Pet ducks released on my lake

[Duckiiess]

For the fourth time I think? I'll capitalize it for you:
I AM NOT DEFENDING DUMPING YOUR BIRDS AT A NEARBY LAKE.
Cool, you have cold winters, so do I. Domestics can't live by you, they can't here either without significant help. In warmer/ more hospitable climates the stories are different though.
My ducks barely touch their feed in the summer, getting the vast majority of their intake from bugs/ fish/ local vegetation. In a hospitable climate (note the key words there) there's no need to feed them at all, and wild ducks are just as prone to becoming dependent on bread/ other empty calorie foods as abandoned domestics. If they like your area and want to stick around? Cool! Give em some peas/ sunflower seeds/ corn once a week or so to encourage them to stay without them becoming dependent on you. It's also a very good thing for them to be skittish of people. The more they're fed, the more friendly they'll become, which will lower their defenses to predators greatly.

 

[Duckiiess]

I know you arent being hostile, you sound very well meaning. The other person however sounds pretty hostile, laughing at all posts that disagree with him. Yet you're liking his posts, and that's coming off looking bad.

We can have a reasonable conversation about this without people being dismissive, rude or mocking. I don't think anything I have said is wrong, and certainly not where I live, this environment is very harsh at times

I'm only laughing at your posts because you're taking the extreme angle, didn't mean for it to be disrespectful or hostile.
Yes nature is harsh in most areas, that's a good thing. It takes care of itself that way. As a rule of thumb, the less we do, the better. Try to fix/ remediate our mistakes and pollution, and cull invasive species if needed.
I've never seen domestics becoming invasive, mostly because most of them as you're saying cannot survive in nature's climate. The ones that can though? Just leave them be. Yes there's a good chance their babies if they have them will be eaten by bass/ pike, or they themselves might get snatched up by an eagle. I fail to see how any of that is a bad thing.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I'm only laughing at your posts because you're taking the extreme angle, didn't mean for it to be disrespectful or hostile.
Yes nature is harsh in most areas, that's a good thing. It takes care of itself that way. As a rule of thumb, the less we do, the better. Try to fix/ remediate our mistakes and pollution, and cull invasive species if needed.
I've never seen domestics becoming invasive, mostly because most of them as you're saying cannot survive in nature's climate. The ones that can though? Just leave them be. Yes there's a good chance their babies if they have them will be eaten by bass/ pike, or they themselves might get snatched up by an eagle. I fail to see how any of that is a bad thing.

Okay, I'm glad you're not trying to be rude.
Because the birds are usually flightless, thats why its a bad thing. These birds have been bred unnaturally vulnerable to predators, then dumped. Some do survive longer than others, if they're in a better environment. But most of these birds end up suffering because of how we've bred them and how people have dumped them. It's not nature outside of our control, taking care of itself. It's our animals suffering. They aren't meant to be there.

I know you arent saying people should dump them, but saying if they survive a few months, just leave them- is almost as bad. You need to emphasize that most situations arent safe and the birds wont last long. Occassionally they survive for a while, but it still ends the same way.

 

[BelovedBirds]

For the fourth time I think? I'll capitalize it for you:
I AM NOT DEFENDING DUMPING YOUR BIRDS AT A NEARBY LAKE.
Cool, you have cold winters, so do I. Domestics can't live by you, they can't here either without significant help. In warmer/ more hospitable climates the stories are different though.
My ducks barely touch their feed in the summer, getting the vast majority of their intake from bugs/ fish/ local vegetation. In a hospitable climate (note the key words there) there's no need to feed them at all, and wild ducks are just as prone to becoming dependent on bread/ other empty calorie foods as abandoned domestics. If they like your area and want to stick around? Cool! Give em some peas/ sunflower seeds/ corn once a week or so to encourage them to stay without them becoming dependent on you. It's also a very good thing for them to be skittish of people. The more they're fed, the more friendly they'll become, which will lower their defenses to predators greatly.

Unfortunately the ducks nearby are almost fully dependant on people, they're fed daily and have become pretty relaxed around people, and their dogs. That's likely why one domestic was killed recently by a fox. It isn't safe for them

 

[Duckiiess]

Ok, so those birds will go to feed the local wildlife then, I'm perfectly fine with that scenario running its course too. You seem to think you have a duty to protect any domestic animal you can? I think that's our main disconnect.. I have a duty to protect MY animals, but if some jerk dumps their ducks at a lake and they're all eaten later that day, well I'm just as happy that the local wildlife got an easy snack for once. I enjoyed the ducks we had around growing up, and like to see them down in Austin when I visit, but if the next time I go there's only wild ones around, I won't shed any tears. Ultimately they don't belong, and even if they do create hybrids with the wild birds, those hybrids over the course of generations will turn back into wild ducks. We're not talking any endangered species here..

 

[Duckiiess]

Unfortunately the ducks nearby are almost fully dependant on people, they're fed daily and have become pretty relaxed around people, and their dogs. That's likely why one domestic was killed recently by a fox. It isn't safe for them

That's a shame. Maybe the others will learn, or maybe not.. I'd try to encourage other people not to feed them so much, but that could be like talking to a brick wall sometimes..

