Missing Duck...Nesting somewhere?

[allergymama]

We have 2 distinct sub- flocks within our flock, one of them is a drake & 2 hens that NEVER leave each others sides...until today. One of the hens was gone all day. The other hen and drake just hanging near their pen (we free range on 10 acres during the day). I took the dog and looked and looked (even checked neighbors yards and sides of the nearby roads/ditches even). Was beside myself (and a little ticked that it had to be the Rouen that was missing...couldn't be the nice bright white pekin!) Finally, gave up. Went out at dusk to let everyone in and she's swimming around in the pond with the other two. Do you think she's building a nest or something? Is it worth following her tomorrow morning to see (if she goes again) and any ideas on how to do this and not scare her? If she does have a nest what are the chances I could move it into the pen and she would sit on it? TIA

 

[Amiga]

Yay! She's back!

I would expect she is nesting, and for her safety, I would try moving the nest.

Can you follow her when you let them out in the morning?

 

[allergymama]

Yay!  She's back!

I would expect she is nesting, and for her safety, I would try moving the nest.  

Can you follow her when you let them out in the morning?

I have to leave before sun up tomorrow, but hubby is under strict orders to follow at a distance.

How do I move her?

 

[Amiga]

I have not had to do this, but some have taken the eggs, then used a snow shovel to lift the whole nest to move it to a safe place. Others have made a new nest. Tten piaced the eggs in tte new nest.

Sometimes she sits again, sometimes not, but it saves her life.

 

[allergymama]

So DH followed her around for an hour this morning. Nothing. Just grazing with her two best buds. I get home from work and she's gone again. I'm assuming that she will come home again tonight but one of these times she's going to stay on the nest. At a loss. Everyone has to leave tomorrow morning so there won't be anyone to track her. At a loss...

 

[Amiga]

I wish I had a brilliant idea . . .

 

[allergymama]

I'm thinking a gps tether and then put a go-pro camera on her...

ok maybe not.

Hoping and praying are probably more in my price range.

 

[helenprice]

Hi. I am having the same problem. My call duck goes out with the others, I follow her & she seems content to be with them. I turn away for a second & she is gone. I think I know the area she goes to but was up until midnight with a torch, She suddenly appeared by her house. I was just about to give u!. I kept her in for two days & she laid an egg each day. Third day I let her out. she disappeared again. I eventually found her on the pond about midnight again. I was determined to keep her in until I found out what I could do as it was only a matter of time until the fox got her. Somehow she got out while I was out. Gutted! For two days & nights I hunted high & low & hoped that her fellow ducks would flush her out. No joy. Yesterday morning I muttered to myself as I went down to the pond' " I know that this is waste of time but I am going to look anyway". Lo & behold.... she came running towards me from behind the pond , went straight to her house & was ravenously hungry. . I am so worried that this will happen again I have kept all four in which is really not fair, but I don't know what else to do & I don't want to lose any of them. I wish I knew the answer & hope someone else out there has some advice. I know it sounds daft but is there such a thing as a collar with some sort of homing device/light on it ! sounds ridiculous for a duck I guess but i'm desperate. I wish I was clever enough to invent one myself. My Mother is almost 90 & she told me that when she was growing up sometimes the ducks would disappear for weeks then come back with a dozen ducklings in tow. She didn't have any foxes where she lived though!
Wish I could be more helpful but thought I would let you know you are not alone.

 

[allergymama]

Hi. I am having the same problem. My call duck goes out with the others, I follow her & she seems content to be with them. I turn away for a second & she is gone. I think I know the area she goes to but was up until midnight with a torch, She suddenly appeared by her house. I was just about to give u!. I kept her in for two days & she laid an egg each day. Third day I let her out. she disappeared again. I eventually found her on the pond about midnight again. I was determined to keep her in until I found out what I could do as it was only a matter of time until the fox got her.  Somehow  she got out while I was out. Gutted! For two days & nights I hunted high & low & hoped that her fellow ducks would flush her out. No joy. Yesterday morning I muttered to myself as I went down to the pond' " I know that this is waste of time but I am going to look anyway". Lo & behold.... she came running towards me from behind the pond , went straight  to her house & was ravenously hungry. . I am so worried that this will happen again I have kept all four in which is really not fair, but I don't know what else to do & I don't want to lose any of them.  I wish I knew the answer & hope someone else out there has some advice. I know it sounds daft but is there such a thing as a collar  with some sort of homing device/light on it ! sounds ridiculous  for a duck I guess but i'm desperate. I wish I was clever enough to invent one myself. My Mother is almost 90 & she told me that when she was growing up sometimes the ducks would disappear for weeks then come back with a dozen ducklings in tow. She didn't have any foxes where she lived though!
Wish I could be more helpful but thought I would let you know you are not alone.

It's good to know I'm not alone! It is so frustrating. I have the morning off and am going to track her and see if I can have better luck than DH did. I TOTALLY get the wanting a tracker for her! I (half jokingly) asked DH who is a probation officer if we could borrow one of his office's GPS tether units for just a day or two...probably too big for a duck. Lol. Wish me luck!!

 

[allergymama]

I FOUND HER NEST!! Little booger is only about 50' from night pen under a huge (20' diameter) pine tree that has thick matted branches all the way to the ground. I could hardly see her from like 2 feet away while I was half under the tree.

Do you think if I put food and water near her and throw a chicken wire fence around the tree it would be good? We have 10 acres and lots of raccoons and coyotes but she's pretty close to the house and REALLY well hidden (think that lovely Rouen coloring mixed in with dead pine needles and branches). I want her to hatch those babies if she can.