Question About Ducks

[PBCounty]

Hi there,

We all know people who may "keep" ducks or know area ponds / lakes / parks / etc. which have resident ducks. I myself have a pond on my property which is home to some ducks which lived here before I moved in - and while they drift around the neighborhood they always return to our yard and pond even though there are plenty of other ponds in the immediate area.

My question is, what makes a duck stay in a certain area when they are free to do as they please? If I were to purchase more ducks, how could I encourage them to stay in my yard as the existing ducks do?

[Deradius]

Here's my WAG:

Animals evaluate where to stay based primarily on the quality and prevalence of resources.

The primary resources animals use are:

Food, Water, and Shelter.

The presence of competition will require the animal to expend resources to obtain what it needs there, so an area with good resources and competition may not be as attractive as an area with mediocre resources an no competition, etc. etc.

With reference to your situation..

There is water there. It's hard to say exactly what sort of shelter a duck likes without doing a lot of research and some guesswork.

The easiest variable to control is food. Feeding the ducks regularly would encourage them to stay in one spot, and competition could be mitigated by providing plenty of food..

..but the down side is that you might ultimately bring harm to the ducks by making them dependent on human support.

[paynter2]

A ducks quack doesn't echo - and nobody knows why.

Just thought you wanted to know that.

[KilgoreTrout]

When we get new ducks, or our hatchlings are old enough to be turned out on their own, we put them in a cage, right next to our pond, and feed and water them in that cage for about two weeks before turning them lose. They will then stay at the pond, as they have become used to it.

Our pond has also become a feeding/resting point for other local ducks. Around dusk every night about 75-100 ducks fly over to my pond, where they sleep for the night, and then go elsewhere during the day. I dont know what physically makes the ones we raised stay here, and not all of them do, but I guess they just simply stay where they are comfortable at.

[raziel52000]

A ducks quack doesn't echo - and nobody knows why.

Just thought you wanted to know that.

Not true, they echo just like any other sound

[PBCounty]

Already some good considerations.....GT's great.

[SouthernGal]

The most creative way I've seen a guy locally keep his is to make them a floating "raft" (shelter) in the center of the deep part of the lake. They roost there at night, away from predators.

I wish I had a pic of this. It's a pretty great setup.

[KilgoreTrout]

The most creative way I've seen a guy locally keep his is to make them a floating "raft" (shelter) in the center of the deep part of the lake. They roost there at night, away from predators.

I wish I had a pic of this. It's a pretty great setup.

I also had this set up for a while. They problem is that when you get a certain number of ducks, in my case upwards of 150 wanting to stay the night, the shelter has to be huge. They then started laying and hatching eggs in the shelter, and the water moccasins caught on to it. I finally had to tow it in and be done with it. I may make a newer one some day though. I really liked it.

[SouthernGal]

I also had this set up for a while. They problem is that when you get a certain number of ducks, in my case upwards of 150 wanting to stay the night, the shelter has to be huge. They then started laying and hatching eggs in the shelter, and the water moccasins caught on to it. I finally had to tow it in and be done with it. I may make a newer one some day though. I really liked it.

Holy Crap! 150 ducks? This guy has about 20 or so, and to me, that's alot. And the other thing, his aren't the white ones, they're actual greenheads and susies.

[KilgoreTrout]

Holy Crap! 150 ducks? This guy has about 20 or so, and to me, that's alot. And the other thing, his aren't the white ones, they're actual greenheads and susies.

yeah, like i said, some where mine from hatching and buying, some just came and never left.

[noway]

What kinda of duck muscovies? if I'm assuming pbch and ponds or typical SEFLA;)

They will stay as long as food and protection is available. If you take anyone of those away, the duck then will not feel comfortable. If you have any big dogs chasing them, they will not stay, if you feed them, they will stay.


here's what my neighbor dog did to a duckling and she killed 3 more...needless to say the ducks stays out of his yard.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d200/kenfelix/dog-duck01.jpg

Muscovies could all die and I could care less. They are a evasive non-native species just like the collared doves, british sterlings ( bird and not car; ) , and other species. Right now where I live at , I probably got maybe 8 dozens of these or more walking thru the neighborhood crapping on your driveway and sidewalks. Most of the ducklings will be eliminate by 60% ( they have a tuff life ) by nature , by predators ( my dogs ), by getting ran over in the roadway, or injuries to their wings/feets.

The best duck in my opinion is a roasted quarter with french flingering potatoes ;)

[KilgoreTrout]

we have mostly muscovies and mallards. Some are what we call "wood ducks" I dont know if thats a proper term for them or not though. Id say the natural survival rate for a group of ducklings is 40-60% will die. I generally intervene and push it up to around 90% most of the time. I have a hard time letting nature run its course with the little things.

[PBCounty]

Here's what I got, two of the males and one adult female with six youngin's.

http://nisley.mesa.k12.co.us/students/images/mallardducks.jpg

[noway]

we have mostly muscovies and mallards. Some are what we call "wood ducks" I dont know if thats a proper term for them or not though. Id say the natural survival rate for a group of ducklings is 40-60% will die. I generally intervene and push it up to around 90% most of the time. I have a hard time letting nature run its course with the little things.

Don't, you don't need todo anything with intervention and playing god to increase ducks numbers. The ducks numbers typically are controlled and unless that species on the dangered or threaten list, you probably not doing anything special or helping out.

