Pond....

[shadust1]

We have two 2-1/2 month old peking ducks....they have been living in my greenhouse since they were a couple weeks old...they have a pool right outside that i clean every two days or so and refill with fresh....well....we have been carrying them down to the pond a couple times a week and putting them in the water off the side of the dock...well..they go to the very edge of the pond for about 5 minutes...eat the muddy water for a couple more minutes...they dont swim around at all...they then get out of the water and procede to just waddle back up to the house....im getting frustrated because they wont stay down there and swim...that is the reason we got them...now what do i do...do i keep taking them down...will they eventually get used to the pond...please give me any pointers as to what to do???

 

[lovin my birds]

At 2 and a half months old they arent old enough to stay there by themselves. Do they have all their adult feathers yet. When mine where that young they would do the same thing. They didnt like to swim very long. They still dont, they are 6 months now, they will go out there and swim for like 5 mintues then they would get out then get back in. Right now they arent sure about it. Just give it some time and they will lie being down there. Plus since you had them in the greenhouse they think that is their home. They will probably always come back to the greenhouse.

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Mine did the same thing. Just keep walking them down there and they will stay a little longer each time as they get older.

Also, I had a group of ducks (full grown) once that LOVED the water. One day I heard them "going crazy" out by the pond. I RAN like a crazy person out there thinking there was a dog or something. When I got there I saw the entire group of ducks on the bank of the pond except for one in the pond. A snapping turtle had grabbed it's leg and was trying to pull it under. Luckily it was a small one or it would have succeeded. After that the ducks didn't want to go out to the pond anymore and it took a couple months to get them to be comfortable again.

Sorry to ramble. Just thought I'd share.

 

[shadust1]

lovin my birds....thanks...that makes me feel better...ill just have to be a good mommy n keep walking them down and letting them get used to it....as far as the greenhouse is concerned i already figured that that is there new home..lol..guess ill have to share..which i dont mind..they r my babies..lol...but we r getting 2 more ducks from my boyfriends dad...he isnt able to keep them nemore because he is afraid they will get hit by a car...so maybe they will do better with older ducks that r experienced....lol...we'll see...we have two huge ponds on our property so dont have to worry about room....



taylor173.....omg...snapping turtles....that is scary...poor duck....i think if that would happen to mine...motherly instinct would take over and i would go out and rescue the duck..lmao...that would be hilarious...me jumping into the muddy disgusting pond..lol...if it happens ill be sure to get a pic..lol...


thanks for the help!!!

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

That would be what I did. LOL!! Actually, my brother was practicing trap shooting and I yelled for him to come over with his 22 shotgun. No turtle was going to get my Rouen drake that day.

(After I jumped in the pond I thought, "What am I going to do to get this turtle off my ducks foot?" Turtles don't just open their mouths.)

 

[foxchasr]

I have 4 month old Pekin ducks that stayed in my koi pond all day. I literally had to chase them out each night to get them in the coop at night for bedtime. One day, I just stopped seeing them in the pond. They wanted no part of it. We filled up 2 cement mixing tubs and that's where they have been going now. One day the curiosity got the best of me and I put one back in the pond and he jumped out like holy horror and was so scared. I now know that the koi must have started biting their feet and scared them so I can really relate to the previous poster that spoke of the snapping turtle. I'm convinced. I'm actually happy they don't go in the pond now because the filter was on overdrive trying to revert the water back from split pea soup to normal!!!!!

 

[lovin my birds]

Yay! More duckies! They are so much fun!

 

[shadust1]

Quote:
quackerjackfarms...i was told by my boyfriends father that if u put a stick into a turtles nostril it will release whatever it is holding onto...lol....

 

[QuackerJackFarms]

Quote:
quackerjackfarms...i was told by my boyfriends father that if u put a stick into a turtles nostril it will release whatever it is holding onto...lol....

That's interesting. I don't think it would work though. I don't plan on finding out!! My grandpa used to tell me turtles won't bite you because they don't like to get water in their mouths. HA! Sooooooo not true.