Unintentional New Duck Owner and Need Help

[YouBet]

Hello everyone. This is my first post on here. We live in urban Dallas and are about to be adopted parents of some Mallards. I have 6 on the way and I expect them to be here sometime this coming week. Here is my dilemma - I have no idea what I'm doing here.

These mallards have adopted our pool as their new home and frankly our setup is not conducive for this at all. I've actually tried to find a wildlife company to come and relocate them with no luck. I simply do not have the time to do this because we both work and travel alot, but it looks like I'm going to be forced to.

We have a raised flower bed that surrounds the back and one side of our pool which is about 2.5-3 ft high. Mama Duck selected the corner of this raised flower bed for her nest. It is the only source of real food for these ducks once they get there, but I really don't want them destroying my bed. So, this means I will need to install some kind of ramp in/out of the flower bed to get them out assuming they don't just fall into the pool. (Will retract this ramp once they are out to keep them out.) Then I will need to construct a ramp in/out of the pool so they don't drown in the pool. I do have a separate side patio that could provide food for them of which I will leave the gate door open for them otherwise the rest of the backyard is hard-scaped with no real food source. Will need to have some kind of kiddie pool with fresh water so they have something to drink?

Escorting the ducks out of my yard is not a good solution either because we sit on an alley. Not sure what to do here! Oh, and I have two dogs in play both of which might murder the ducks anyway. Really bad situation all around!

 

[PirateGirl]

So from what you have said, it sounds like these are wild ducks and mama has chosen your raised bed as a safe place to raise her babies correct?

If this is the case, honestly, I would not provide them with any food or water. If your property does not seem to have adequate food/water, she should take her babies and move on when the time comes.

A ramp out of the raised bed sounds like a good idea, maybe a board or piece of plywood about 10 inches wide with a few boards across it to make treads every foot so that it's easy to navigate and then once they go down you just take the ramp away so hopefully they don't go back up.

If this is an in-ground swimming pool that you have, I'm assuming you have steps on one end somewhere. A large rock or brick or paver on the top step will make it easier for ducks to get in/out.

Since you don't really want them eating/destroying anything in the raised bed, perhaps you can make a partition of some sort so that the nest site is separate from the rest of the garden box and they can't access the whole thing.

I appreciate that you are open to helping these unwelcome guests in your yard. There is only so safe you can make it. I had a nest of wild bunnies in my yard last summer with two large dogs and an outdoor cat. They didn't stand much of a chance once the nest was discovered by my animals, but like you, I did what I could to give them a chance and largely let nature take its course. What you have going on is not really an ideal situation for you or for the ducks, so what happens happens. They may or may not all survive. There is not a clear right and wrong way to handle this. You do what you can to give them a fair chance in the world without totally compromising your own needs.

If you need more specific help on your ramp or anything perhaps a photo of the nest spot in relation to the pool would help.

 

[YouBet]

If this is the case, honestly, I would not provide them with any food or water. If your property does not seem to have adequate food/water, she should take her babies and move on when the time comes.

I wish it was as easy as that but it's not. I'm in very urban Dallas and leaving my gate open means I'm leaving it open to the neighborhood and specifically to an alley between homes. With a pool in my yard I'm leaving myself vulnerable to lawsuits (I realize odds of this are extreme but still) and other unwanted human guests. Also, my dogs would simply just get out and run away so I have to keep my gate shut and it's the only way in our out of my yard.

Since you don't really want them eating/destroying anything in the raised bed, perhaps you can make a partition of some sort so that the nest site is separate from the rest of the garden box and they can't access the whole thing.

Good idea. Will try to find something to put around the nest site to block it off from rest of bed since she picked a corner.

Thanks for the response!

 

[Miss Lydia]

How long has this Mallard been sitting on her nest another option which isn’t great either is to just remove her egg and dispose of them how would she even get her duckling out of your yard to begin with. Doesn’t sound like you want them living back there till 3 months of age? So best thing would be to take the eggs them she’ll have to move on at least she can fly to get out. I am sorry this is extreme but if they have no way out and no food they’ll die anyway.

 

[YouBet]

How long has this Mallard been sitting on her nest another option which isn’t great either is to just remove her egg and dispose of them how would she even get her duckling out of your yard to begin with. Doesn’t sound like you want them living back there till 3 months of age? So best thing would be to take the eggs them she’ll have to move on at least she can fly to get out. I am sorry this is extreme but if they have no way out and no food they’ll die anyway.

Couple of weeks now. I was going to do this to, but wife gave me the cease and desist here and technically I guess it's illegal which is baffling to me since it's my yard.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you tried DNR? If you did decide to do the remove and toss who would know besides you and your wife. I hate this for the Mallards but there isn’t a lot of choices where this will work out for them anyway.

 

[chickens really]

Call a local fish and wildlife agency...

 

[YouBet]

Have you tried DNR? If you did decide to do the remove and toss who would know besides you and your wife. I hate this for the Mallards but there isn’t a lot of choices where this will work out for them anyway.

Sorry, but what do you mean by DNR?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Department of Natural Resources. Fish and wildlife too.

 

[casportpony]

You could also call a local wildlife rescue, they might have some advice.