Need advice or GOOD NEWS!!!!!

[tdgill]

To Fly or not to Fly. I just adopted two ducks, a mallard "mix" drake and a rouen hen. Well, stupid me. I was told that they don't fly - just about two feet hops you know...and was putting them into a bigger pen with a pool and the hen flew off!!!

What to do with the drake? I have 7 girls he can have if he doesn't fly off first or the girls don't chase him out of the yard. I can let him just fly off after his hen or should I be thinking of releasing him closer to a more natural habitat like a pond or river or bay. I was in the process of introducing them slowly to my birds and hoping to keep them. lol.

If the drake is just going to fly off anyway, should i let him go after his hen?

GOOD news! During my walk today, I mentioned to the neighbor's boy that I was looking for my duck hen. And about 5:30 pm he came over to tell me, "we have your duck we have your duck! Well almost have her.. She is in the briars and we have her surrounded." lol. These kids were on a mission. Climbing around the stickers and thru, shining the flash light on her as she headed this way then back again. Finally, I saw an opening to where we could get to her and one of the boys went in. I followed behind and asked them to let me grab her. I reached down thru the briars and was able to put my hand on her back while I went under with my other hand and yayyyy! Got her. I thanked the boys over and over for being so determined and my heros! They even walked me home.

 

[fowl farm]

No. Clip his wings until he learns where home is. If you choose you can let then grow out again afterwards. Did you look around for the hen? Rouens can't fly far.
Keep introducing the rest of the girls to him slowly.

 

[Frank Phinster]

Rouens cannot fly at all. Are you sure she did not find any hole in your fence and run off? As long as there is no kind of stream nearby, she should't got far and still be around.
You should not let the drake fly away or release him because that would be against the law as far as I know. Clip one wing and he will stay.

 

[tdgill]

thats the thing....I don't think she has any rouen. Stupid me. I feel terrible. She took OFF! But no I haven't looked for her, she was gone quite a way. maybe i can go look with the car.....not that I'll be able to catch her or anything...

 

[tdgill]

I thought she was just a young rouen, not much smaller than my smallest NON FLYING Duck. A welsh harlequin. I was told she was a rouen.... arrrggghhhh. Going to take my flock helper Bernese Border Teddy for a little walk. Wonder if the hen would hear my other ducks and come back? even though she is new to me and my place....

 

[Frank Phinster]

I feel sorry for you, must be bad to be scammed and lose a duck on account of that

As soon as ducks have lost all of their fluff, they are almost grown to full size. They still gain some weight, especially muscovy drakes, but they will not grow much.

If she is still around and feels lonely, she might follow the noise of your other ducks, and come back, but I would not count on it since she has not yet bonded to your place.

 

[tdgill]

well after a drive an a walk she's nowhere to be seen or heard. Hopefully she'll see the big lake or many ponds nearby and start a new happy life.... ugghhhh.

 

[Frank Phinster]

You can trust her instincts, if there is a pond, whe will find it and settle there.

 

[tdgill]

thanks for your thoughts

this whole thing is bad karma for me. Thats what i get for criticising someone on here who lost ducks because they were uniformed or didn't take the time to learn the do's and don'ts. Kicked me right in the hiney.....

 

[jdywntr]

You may be able to find her but if they were brand new, it would be unlikely. Clip one wing on the boy, when your out with your others, why not shake around the feed bucket/pan if she is nearby, she may hear it and if hungry come back. Again unlikely but you never know. They sound like mallards, rouens can't fly period.

Sorry you lost this one. Lesson learned. Nobody knows everything and we can all learn from others experiences.