If you want to do something, setup duck boxes for a woodduck. In the OP case he's not going to find a woodduck in the city lake /ponds/canals unless soemthing is horrible wrong ( SOUTH Florida ) or florida becomes a sea of water like after a hurricane ;)

Back in Jeanne and Francis days, on my wayto a hunting ground right around sept/otc we had a big pond ( maybe 4 acres ) that was created right where 2 roads meet in Palm Bch county. It was low lying dispresion that was in a commercial zones. I stopped my truck and counted maybe 400plus ducks mostly woodducks, a few fl ducks and dozen or so the whistling ducks and a few coots, that where paddling thru it. I had my shotgun with non-toxic shot and stamp and man I wanted to poached a duck so bad...... but I didn't. Literally I could have just pointed my shotgun and kill a duck ;)


Also if the OP is planning on buying a mallard, he shouldn't due to the intermingling of the florida mottled duck with the mallards and possible reduction of true 100% florida duck.

read;

http://www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/07/statewide/mallardlaw.html

[noway]

Here's what I got, two of the males and one adult female with six youngin's.

http://nisley.mesa.k12.co.us/students/images/mallardducks.jpg

That's a mallard ( drake and hen ), a non native duck that shouldn't be here except as visitor and typically they don't make it this far south. I would guess that duck is one of the pet "boutique" shop ducks that some one bought and introduce into the city life. Read the warning posted above.

[PBCounty]

I don't require mallards or any other specific breed. I am good with any docile / quiet type duck. If you can't tell....I'm not a duck expert. I got used to the ducks being around, and it seems that the males are of advanced age - I'm going to need to restock.

[noway]

I don't require mallards or any other specific breed. I am good with any docile / quiet type duck. If you can't tell....I'm not a duck expert. I got used to the ducks being around, and it seems that the males are of advanced age - I'm going to need to restock.

Go with a domestic breed, you might can fine a duck species that would stay, be less threaten and spooked by car, dogs, noises and not intermingle with the natives.

I would look at Aylesbury (sp?) species, I've seen people in Palm bch and Indian river counties that raise these as pets but they live in a fenced in land with maybe 2-5 acres or more and a safe water pond for them to rest and paddle and cleanup in.

if you have no way to restrict their movement and movements of other animals , it might be hard to restrain them. Once the ducks get out it's fair game ( pun not intended). But a better food source, or a better shelter or somebody snatching it could all lead to reduce numbers.

[PBCounty]

I'm partially fenced now (complete soon) with a pond and approximately 1.16 acres. I'll look into your mentioned breed - thanks.

[KilgoreTrout]

Don't, you don't need todo anything with intervention and playing god to increase ducks numbers. The ducks numbers typically are controlled and unless that species on the dangered or threaten list, you probably not doing anything special or helping out.

If you want to do something, setup duck boxes for a woodduck. In the OP case he's not going to find a woodduck in the city lake /ponds/canals unless soemthing is horrible wrong ( SOUTH Florida ) or florida becomes a sea of water like after a hurricane ;)

Back in Jeanne and Francis days, on my wayto a hunting ground right around sept/otc we had a big pond ( maybe 4 acres ) that was created right where 2 roads meet in Palm Bch county. It was low lying dispresion that was in a commercial zones. I stopped my truck and counted maybe 400plus ducks mostly woodducks, a few fl ducks and dozen or so the whistling ducks and a few coots, that where paddling thru it. I had my shotgun with non-toxic shot and stamp and man I wanted to poached a duck so bad...... but I didn't. Literally I could have just pointed my shotgun and kill a duck ;)


Also if the OP is planning on buying a mallard, he shouldn't due to the intermingling of the florida mottled duck with the mallards and possible reduction of true 100% florida duck.

read;

http://www.floridaconservation.org/whatsnew/07/statewide/mallardlaw.html

I set up a few boxes for the couple of wood ducks. Ive noticed the few that have been around here in my time as a duck rancher have been very mean. I dont know why. They tend to try and run the other ducks around and just be generally rude ducks.

[noway]

a 12ga a #4-5 shot would easily stop that meanness ;)


I don't know what to tell you on woodduck behavior, all the wood ducks I've seen was at the end of my shotgun barrel.;)

I did work a project with placing duck boxes in a wood duck habitat. I guess habitat for ducks vrs habitat for humanity ;).


But now, the woodduck is doing way much better than a decade ago and their numbers have improved very much.

iirc the woodduck is the only wild duck that make nests within enclosed shelters, hence the need for duck boxes for hatching.

[KilgoreTrout]

a 12ga a #4-5 shot would easily stop that meanness ;)


I don't know what to tell you on woodduck behavior, all the wood ducks I've seen was at the end of my shotgun barrel.;)

I did work a project with placing duck boxes in a wood duck habitat. I guess habitat for ducks vrs habitat for humanity ;).


But now, the woodduck is doing way much better than a decade ago and their numbers have improved very much.

iirc the woodduck is the only wild duck that make nests within enclosed shelters, hence the need for duck boxes for hatching.

We started with four wood ducks, and two disappeared rather quickly, probably due to predators. The remaining two have been around for several years, and for the first year or so they exhibited the behavior I described. I would throw out a handful or two of chopped corn or hen scratch in the evenings, and the two wood ducks would literally charge 60 or more muscovies and mallards and keep the corn to themselves, and it was spread out all over the place. They seemed to have calmed themselves lately, but they dont swim or hang out in the "pack" with the other ducks. They kind of keep to themselves. I dont know if its normal wood duck behavior or not. They are really pretty, but they are pricks.

[bocephus549]

Breaded and fried duck breast is good good good!