Well we put the ducks on the pond......*UPDATE*7-23-09

[dipence71]

Crossing fingers and toes that nothing happens to them. They were totally freaked out at first because they were use to my yard and chicken coop and run. But They were making a huge mess of my coop and the completely destroyed my run, I guess I finally complained one to man times about their mess cause dh put them on the pond. (DH is the one who got the ducks but wouldn't take care of them I had to do it all. So they ended up in with my chickens.)

I was really glad when he said it was time to put them on the pond

... but now all I can do is worry about them

. There will be no way to catch them now (they never have been very people friendly)
They are out on the pond which is a ways from the house so cant hear them if they get in to trouble.
But I guess what will be will be...Just hoping for dd11 sake that all is well.

 

[monarc23]

I know my ducks don't like to be very near to hubby and I but every night we are easily able to herd them into the one barn to sleep for the night we lock them up in there and let them out every morning. Now it's to the point when it starts getting dark I walk up and say "Go!" and they all go marching in the barn and some late evenings I go out and they're already in there

Maybe you could offer something like that to them?

 

[Wifezilla]

You could get them one of those floating island thingies...

http://heatherjustesen.blogspot.com/2009/04/floating-islands-provide-advantages-in.html

 

[dipence71]

Well they have been fine until yesterday. They came back up to the house and I was afraid they would attack my garden so I put them in the fence with the chickens until DH came home then we herded them back to the pond.
Well all was well until about an hr ago. I hear the dogs going nuts and a weird chicken noise ...or so I thought. It was the ducks back again. So I just left them out their. A bit later I hear the dog going nuts again and I look out and one of the ducks has gotten in the yard (again) and the dog if "playing" with it. So DDD11 and I go out put the dogs back in the house herd the ducks back in the fence and let the chickens out of their run into the yard.

My ? why do they keep coming back up here? There is plenty to eat and drink on the pond. (it isn't very far from the house) They definitely don't like to be too close to us because they never have been what I call "pet" friendly. They tolerate us because we fed and watered them, but that"s about it. they hate to be messed with.

Any ideas????

 

[WriterofWords]

Just like chickens roost at night, ducks go home at night, mine do too.

 

[dipence71]

But they stayed on the pond for over a week without coming back. Why all of a sudden now??? D you think something scared them? They were out there with the cows and they moved the cows a couple days ago so maybe they decided to come back after the cows were moved??? HMMMMMM Things just get weirder and weirder when you have chickens and ducks. LOL......

 

[Heather J]

Quote:
Can I tell you how cool it is to look at the stats on my blog and see BYC as a referring link? lol You are awesome wifezilla!

 

[maplesky7]

This is my first season with 2 ducks and what I have gathered is they aren't the cuddly sort.

Mine were raised in our home on the 3 season porch in a dog crate and then given outside time. At which time when it would start to get dusk they would be waiting at the back door and I could let them in and they'd go right to their dog crate.

Now while a pen is being constructed the dog crate is in the garage and when we came home the other night they had put themselves to bed. All we had to do is shut the door.

I think it's really cute.


We don't have a pond.... just a couple of kiddie pools. So I don't know what to tell ya about their preferences there.

They have just been programmed I guess to think their home is up there by the house.

 

[DuckLady]

Your ducks come home because they do not feel safe on the pond.
They are domestic animals and are entitled to human protection.

It is our responsibility to protect them and keep them safe. Ours are in a fenced yard and are locked up in a barn every night. Is it a pain? Yes. Are they stinky? Yes, but it is my responsibility to keep them in clean as possible surroundings. I knew that when I got ducks.

Putting them on the pond is asking for them to be a killed.

They also need to be protected from your dogs.

 

[dipence71]

Another update.
Well my dear ducks have a habit now lol.. we have walked them back to the pond enough that they will go back to the pond on their own now. They come up to the house once a day but at different times of the day no set pattern and I feed and water them when they are up here then they hang around for a while and go back down to the pond.
I don't think they know enough on their own to get enough to eat by themselves and they come up when they get hungry.

So It is our pattern for now lol. I just wish they would come at the same time or around the same time so I can put out the feed for them but I can't just put it out and leave it because other wild birds eat it or if it rains it ruins a lot of feed. oh well will have to try to figure something out...