Neighbor said she wants to take Daisy :/

[wonderpup]

Daisy Duck is ours by accident. Just to recap the neighbor two houses down had her and moved away leaving her. Supposedly the new people moving into that house had agreed to take care of Daisy but I'm doubtful. They've been moved in for a whole week now and have yet to so much as inquire about her. So Daisy lives here, I figure she's ours now like it or not and I'm not just going to hand her off. I've spoken to my two next door neighbors who have both been trying to feed Daisy and made it clear that there is no need. It is safer and healthier for her if she just eats the food we're providing since it is meant for Ducks and chickens. They have been trying to load her up on popcorn and bread and cheerios. She pretty much free ranges in our privacy fenced backyard or hangs out by our fish pond in our front yard very rarely venturing to the edge of our yard. As soon as we finish our chicken coop and get our tax refund in the bank we're thinking Daisy needs a pen and maybe a friend if I can swing that one by husband. She has made a nest in the flower bed next to the pond and that is where she's been laying eggs.

So anyway I hear her quacking this morning and she's quacking at the neighbors who are trying to talk to her, she's sitting next to her pond. I freshened up her food and water bowl gave her a little pet and went back inside. Through the open Window I hear this guy who I don't know but I guess is a friend of the neighbor's asking why nobody has bother to catch her and take her to the park where she can live around the little ponds there. My neighbors tells him that is exactly what they should do b/c she doesn't belong to anyone and roams the neighborhood (untrue on both counts). She used to roam the neighborhood it's true but has confined herself to our yard or we confine her. Anyway this guy says he got a net in the truck and he can just grab her now and take her. I called to my husband who's in the backyard building the chicken coop to help and he went and picker her up and brought her into our backyard. Now I'm annoyed that I've spend $$$ on feed, since our chickens can't eat what she needs right now we have to buy a whole different bag, and I've built a little make shift pen where my veggie garden is supposed to go for her in the back and they are talking about just taking her. I hate to remove her ability to play in our pond but I guess I will have to if I can't trust that she'll be there in an hour or two when I come back. It certainly makes me think twice about getting a second duck until it's clear that Daisy is ours.

I hate to pen her up in the garden, she doesn't like it. Will she get used to it? If we get a friend will she tolerate confinement better? She's been able to just go where she pleased for so long she doesn't appreciate just staying in the garden. Been thinking about putting a little decorative fence around the pond and the area to the side for her for daytime use which would keep her in one spot but she would still be able to forage in the grass. We bring her into the garage at night to keep her safe. Maybe I should just find her a home with a more experienced duck family who doesn't have to worry about annoying neighbors.

Ok sorry, this is a little rambly and lacks a whole point it just upset me I guess that our neighbor seems to think Daisy doesn't belong to anyone now and wants to take it upon herself to remove her.

 

[desertdarlene]

Wow, what a dilemma. Maybe you can tell them that this isn't the same duck and that their duck flew away.

I know, though, that won't make you look good in their eyes and can cause more problems. Even if they try to take her, she's going to end up back in your yard because she's happy there.

ETA: I think that's a good idea giving her away and then telling the neighbor that you're so sorry, but she flew away.

 

[Bleenie]

You should let them know that you have adopted her and you are currently in the process of building her a new coop to live in and plan on getting her a friend afterward. Explain about the money you have already invested and all that. I dunno about where you are, but here in WA, if you feed a 'stray' animal for at least 3 days or even take it into your home, animal control wont even bother coming to get it because you have assumed ownership of the stray animal.

I would buy a leg band and put it on Daisy. i think you can buy plastic ones that wrap around the leg & you could write on it, like a dog's ID tag.

ETA: i think I may have read it wrong... so the new neighbors, that were supposed to be taking care of Daisy, are the ones trying to take her & dump her now? Do they know that's against the law?

 

[K4zn4v3]

First off you need to tell them that if they take her and dump her at the park then they are sentencing her to death. Tell them that the duck no longer roams becuase you adopted it and have given it a home. Make sure that the duck stays in your yard, and tell them that if anyone tries to tresspass in your yard to get her you will not hesitate to call the police. I would deffinetly get another duck, I found that my ducks when seperate they will roam becuase they are bored. As for keeping her in your yard I would make hear her own pen with some kind of keep plastic fencing until she gets use to staying in your yard. I would also feed her in the same place everyday so that if she does leave she will comeback for food. And lastly, what kind of people move away just leaving an animal to fend for its self?

 

[azhenhouse]

Please don't let them take her to the park. She won't survive. There are a lot of BYC people that live in Florida. If you want to re-home her try finding someone on this site to take her. I would love to take her but I am in Arizona. You could bring her to me.

She is absolutely beautiful! Good luck with whatever you decide, just keep her away from the neighbors.

 

[wonderpup]

No, it isn't the new neighbor who just moved in and supposedly made a deal when they were approved for rental that a duck came with the house. THEY haven't so much as come looking for her. It's pretty obvious they don't care. Daisy has been ours for almost three weeks now. It's been three weeks since her original owner moved away and a week since the new neighbor moved in. They are a couple of houses down.

It's my nextdoor neighbor who is the one that says the new people were supposed to be caring for her and who knows darn well that we've been taking care of her. I don't know what's entered her head.

Her food and water is always placed in the flower bed, which is empty b/c I'm not a great gardener lol, in bowls unless she is in the backyard then she has access to food/water there as well. I'm thinking I need to get her some peas so she will become even more attached to me.

The leg band is a good idea I suppose, what would I write on it?

Also, where would I go about finding an adult duck? Or is that a bad idea? I don't really want to raise any chicks, I want to know the sex of it too. I figure my husband will object WAY less to a second duck if it also has the potential to lay eggs. We're using the eggs and hey, can't beat basically free right? Anyone in Northwest Fla have an extra duck hanging around after I get a decent pen set up

Ha, I wish.

She's confined to the fenced backyard for now, I have a kiddie pool for her instead of a pond. The fence just isn't high enough to keep the big dog's out so that's a problem. She is safe from the neighbors back there though.

 

[Sootsie]

i'm with everyone else make it clear to the neighbours that it is now your duck, that you are providing and intend to continue providing a good home with pen, pond and mate and should they decide to try to remove it from your property it would be trespass and theft. good luck and enjoy your duck eggs

 

[Bleenie]

you could write "'Daisy', Property of the ______ Family" or something... i would say that makes it pretty clear shes yours, lol.

 

[Judy]

Maybe a simple zip tie on her leg would convince people she's yours. If you can write on it, just pull some numbers or letters out of your head, or maybe write her name.

It would have helped if you had talked to the people who were supposed to take care of her. She is (or was) theirs to give.

Your neighbor certainly should be told that dropping a duck off like that is a death sentence and probably illegal.

 

[Sir Birdaholic]

Simple communication is in order. Go tell them the duck is now yours, since you rescued it from abandonment.