ColleenRyan
Songster
- Apr 9, 2018
- 157
- 287
- 131
Hi guys,
I have three ducks. One male Pekin, one male Mallard and one female duck whose all black win some white speckles on her chest. They’re all best friends and totally comfortable around people. We raised them inside and we treat them as pets.
They have a hutch and every night we put them away with their food and water and we let them out early in the morning.
This morning one of the hutch doors was open and the Mallard, Wiz, was nowhere to be found. Babe (the Pekin) and Q (the black duck with white speckles) were still in the hutch. Wiz is the only one who can fly. I didn’t clip his wings because I wanted him to be able to fly in case he ever needed to for protection. He would never fly away for no reason. We’ve had them for a year and he is extremely attached to the other ducks. He protects the female duck fiercely.
As I searched the yard I saw one of Q’s laying spots was empty. There were about four eggs there the other day. Then I found a piece of an egg shell in the middle of my yard and got worried. I’m assuming raccoons are one of the only predatory animals who eat eggs, shell and all and who could have opened the hutch door. There’s no sign of struggle. No blood, no crazy amount of feathers that are anymore than the feathers they usually shed.
I’m so confused and concerned. If he flew away succsssfully from whatever startled him will he know how to come back? Would I have seen more of a disturbance if he had been harmed by a predator? Also, the two other ducks are totally untouched.
These ducks are family pets and aren’t used for farming purposes. I collect eggs but that’s it. We live in a more suburban area in NJ, not on a farm.
Any and all advice or input would be appreciated beyond measure. I’m happy to answer any other questions if you have any. I’m just praying that he miraculously flies back into my yard. I’m heartbroken.
I have three ducks. One male Pekin, one male Mallard and one female duck whose all black win some white speckles on her chest. They’re all best friends and totally comfortable around people. We raised them inside and we treat them as pets.
They have a hutch and every night we put them away with their food and water and we let them out early in the morning.
This morning one of the hutch doors was open and the Mallard, Wiz, was nowhere to be found. Babe (the Pekin) and Q (the black duck with white speckles) were still in the hutch. Wiz is the only one who can fly. I didn’t clip his wings because I wanted him to be able to fly in case he ever needed to for protection. He would never fly away for no reason. We’ve had them for a year and he is extremely attached to the other ducks. He protects the female duck fiercely.
As I searched the yard I saw one of Q’s laying spots was empty. There were about four eggs there the other day. Then I found a piece of an egg shell in the middle of my yard and got worried. I’m assuming raccoons are one of the only predatory animals who eat eggs, shell and all and who could have opened the hutch door. There’s no sign of struggle. No blood, no crazy amount of feathers that are anymore than the feathers they usually shed.
I’m so confused and concerned. If he flew away succsssfully from whatever startled him will he know how to come back? Would I have seen more of a disturbance if he had been harmed by a predator? Also, the two other ducks are totally untouched.
These ducks are family pets and aren’t used for farming purposes. I collect eggs but that’s it. We live in a more suburban area in NJ, not on a farm.
Any and all advice or input would be appreciated beyond measure. I’m happy to answer any other questions if you have any. I’m just praying that he miraculously flies back into my yard. I’m heartbroken.
