Ducks -opinions please

[Evie91]

About six weeks ago I had four fancy ducks arrive on our pond. Three females (one White, one White with brown speckles and one brown with white speckles and a Pom Pom on her head) and one male (bit like a mallard but with a huge Pom Pom on his head).
I've dropped notes around the local area to see if anyone has lost any pet ducks - people have got back to me but only to say they are not theirs.
They are very tame(too tame for their own good really) and come swimming across, quacking like mad when they see me, come running out of the water, up to the dog - not bothered (fortunately he leaves them alone).

Basically I don't know what to do. They are lovely but not mine. I don't know what to feed or how to keep them. The pond dries up to really quite shallow in the summer. There are bushes surrounding the pond which they seem to sleep under. We have a huge dog fox locally. I'm worried they will be killed or die if they stay where they are, but the do seem really happy!
any opinions on what I should do?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

hey can eat chicken layers pellets-but if you feed them they will stay. they don't need huge amounts of water-just enough to slosh over their faces but obviously they prefer to have a pond. sounds like they may have been dumped? not much you can do unless you want to shell out for a duck house and shut them in over night. I love ducks they make good pets (sorry, not helping!)

 

[Evie91]

Well I have plenty of layers pellets. Don't mind feeding them, but don't really want to house them. Reason being I don't get back from work until late and the pond is not near the house. So not sure how I'd manage to shut them in/open them up in winter as I won't get back until after dark and by that time the fox could have gotten into the house and eaten them!!!
When the water goes shallow the fox would be able to wade in and get them!
I've tried not to go everyday - they are lovely but don't want to feed them and encourage them to stay if they have a home to go to. They always seem starving though, so don't even know if they can fend for themselves.

 

[fallenangel123]

The joy of dumped ducks. I take care of the ducks on our village pond. There has always been ten of them, but during this wet winter we had six more in various lots dumped, some of them quite lovely. To limit the population we only keep drakes on the pond, so the girls I rounded up and re homed.
Post a note by the pond saying if they are not collected by 'date' you will look to rehome them. Unless they win you over of course with their comical ducky faces!

 

[missmatch]

You could ring a rescue centre, rspca etc...and say they have been dumped. I have ducks & chickens from the rspca and I love them to bits. Proper little characters x

 

[Evie91]

Just to add - today when I visited there is now a plastic mallard (life size) floating on the pond!!

 

[Evie91]

it's such a shame. They really are urgently - just worry me as the get out of the pond and run over to me- not phased by the dog at all.
debating whether to call rspca - don't want them to go but equally don't want them to get eaten.

They seem to eat a lot - I take down a couple of scoops of pellets or corn or a small loaf and they eat it all straight away- my chickens would make that last for days!

 

[3Beasties]

I wish you were closer to me as I could offer them a home! They sound lovely Are they laying?

 

[Evie91]

Just read through my last thread - meant to say lovely not urgently!!!
Not sure if they are laying- do they lay an egg a day like chickens?

 

[Pamfyson]

Bread is not good for waterfowl I'm told. Layers pellets or mixed corn is fine. they lay every 24 hours, hence you always get an egg for breakfast. Pity you're not closer, I'd have them.

 

[cally6008]

Ask Warwickshire Horsewatch to put a message out about them.

 

[Evie91]

Thank you for the replies.
If they do decide to stay - any recommendations for a floating duck house (not expensive)?
I'm thinking this could be the way forward - as then I would not have to open and shut them up (like I do with the chickens). As long as it's in the middle of the pond even if it dries up it is likely to be muddy - this is the best option I can think of if they stay. Shame that if they were dumped person didn't also dump their house - this is an expense I could really do without right now!!!
Will they find there own food or should,I expect to feed them each day.

 

[alsxx]

Where are you based OP? My mum keeps/shows ducks nationally and is a judge.... She knows people all over the place and could ask if she knows anyone local to take them off your hands for rehoming??

 

[Evie91]

Based warks/leics borders.

 

[Nudibranch]

Is the pond yours? Just wondering if someone is trying to use them as decoy ducks or something, given the plastic mallard which turned up! If you don't want to keep them you could just advertise locally and round them up if you find a rehomer.

 

[Evie91]

Yes pond is ours but it backs on to a private wood - a public footpath runs along side. In the past people have wandered off the path and had picnics by our pond! (We've also had turf taken from around the pond!!!) so what goes on down there most the time I've no idea (we've found evidence of camps in the woods, fires, blankets all laid out and just left - all kinds of weird stuff).

The plastic duck has gone. The others remain. What is a decoy duck?

 

[Nudibranch]

Decoy ducks are used to attract wild ones for shooting but its unlikely, theyd probably use call ducks. If theres a footpath alongside Id be pretty certain theyve been dumped.

 

[skewbaldmillie]

I love ducks is there anyway you could have their house near your house and walk them to the pond in the mornings, after a few days they will probably take themselves to the house in the evenings

 

[Bestdogdash]

Well I have plenty of layers pellets. Don't mind feeding them, but don't really want to house them. Reason being I don't get back from work until late and the pond is not near the house. So not sure how I'd manage to shut them in/open them up in winter as I won't get back until after dark and by that time the fox could have gotten into the house and eaten them!!!
When the water goes shallow the fox would be able to wade in and get them!
I've tried not to go everyday - they are lovely but don't want to feed them and encourage them to stay if they have a home to go to. They always seem starving though, so don't even know if they can fend for themselves.

Not sure if this helps, but if you did decide to keep them and provide a house, you could get an automatic door. We have a light sensitive one, opens itself at full dawn and closes at dusk. My girls always get themselves in bed before the door closes, it works a treat, and you could rest easy if you doesn't get there to open / close up.

 

[Evie91]

Worth considering. I've decided if they are still here in the Autumn, I'll buy them a house - funds a bit tight at the mo, so really can't afford one before then.
Any suggestions for a floating duck house, suitable for four ducks.
Now feeding them everyday - can't believe how much they eat! Eating two large handfuls of layers pellets each but only have time to feed them once a day.Any suggestions for a feeder. Currently throw as much down as they will eat in one go. Feeding them once a day. Pond is in the middle of woodland so want something that would keep the food dry if it rains but not encourage the whole wild life population for dinner - am I asking the impossible?!

 

[Evie91]

Would a fox swim out to catch them in a house, if it were in the middle of a pond?

 

[Bestdogdash]

We have a large metal feeder for the hens, that we can will with a weeks worth of food. It has a metal grid 'plate' that they have to stand on to open the bottom feeder slot. When they step off it closes. Keeps the pellets dry and in good condition, and no waste, as a rodent/rats can't get in. Also the rodents aren't heavy enough to open the feeder if they do step on it. This might be a good idea for you.

 

[Clodagh]

I think ducks would soon dampen the food in the auto feeder and clog it up. When we are shooting ducks we just feed them barley, put it in the water in a shallow bit and they will dabble it up. They will find lots of wild food this time of year so you don't need to overfeed them, they are very greedy!

 

[wildwhippet]

If you do decide to rehome... I'd probably be interested... I'm also warks/Leics border, so somewhere near you....