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[lizandsam]

Hi everyone! I think I have a unique story here and was wondering if you could help me out? About a month ago a Pekin duck showed up in our yard at dusk. It took shelter by our mandoor next to the garage under our house. Next morning it was gone so we didn't think too much about it. Well, it has been showing up everynight now to spend the night here. We live across the road from a marsh and we noticed that it spends all day in the water and comes here at night. We are getting attached to it and have started feeding it and giving it water. We put an old dog house out there for him to seek shelter from predators, but so far he just stays in the back corner by the door. I'm wondering what to do with him this winter? The marsh freezes every year so he won't have a place to swim during the day. Should we try to corral him so he gets used to staying here all the time? I don't necessarily want to cage him, but if we have to, we will. Sorry this is so long, but this is all new to us. Thanks for your time!

 

[Pyxis]

To keep him safe from predators, you may want to build him his own pen. You can keep him locked up for a couple days, so he learns where home is, and then you can let him out to range if you're comfortable with that. To make his pen more exciting, you can add one of those plastic kiddie pools - he may end up preferring it to the marsh. It sounds like you're doing a good job so far, providing him with food, water, and shelter! He was probably dumped by somebody after he grew up and wasn't 'cute' anymore and he'd never survive the winter without your help. To make him really happy, you might see if anyone around you is selling ducks and get him a friend. Then he'll want to stick around for sure.

 

[Majd]

Yeah you might want to cage him or put him in a coop if you're sure it's a pekin... as it won't migrate like mallards and othed wild speicies... and he might be a lost one and not from long as he won't survive in past winters... and pekins are a fat and easy meal for predators as they can't fly or run fast.... so you should cage him and put him in a coop... and make him get used to that.... as there areno wild pekins...

 

[Amiga]

Lovely that you are caring for him! I would get a secure spot for him right away, since predators will have been watching, and know when he's most vulnerable.

Half inch metal hardware cloth is very handy for keeping predators out, if it is well secured to a sturdy frame.

The dog house is good as long has it has something like a hardware cloth door very securely closed at night. The duck needs ventilation, but raccoons will reach through even chicken wire sometimes and grab the duck.

 

[Carcajou]

and ditto all the above. Good luck with your new duck!

 

[lizandsam]

Thanks for all of the helpful tips on our duck! We now have him enclosed where he was spending the night at. He now has a kiddie pool to swim around in instead of the marsh. Even though the pool doesn't compare to the marsh, at least he's safe. Tomorrow we will be making him his own area to live in that he can walk around and swim in his pool all day. We are also looking into getting a friend to live with him
too. We're hoping that 2 males will get along so we don't have babies! We have gotten really attached to him, so now he is a member of our family. Thanks again everybody. We really appreciate it!

 

[Pyxis]

Sounds like you're doing a great job! Two males would do well together; I kept two male ducks as pets - they were actually my first backyard birds

 

[Mvpitzki]

Just be aware that they will fight when you first introduce them.