 

[BelovedBirds]

Ok, so those birds will go to feed the local wildlife then, I'm perfectly fine with that scenario running its course too. You seem to think you have a duty to protect any domestic animal you can? I think that's our main disconnect.. I have a duty to protect MY animals, but if some jerk dumps their ducks at a lake and they're all eaten later that day, well I'm just as happy that the local wildlife got an easy snack for once. I enjoyed the ducks we had around growing up, and like to see them down in Austin when I visit, but if the next time I go there's only wild ones around, I won't shed any tears. Ultimately they don't belong, and even if they do create hybrids with the wild birds, those hybrids over the course of generations will turn back into wild ducks. We're not talking any endangered species here..

yeah, that's the disconnect. See I care about all animals, dogs, cats, my birds, wild ones, and abandoned ones.
I refuse to sit by and watch domestic, defenseless birds die because of stupid owners, instead I find help or help them myself. I'm not interested in giving wildlife an easy kill. I respect the food chain, I let nature do its thing. But again, these domestic ducks are not part of that food chain, they arent part of that wildlife structure. They're abandoned and left to die nasty deaths. I don't feel comfortable sitting by and watching that. Or seeing their offspring die because of it too.

 

[BelovedBirds]

That's a shame. Maybe the others will learn, or maybe not.. I'd try to encourage other people not to feed them so much, but that could be like talking to a brick wall sometimes..

it is, and because of the size of the pond and where it is placed, surrounded by roads, these ducks in particular don't have such a great food source. If the people suddenly stopped feeding them, the ducks, being dependant now, would suffer for it, and I expect most would go find new lakes where there is better food(?)- leaving behind, again, the flightless birds.

 

[GranderTheGander]

I know you arent being hostile, you sound very well meaning. The other person however sounds pretty hostile, laughing at all posts that disagree with him. Yet you're liking his posts, and that's coming off looking bad.

We can have a reasonable conversation about this without people being dismissive, rude or mocking. I don't think anything I have said is wrong, and certainly not where I live, this environment is very harsh at times

It's not what you are saying is "wrong", it's that you believe everyone should think as you do about the subject, even if they have more experience with the matter. Are you even in the United States? I am assuming you are in the United Kingdom due to your mention of the RSPB. Two different countries. The US has states with all different types of climate and predators. (Foxes will get ducks, wild or domestic, regardless if those ducks are very familiar with people or dogs or not.)

It's unsafe where you are and you're only talking about two ducks. One dead and one still alive. Try whole corn, if you have not. Try to catch her, if you have not. Do you know what can happen to dumped domestic waterfowl? They can be slaughtered, as if their lives are worth nothing. This was especially true before the internet and forums like this one, where people who rescue them might be found.

So, please don't try to sell fantasies of how dumped domestics are going to live happily ever after being removed from places they should not be. When I first started at the park, I tried to find owners for some of the domestics. One went somewhere where the person told me her dog harassed it to death, one went somewhere where it suffocated in a night shelter, others got grabbed by predators on smaller ponds, etc. Obviously, they would have had longer lives if they had stayed in the park. (Yes, they would have, if you believe it or not. You weren't there. Stop generalizing.)

I'm finished here. You can have the last word or words if you wish.

 

[BelovedBirds]

It's not what you are saying is "wrong", it's that you believe everyone should think as you do about the subject, even if they have more experience with the matter. Are you even in the United States? I am assuming you are in the United Kingdom due to your mention of the RSPB. Two different countries. The US has states with all different types of climate and predators. (Foxes will get ducks, wild or domestic, regardless if those ducks are very familiar with people or dogs or not.)

It's unsafe where you are and you're only talking about two ducks. One dead and one still alive. Try whole corn, if you have not. Try to catch her, if you have not. Do you know what can happen to dumped domestic waterfowl? They can be slaughtered, as if their lives are worth nothing. This was especially true before the internet and forums like this one, where people who rescue them might be found.

So, please don't try to sell fantasies of how dumped domestics are going to live happily ever after being removed from places they should not be. When I first started at the park, I tried to find owners for some of the domestics. One went somewhere where the person told me her dog harassed it to death, one went somewhere where it suffocated in a night shelter, others got grabbed by predators on smaller ponds, etc. Obviously, they would have had longer lives if they had stayed in the park. (Yes, they would have, if you believe it or not. You weren't there. Stop generalizing.)

I'm finished here. You can have the last word or words if you wish.

I don't feel the need for everyone to agree with me, I just dislike seeing people acting like its better, or not even caring what happens to the domestic ducks since its an "easy meal for wildlife".
It's wrong. Dumping ducks is wrong and I think we can all agree with that. And I agree, some "rescues" go horribly, and if the people arent informed enough, they could produce a situation even worse than the wild. I'm not stupid, I get that.
I also get that domestics are often slaughtered, which is horrible, but honestly a fast death is better than a slow one in the wild
Best case scenario they would be safe, well fed and sheltered from predators. Actually, scrap that, best case scenario is that people would research before getting the birds that are then dumped. Because their lives definitely _do_ matter. And hopefully you can tell that I care about the domestic ducks, I don't think I've failed to make that point clear.

So far everyone I have spoken to about my most locally dumped ducks, has been incredibly compassionate. Yes I am in the UK, have spoken to a bunch of rescues, the RSPB, and locals about this and all of them, though unable to help in this particular situation, are wishing the best. No one here is treating them as worthless, the locals didn't even realise they were abandoned domestics, and now they do are incredibly sad about the situation. I guess I'm just fortunate to be surrounded by more caring people and organisations, but I'm well aware that not everyone would treat them that way.