OH NO Now what do I do? UPDATE Post 27

[duckdad]

Quote:

My little one did the same exact thing...when she was just barely feathered I wanted to introduce her to the pond...little witch forgot about me between heartbeats when she saw the water and RAN from me for the next 2 hrs. Went crazy swimming up and down the length of the pond...She refused to get out of the water, so I had to corner her in a spot where there was a big rock and I had to walk out there to grab her...

That was just her excitement at discovering the pond and the joys of free-ranging. Although she will be a "porch duck" with some pond privileges, now that shes older and wiser I am not worried about her returning home. My older ducks were hand raised and they would not let me get more than 10 feet away when they were small....They'd run to get back to me, or even fly at me. That was an experience in itself. Now they roam and we walk around the pond, they swim while I watch and they come when its time to go home or sometimes they will let me know they want to go home by looking toward the house. They're a close couple and stay close to each other so when/if I have one headed home or picked up the other will follow without arguement. Depends on who is wettest as to who walks and who gets a ride....When they've been playing and get tired its easier to carry one than it is to walk at thier pace....then the other is more motivated to hurry along.

Lure yours back with some fresh greens...cabbage works well, so does cucumber. They LOVE that. Mine get so goofy over cucumber that they will follow a picture of a cucumber ! (cuts down on grocery bills) Once the novelty of the pond wears off and food returns as a priority they will be more interested in you and the coop. And if you want them to be closer to you, they will imprint if you do things like feed them from your hand and hold them and find ways to make them relax while being held. Once they feel safe enough to sleep while you hold them they will generally accept you as a parent. I learned that a gentle scratching on the side of the beak made them pass out...or massaging the back of the neck. Its about trust. Once they totally trust you they are yours forever.
I'm sure they'll come around and remember who raised them.

 

[Baylor]

I cannot stop laughing at so many things in your post the visuals are great! Chasing the duck and watching them follow a picture albeit of a cucumber!!

I have 3 new ducks born mid Nov and I started feeding them peas last week. This morning at breakfast the female duck (starting to quack already) came to the porch window/door and starting pecking on it for peas! Hilarious I cant believe she is already trained with these peas. She will eat right out of my hands already for peas. I am not ready to let them out to the big pond yet and after reading this post I will wait until my duck house is built and I have them trained on the food only in their duck house!

 

[duckdad]

...

That little duck was fast..

Something that I wanted to remind everyone about, those folks that have real ponds and ducklings, that ponds often contain turtles...red sliders, soft shell, even snappers. ANY of those can and WILL go after a duckling and kill it. They attack when the duckling steps too close and they bite a leg and go under water to drown the bird much like a 'gator does.

I watched a 3" turtle make a grab at my duckling and missed thankfully, so now that I know this I do NOT allow the small birds to go in the pond anymore. Once big enough to fight or fly, then they can go since they are big enough to have a chance...still worries me knowing the ducks feet are hanging and turtles are sitting below waiting....the bigger the duck the less likely a turtle can drag one down.
We have turtles as big as 8" across the shell and I'm told there have been even larger that were relocated.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
Not everybody likes chickens.

 

[Aria]

I like Ducks and Chickens. Just passed along my experiences. Ducks are more work.
It is always a matter of CHOICE. Aria

 

[Coffeemama7]

We raised ducks in troughs in the garage this spring. We built a run for them, they free ranged daily, and my daughter voice trained them to come.
She would put a little food on the ground, calling to them. IF they came, she would give them treats, using the same voice and words she called them. If they didn't come she would move them (by chasing them) toward the food.
They hated being chased, and loved the treats, so it took about a week for them to get it.
Now she calls them, and they come running! They get food and a treat for coming. Like Pavlov and the bell.

Good luck with the fencing and catching them! I would worry till they are in their pen!

