Please help, my poor litle ducks are sad :(

[priss]

THAT IS A NICE LOOKIN DUCK!!
I've put a plastic mixing bowl full of water far away from the pool and they are sitting in that. The grey one and the black one (Mr. Snoogles and Rory) like to both squidge in at the same time top to tail and chase each other round and round like a duck yin yang. Then they get wedged in so tight they can't get out and give me duck evils for laughing at them.
We don't get many predators on the Isle of Wight. They couldn't care less about the neighbours cat (which worries me, I'm constantly encouraging them to kick its butt when it invades their garden and they are out the big run).
The neighbours suggested a rat? Or maybe a little British grass snake?
I'm going to empty it out completely and have a good investigate for any signs of anything around it. Maybe put in their old little one and try the bigger pool another time.
My husband has just gone out with his phone to take a picture of them so you can see ours too!
Plus he wants me to tell you Mr. Snoogles' real name is Dilbert...he thinks Mr. Snoogles isn't a macho enough name!!! But that duck does like those snoogles!
Priss xxxx

 

[jenjscott]

Have you tried wading in the pool with them? Maybe they need mommy there.

 

[sonew123]

thank you! this was him as a 2 day old!!

 

[priss]

Soo cute, look at his little fluff head!! He looks like a little snoogly buzzy bee.

I did try getting into the pool, i put my wellies on and splashed about and they came close enough to be splashed cos they like getting splashed but they still wouldn't get in.

Wish I knew what they looked like when they were little and fuzzy, but they are beautiful now. The guy who gave them to us calls them call ducks and they are (usually) good and noisy but I think they are little mongrels because i think maybe their beaks are too long to be pure call duck!

My neighbours love them. They are actually complaining because they aren't making any noise anymore.
Everytime I go into the back garden my neighbours are out watching them and talking to them! They are the best guarded little ducks in town!
Priss
xxxxx

 

[sonew123]

Quote:
Cant wait for the pictures! Your lucky you have aneighborhood watch on those babies!!!! Im off to church...

 

[Dances with Ducks]

If your ducks had seen some scary looking birds while they were in the new pool they may think it's not safe. My grown ducks stopped using their pool when I moved it to an open area of the yard while was making some alterations in their pen. Later I saw some hawks circling and realized they felt like "sitting ducks" in that area. I moved the pool under a tree and they spent all day there!! When I put the pool back in the original area I hung a canopy on poles above it (just an old sheet for now, I want to get some netting). Now they are spending hours there and they never had spent that much time there before.
Another thought is some people find their ducks are scared of certain colors, blue and red have been identified as occasionally "scary" colors.

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducks seem to think all change is bad...even if it is good! Give them some time

 

[priss]

I think you're probably right. I have noticed my ducks not liking anything to change! But I'm too much of a worrier!! I've just spent the last two hours emptying their evil pool, bucket by bucket. When I got down to the last two inches of water they got interested and came over to look and to drink from their water bowl. They haven't been that close to it (out of their own free will!) for five days.
Then when I took the pool away, they rolled about all happy in the mud that had been underneath.
When I went and got the bright pink blow up little pool they were so excited they duck rushed me and were quacking the whole time I was blowing it up.
Then they got in it while I was filling it up and splooshed me until I was soaked. Mr Snoogles was so happy he was doing little underwater duck roly polys.
My neighbours are happy now too because they are all noisy again.
Sigh.
I still have nooo idea what was wrong with the other pool. Maybe you are right about them not liking the colour? Just something about it freaked them out.
Right, I'm going to go and clean out their hut now.
I can't tell you what a relief it is to happy happy wakking ducks again. They almost broke my heart when they were sad!
Perhaps we'll try the evil pool again another day!
THANK YOU EVERYONE, THIS IS A GREAT FORUM.
xxxxxxxxxx
Priss

 

[priss]

Husband has gone to work. I'll get him to put pictures on when he gets back because I have noooo idea how to do it!!
xxxxx Priss

 

[Wifezilla]

Nettie's ducks are afraid of anything blue for some strange reason, so a color aversion isn't unheard of!