Wild mallards in the neighbour’s pool.

[Kaye Pek]

Your neighbors could be in danger...wild mother animals are very protective of babies and might attack if they feel threated.

The wildlife rescue wasn’t worried about the neighbours, just about the ducks. Possibly a weird idea, and I have no idea if you’d know, but do you think a screen woven of twigs and grasses and such might make her feel more comfortable/less defensive later on? Put it between her space and the rest of the vegetable garden until she relocated or is relocated?

 

[Cecisflock]

he wildlife rescue wasn’t worried about the neighbours, just about the ducks.

That is so rude! I can't believe that! And the chlorine is not good for ducks either! Or salt water if it happens to be that.

 

[Kaye Pek]

That is so rude! I can't believe that! And the chlorine is not good for ducks either! Or salt water if it happens to be that.

It’s chlorine. And yep, I was pretty unimpressed with the closest rescue in particular. I ended up phoning one completely out of town and got way better information from them. Obviously they weren’t going to be able to relocate them, but he at least gave me some info on what we might expect and when.

 

[Chuckie chicken]

That is so rude! I can't believe that! And the chlorine is not good for ducks either! Or salt water if it happens to be that.

They're swimming on top of the cover, it'll just be rain water and snow melt.

 

[Cecisflock]

They're swimming on top of the cover, it'll just be rain water and snow melt.

No they are swimming IN the pool. the cover is ripped

 

[Chuckie chicken]

No they are swimming IN the pool. the cover is ripped

Well they should get that fixed.

 

[Cecisflock]

Well they should get that fixed.

well yeah but they are old. Maybe they didn't notice lol?

 

[Kaye Pek]

No they are swimming IN the pool. the cover is ripped

They were swimming in the pool until the neighbour put the cover on. Then they were swimming on top of the cover, which had collected rainwater and possibly some chlorine water if it was weighed down enough. I wasn’t clear about that. Sorry!

 

[KaleIAm]

The wildlife rescue wasn’t worried about the neighbours, just about the ducks. Possibly a weird idea, and I have no idea if you’d know, but do you think a screen woven of twigs and grasses and such might make her feel more comfortable/less defensive later on? Put it between her space and the rest of the vegetable garden until she relocated or is relocated?

I really feel that the angriest, most protective mallard isn't going to be that dangerous. I understand that mother animals can be defensive of their young - but ducks don't really have teeth and mallards only weigh a couple pounds. My 7lb duck was very angry with me for medicating her and bit and twisted my skin as ferociously as she could. As a result I had only little bruises.

The wildlife rescue people probably aren't worried about the humans because they have handled many ducks, and those ducks have only wanted to escape them. The only way I could imagine your neighbors becoming injured by a couple ducks are if they slip in poop, they trip over the ducks, or they contract salmonella or some other zoonotic diseases. All unlikely.

Also I applaud your very sweet efforts to take care of the ducks and your neighbors.

The ducks will likely prefer the big pool to a kid pool. But you could try to make your kid pool more enticing by putting snacks in it. Like mealworms. It might be unlawful to feed wild mallards in your area, but you can decide what you are comfortable with. Maybe you put mealworms out for another animal and the mallards happened to eat them. Also consider how much you want to make the mallards feel comfortable with humans by giving them snacks. I resist this temptation because I feel it will make them easier prey for hunters.

After the babies hatch I would be concerned with one getting under the pool cover and being unable to get out.

 

[Kaye Pek]

Welp, problem removed, I suppose. Lily was off her nest yesterday evening and it got completely trashed. We think it was by some crows that had been eyeing her. I doubt she and Pad will be back. Such is life, but it's still sad.