Should I get the duck? ....

[Oscarsgravett]

Hello

I work at a duck sales farm and today a customer brought in a white Campbell duck who she had to re-home due to neighbours complaining about the noise she created and as soon as I set my eyes on her I fell in love with her. The women had told me as well she had just suffered from a fox attack where her other fellow duck was killed in, the duck had a bite to the neck but nothing else. The women treated it with antibiotics but you couldn't tell she sustained any injury now. She is at POL but her injury may set back her laying slightly. She is also extremely tame and will cuddle up to you due to her being raised with the women's children.

The only problem is I will have to give up one of my boys in order to get her but I have got 2 drakes and a girl so I was thinking of losing a boy. The only problem is they are my first set of ducks so it's going to be hard to lose one.

But What Do You Think I Should ?

 

[sourland]

Two drakes and one duck is a problem most likely waiting to happen. Two ducks and one drake is a much better flock situation.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Ditto to what Sourland said, but are you saying that you currently have two drakes and one duck? If so, your drakes must not be as interested in mating as drakes typically are. Two ducks to two drakes would be better than what you have now (if I'm understanding correctly), but I'd still either rehome one of the drakes or get at least one more duck, beyond the WC, if you're going to take her plus keep what you already have.

Odd about the noise complaints. I don't find them to be particularly noisy except in the morning when they think we haven't opened the pen soon enough for their liking. They make very little noise after that, but maybe that's something specific to the white variety?

 

[Oscarsgravett]

Two drakes and one duck is a problem most likely waiting to happen.  Two ducks and one drake is a much better flock situation.

Thank you I agree I think 2 drakes to one girl is very overwhelming for the girl.

 

[Oscarsgravett]

Ditto to what Sourland said, but are you saying that you currently have two drakes and one duck? If so, your drakes must not be as interested in mating as drakes typically are. Two ducks to two drakes would be better than what you have now (if I'm understanding correctly), but I'd still either rehome one of the drakes or get at least one more duck, beyond the WC, if you're going to take her plus keep what you already have.

Odd about the noise complaints. I don't find them to be particularly noisy except in the morning when they think we haven't opened the pen soon enough for their liking. They make very little noise after that, but maybe that's something specific to the white variety?

My drakes are a few weeks younger as they are 15 weeks whereas the girl is 18 weeks so I think the breeding will get considerably worse as they are still fairly young. Iuckily even though the other duck is at POL she is a similar size to the others which are slightly younger.

I thought it was wiered about the neighbours complaining about noise as well as they are only noisy when feeding and that's it but some people are funny about other peoples animals.

 

[sourland]

The duck may very well have become noisy once her flockmate was killed by the fox. In a new environment with company she may very well quiet down.

 

[Oscarsgravett]

The duck may very well have become noisy once her flockmate was killed by the fox.  In a new environment with company she may very well quiet down.

She that may be true I was just so surprised when the women told me because she showed absolutely no signs of injury and she was immediately tame when the women let her out of the cage.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

She that may be true I was just so surprised when the women told me because she showed absolutely no signs of injury and she was immediately tame when the women let her out of the cage.

I'm not saying this is what happened, but I do know from working with shelters that people aren't always forthcoming about their real reasons for surrendering animals. They're sometimes embarrassed to say the animal is just too much trouble, they didn't research what they were getting into, the spouse has said it's either them or the animal(s), etc. That leads them to make up stories about moving to a place they can't have animals, or neighbors are complaining, or they found it as a stray and don't know whom it belongs to, etc. There are a myriad of excuses people make when they simply don't want an animal anymore and are too embarrassed to say so.

I have to say I'm a bit skeptical of this one. If the duck was "just" attacked by a fox, I can't believe there would be no evidence of it. Regardless, it really doesn't matter now if the woman was being truthful because it doesn't change the situation or the outcome. I hope you find a way to keep her because you sound like a great duck daddy

 

[Oscarsgravett]

I'm not saying this is what happened, but I do know from working with shelters that people aren't always forthcoming about their real reasons for surrendering animals. They're sometimes embarrassed to say the animal is just too much trouble, they didn't research what they were getting into, the spouse has said it's either them or the animal(s), etc. That leads them to make up stories about moving to a place they can't have animals, or neighbors are complaining, or they found it as a stray and don't know whom it belongs to, etc. There are a myriad of excuses people make when they simply don't want an animal anymore and are too embarrassed to say so.

I have to say I'm a bit skeptical of this one. If the duck was "just" attacked by a fox, I can't believe there would be no evidence of it. Regardless, it really doesn't matter now if the woman was being truthful because it doesn't change the situation or the outcome. I hope you find a way to keep her because you sound like a great duck daddy

Thank you and I agree we have seen people making excuses for them giving the animal away. I checked today under her neck feathers and I found 1 hole with a tiny bit of blood next to her but she said she had six punctures to her neck , there isn't any evidence of this not that I can see anyway and that one small wound may not be related to the supposed attack. I managed to get her as well!!!!!!!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Thank you and I agree we have seen people making excuses for them giving the animal away. I checked today under her neck feathers and I found 1 hole with a tiny bit of blood next to her but she said she had six punctures to her neck , there isn't any evidence of this not that I can see anyway and that one small wound may not be related to the supposed attack. I managed to get her as well!!!!!!!

Many congratulations! I love stories with a happy ending