ranging with the chickens and turkeys, until they were picked off one by one, taken by various predators. I don't have any right now, would like to, but I don't want to deal with the mess again, and we have more predators now than we did back then. Oh, we did find the moms body, headless and 300 feet away from the nest.

 

[jannakaye]

Jannakaye, are you saying a cat could kill a mallard (adult female)? I'm not worried about being buddies, I just don't want a stray cat to eat her during the daytime.
I've had exposed bantam chickens and they were OK, but maybe their sharp beaks are more intimidating to a cat??
Thanks for your advice

I think it would be fine. Ducks are tough little things! Maggie actually fought off a possum and bit its ears to the point of bleeding. She would also bite at stray cats who got too close to her "flock".

 

[dishrag]

I have had mallards in the past and liked them, they were free range all the time and were that way for at least 4 years. My first mallards(first ducks also) actually did stay in a pen. Their names were Sparky(drake) and Alexis(hen), they lived with 4 chickens. One day, when I was at school, my uncle came over and was cutting wood when he heard the chickens and ducks going crazy, so he quickly grabbed a gun and went to see what the racket was about. A mink had gotten in the pen and already killed 2 chickens and Alexis when my uncle came and scared the mink away.

Wow, horror indeed! Do you think Alexis might have had an easier way to escape if she was outside of a yard?? Interesting.

I'm in the city, so luckily, during the daytime we don't really have predators unless a cat could get a smaller bird.

 

[dishrag]

I think it would be fine. Ducks are tough little things! Maggie actually fought off a possum and bit its ears to the point of bleeding. She would also bite at stray cats who got too close to her "flock".

Cool! Is your Maggie no longer with us?
Do you know how big she was? Less than 3 lbs, I guess?

 

[Rocky64]

Wow, horror indeed! Do you think Alexis might have had an easier way to escape if she was outside of a yard?? Interesting.

I'm in the city, so luckily, during the daytime we don't really have predators unless a cat could get a smaller bird.

I think she would have gotten killed either way, she couldn't fly, wasn't fast, and going in the pond would be useless against a mink, who live and hunt mainly near/in water.

 

[jannakaye]

Cool! Is your Maggie no longer with us?
Do you know how big she was? Less than 3 lbs, I guess?

No, Maggie is no longer here. A possum got in her pen somehow and she couldn't get away. The vet said she fought hard, there were cuts all in her mouth. We tube fed her for a day and that night I told her it was ok for her to go. The next morning we found her nestled down in a pile of towels and I knew when I saw her she was gone. I still miss her like crazy. She weighed 3.2 lbs. Mallards are one of the smartest breed of duck I've ever seen. If you do get them you won't regret it :,)

 

[dishrag]

I think she would have gotten killed either way, she couldn't fly, wasn't fast, and going in the pond would be useless against a mink, who live and hunt mainly near/in water.

Oh OK, did she have clipped wings, or just didn't know how to fly? Mixed with a heavier breed like a Rouen?