Muscovy ducks lasted about 1 hour

[Lonomakana]

The ducks are back, minus one duckling. They are hanging out in the neighbor's yard. I moved the water basin I saw them swimming in to my yard. Maybe they'll move back over here.

I grew up in Kaneohe and worked in Kailua before moving to the big island. Windward siders unite!

 

[Lonomakana]

Now the ducks are holed up in the neighbor's chicken coop. I'm chicken sitting and let the hens out to forage. When I came back, all of the birds were in the coop. Momma duck didn't want to leave, so I just put more water and food in the coop and shut it up for the night. The hens weren't very happy that they had to share the coop. Tomorrow, I'll move all of the water sources to my yard and see if momma moves the family over.

 

[ozark hen]

wow, I am impressed! When I first read your post my heart sank and I thought, those ducks will never come back. I thought since they had no time to "set your place as home" that they were goners. I am so very happy that you have them back!

 

[Lonomakana]

I just think that she couldn't find any water in the gulch, so she had to come back. I can see why she would want to get away, though. The neighbors have 8 cats and there are a lot of little rat dogs (chihuahua mixes) around to bother them. Actually, the cats are mellow since they've been beat up by roosters their whole life. Hopefully, momma will come back to my yard since its fenced to keep the dogs and pigs out.

 

[d.k]

* Start feeding them every night and they will never go far!! There is a large group of 4O+ muscovies that live in the neighborhood over from ours.

 

[Lonomakana]

After patching up some escape routes along the fence, I relocated momma and ducklings to my yard. I have a storage container lid that I've filled up with water and they've been swimming in it for most of the day. I leaned some old roofing along the fence for a nest area and placed a bowl of layer crumbles and scratch (that's all I had) next to it. So far, they haven't touched it. They'll probably stick around now.

 

[ozark hen]

good job, I believe they will want to stay there now for sure. Who wouldn't?? feed and water and safety

 

[Lonomakana]

Well, one month on and mom and 10 ducklings are still around. I set up a kiddie pool for them and they eat mangos and flies all day long. The ducklings still get out through the fence but I've given up chasing them. They always come back. Sometimes the neighbor's cats actually help me herd them back. Momma duck started off biting my chickens but now the chickens chase her and the ducklings away from the food. Overall, things are well. I don't know if I can afford to keep feeding all of them, so some ducks might have to go.

 

[Shared Acres]

We got some of those ducks. They ran straight back to their home down the road where we got them. Had to fence them in (home depot--about 50 feet of chicken fencing) for a week and now they are good!

 

[HaleMoa]

Whoa Lonomakana, you're lucky you live Big Island, getting loads of ducks dropped off your house for free! I'm living on Lanai and it's IMPOSSIBLE to get ducks here. We been searching all over Maui and so far none! I found some on Oahu but buying three alone are gonna run me 80 bucks to fly them over here. Crazy. Anyway I hope your ducks are all good, and let me know if you here of anyone on Maui who's trying to get rid of some ducklings, preferably Muscovy, but at this point.....grrr