 

[r4eboxer]

Got off work around 3:40 and went home to get my ducks out of the pond, only they were not in the pond! I was terrified as I looked all around for them. I spotted them sitting together about 30 yards into the wood line. I guess they got tired of the pond finally and were enjoying the bugs under the leaves and just chillin’ out there. I figured I'd better get them because it was going to be dark in an hour and if they stayed in the wood line they would be dinner for sure.

DH was running late so I employed the help of my 11 year old son, both of us grabbed blankets to use as our herding fence and went up around them to the wood line. I circled up behind them as my son stayed between them and the pond. I got close enough to toss my blanket over them. I however was not quick enough and 4 of the ducks took off into the woods. YIKES if they get lost in the woods I will never get them back. So I end up being able to herd the two I had caught up in the blanket back down to my son and took off up the hill. Remember I live in WV so I have hillside all around my meadow. I had put on my down coat and a flannel shirt over it (I like to keep my down jacket clean that way since it is actually my ski coat). I was chasing these 4 ducks up the hill and they just kept running and running faster and faster. I was wearing my heavy Columbia snow boots and it was no easy chore jumping over every stinking rock, stump and fallen tree let me tell you.

I chased those 4 ducks for 20 acres up that mountain and finally they made a turn and started running back down hill. WHEW thank goodness because I was fading fast. Those buggers can run when they want to, now at least I could make chase DOWN hill instead of up. Of course I still had to make chase because if I had stopped they would have nested down right there in the middle of the forest. Anyway I continue to run after them. I should mention that I have had 4 large babies and any of you women who have had babies know the bladder never returns to normal. With every step I am about peeing my pants; those little ducks are giving me quite a run for my money. I strip off the flannel shirt and unzip the down jacket and head south after them. Finally they come out of the woods and back to the pond area. The ducks take off for the pond but I was able to head them off at the stream right before they went into the pond. So the ducks make their way across the two bridges that connect the house yard and the meadow and into my yard. Well, we have DH's parents in a house on the property and the ducks decide the deck to their house is a good place to hide. YEAH that deck has about 18 inches of space and this girl is not going to be able to squeeze in there.

Oh I forgot to mention that the two ducks I had herded back down to the pond were now running through the woods with my 11 yr old chasing after them. GREAT!! There is no way I can possibly muster up the strength to run back up that mountain after those ducks. Reinforcements arrive as I see DH pull into the driveway. He gets out of the van and I say 'we have a duck emergency' I explain the situation, we leave the 4 ducks under the deck (I figure they are completely tuckered out and down to rest at this point).So we head back up the hill after the other two. It is starting to get dark now, I strip off the down coat where I stood and headed back up the hill. We look for a while but could not find them so we needed to get the 4 captured. DS and DH crawl under the deck and corner them off and FINALLY get a hold of them. I had 3 females and one drake, I know for SURE because you would have thought we were going to cook those birds for dinner the way they were hollering about.

I took the 3 ducks and 1 drake and set them up in our garage. I gave them an entire bag of frozen peas; they forgave me instantly and gobbled up their treat. I then went around the property gathering up all my shed clothing and thanking God I had at least been able to keep up with those 4 and get them put away safe. I was a little upset about my other two drakes but I am consoled by the fact that I got my favorite drake back and all three ducks. I would have been very very upset if I had lost any of the girls.

After getting all the animals to bed, my Pyrenees set up to guard at night and the ducks ducked away dh and I ran to the store. When we arrived back home it was dark but I wanted to take one last look for my drakes. We went across the two bridges to the pond and I could instantly tell even in the dark that my two drakes had made their way back home to the pond and were eating some of the food I had left for the geese. AHH I was so happy they were home. I went out this morning and they were in the pond like nothing ever happened. I will be trying to catch them later today and will keep you all posted.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

im so happy they are safe

your such a good ducky mama.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Quote:
EXACTLY what I was going to say. This has happened to me when mine first found the pond. They will come looking for you when they are hungry.

 

[70%cocoa]

Good job!!

That was a hilarious story. I'm sure it wasn't at all funny at the time... I'm sure you're relieved to have four of them caught.