We've had a mallard and a, um, female duck turn up on the doorstep. They seem very tame. The female looks injured, unsteady on her feet and seens to have a puffed up neck (croup?) but seems very hungry. They've settled down for the night on the lawn - but I can't leave them there cos of foxes etc! Help - what do I do? Put them in a box with some straw and water?

Help!!!

Stable, tack room, shed??  With newspaper on the floor. ;)

I've not really got anywhere near enough to get them into - have put a box out with a little ramp - maybe they will go in there?

don't know for sure Carla but think treat them like chickens i.e. put them to bed??  A friend I know has ducks and chickens and think that is what she does??

sorry hope they are ok

I always have to put my call ducks to bed - they usually refuse to go in - especially if it's raining - so I end up running around after them getting soaked . If they are wild ducks though they probably won't let you get close enough to put them away - not too much you can do I'm afraid but hope for the best !.

Yvonne

Can the RSPCA help you or RSPB?

Morning - they are still here this morning! They spent the night on the doorstep sleeping (with the outside light on for safety), have spent the morning sleeping on the lawn in the sun, had a standoff with the chickens and come to an amicable lawn sharing arrangement, had a bath in their water dish and had some marmite on toast!

They'll take food from my hand - the female is more tame.

Arrgh! More animals! :D

I kept ducks and chickens together very happily. :)  They don't need to swim but to wet their feathers, but they'd love an old washing up bowl to splash in! :D

What do I do with them at night though - if I get them a duck house and round them in it  and keep them in a few days like chickens - will they then use it? I don't want them being attacked - they're very sweet are George and Mildred.

(kids are busy emptying the sand out the sandpit for them to have as a pond :D )

they're very sweet are George and Mildred.

It's not like you've got attached to them or anything silly like that now, Carla - have you??????   ;)

I'll send you along some oranges :D :D :D

Margot

:D

I had a George and Mildred too!  She wore the trousers and he followed! ;)  I just kept them in the chicken house for 24 hours when I let the chooks out and from then on they would all go into bed together. :)  They can be herded by waving your arms like the chooks.  I used to live near a canal and didn't clip the ducks wings.  They'd sometimes disappear for a couple of hours but would always come back for their bed and breakfast.

yep they will get used to going to bed like the chickens do - or rather EVENTUALLY going to bed :rolleyes: - we have separate duck house like a little chicken ark and lock themaway in there for safety - ours are called Dave and Doris :D

Yvonne

Right - am off to get a duck house tomorrow. They waddled off toward the canal today and we said byeeee - ten mins later they were back. The female is in the paddling pool and the male on the doorstep again! :D

You know when they went off for 10 minutes - it wasto tell the rest of the Ducks they'd found a good new des res......you'll be overrun with Ducks. :)

Glad they survived the night.

We have a lot of ducks around here in the town ponds and lakes. This time of year the female Mallards do seem to wander away from the ponds to strange places.  I had a pair camped in my front garden for a few days once.  I always assumed it was because the poor females were trying to get a bit of peace from the attention of all the males.  They get quite rough with the females during the mating season and gang up on them and let's face it not all girls like a bit of rough. As soon as the actual mating season settles down so the females go back to their ponds and nest.

My experience with the local Mallards is that those who wander from the ponds are likely to get a bit hungry because they are away from their regular source of food.  This makes it very easy to entice them to come closer when offering food. As soon as you approach to closely to them they back off.

I would think they will soon be wanting to go back to where they came from. 

:D

Still here.... :D off duck shopping now

Mum and dad have a pair land every year in febuary. they spend the days on the pond, being chased off by my parents every time they get chance, but they still come back!!!! They leave about April time, and dont see them again until febuary.
This has happened every year for past 4 years!!!!!
So watch out Carla, you may be disapoointed, Although, if you have a duck house and they fly off, you may as well go and buy some ducklings :D :D :D
Dad found a disturbed nest with eggs lying everywhere (including in the water) and nest destroyed when I was a kid. Hje picked 4 eggs up to take them home to blow them for my nature table at school. He blew one, and there was a dead duckling. Did the next one and a leg moved.
The last 2 they made and incubator up out of an old fish tank and light bulb and 2 yello ducklings hatched :D :D :D
Dill and Sorrel. They lived on layers pellets all their life, had a sunken bath to swim in and lived to the ripe old age of ..........16!!!!!!
Lea :)

Hi Carla, we had the same situation last year in our back garden as we have a river at the bottom - we always have well over 20 ducks wondering around, however this time the female duck had taken to her bed under our shed. She was in such a sorry state, been battered by the male ducks who had been chasing her for days. Anyway we contacted the RSCPA for help explained we had been giving her water and bread and she was bruised and battered. The RSPCA explained she had probably been gang raped and to just let her rest (male still hanging around for a bit ) and when she is ready in her own time she would leave us. Sure enough a few days later she was back on the river with the others. Maybe she just needed the rest.

Good luck

Kirsty

Welcome to CD Kirsty :) :) :) :)
You didnt think you could sneak in unnoticed did you :D
Happy posting :d
Lea :)

Thanks Lea, been looking at CD for years but only just plucked up the courage to join LOL.

we used to use a baby bath for that purpose val and ours loved it!!

Female duck died today :( Male wasn't around when it happened and we thought he'd gone so we buried the body - but now he's on the doorstep calling for her :( Is there anything we can do?

Sorry to hear about the girl duck. I had a pair and the fox came and took the female
He called for her for a few days it was heartbreaking.They really do get attached. I did wonder about getting another duck,but he did settle down eventually and paired up with my chicken.Unfortunately she does get alot of unwelcome 'attention' from him at times. I hope he settles down soon, bless him.

Oh Dear.  They do take their parings very seriously.  A friend who used to breed ducks lost a Silver Appleyard female and a Call Duck male and their remaining partners paired up.  As they didn't want to breed cross bred ducks, they came to live with me very happily. 

How you you feel about finding a single female duck?  Have they weedled their way into your heart?? :)