One Lonely Duck

[Ekaufee17]

Hey all, new to the site, looks like a great place though!

Unfortunately i do have a problem. ive had 4 Mallards for a little over a year now. two nights ago, a raccoon got into their pen and killed 3 of them. Now ive got one duck left and he's visibly stressed out. Ive heard that ducks can get lonely and even depressed when alone, and id very much like to keep him alive and make him happy. any tips on where to start? i thought about just getting some more ducklings, but for the first portion of their duckling stage they obviously have to be well cared for. and would need a few months anyway before i could introduce them to the male (Navajo) i have. Ive searched and searched for juvenile/adult ducks because ive been entertaining the idea of finding him a mate. but im really having no luck and dont know too many farmers that keep ducks. any tips on what to do? thanks much!

 

[Kevin565]

. Have you tried craigslist already? If so have you tried putting out a WTB ad? Once you have 20 posts you can try posting in the Buy Sell Trade section of BYC. I would personally for the moment try to spend as much time as I possibly could until I find another duck friend.

 

[Miss Lydia]

And make sure the raccoon can not get back in and get the one it left. so sorry for your loss, hope you can find your mallard a buddy. What state are you located in, just in case someone comes on and sees your post.

 

[Ekaufee17]

I did the craigslist thing, found a very friendly guy selling ducklings, emailed him and asked if he had any adults for sale, and he said he could part ways with a magpie, so i went and got it. from last years' hatch which is the same age as my mallard. they get along amazing already too. the only drawback is that he clearly wasnt humanized and is pretty scared of me. him being an adult, i doubt ill gain his trust, but at the same time, i'm just glad my mallard has a bud. and as for fixing their pen, somehow i missed nailing down a corner of the wire meshing. so im kind of bumbed that this all could have been prevented. i do have a large barn in very nice condition (no animals, used mostly for storage)... thinking about moving them into one of the miniature pony stalls as a night time shelter, but im at a loss as to how to predator proof it. maybe ill start a new thread asking for help in that regard.