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kirklanb

Mallard duck question (long)

kirklanb
18 years ago

I had a pair of mallard ducks start coming into my yard in mid April. I was on vacation from work that week and in the pool a lot as well as working out in the yard. It did not seem to bother them. I live in a suburban area with a fenced in yard. Next thing you know, I noticed the two walking around the yard sizing it up- looking around all the bushes and trees etc. Then the female built a nest right next to my bedroom and the deck to the pool under an elephant ear plant. It was very smart on her part as most of the day it is in the shade.She began laying eggs on May 1st. There were 9 eggs and she put one of them in the pool so now there are 8. She started laying on the eggs full time on May 11th so I calculated her due date to be somewhere around June 4-8th from what I have read. Here is my dilemma. I have not seen her eat in my yard and I had read not to feed her.She does eat a few bugs that she finds in the pool. Before she started laying on the nest fulltime she and the male would leave for extended periods of time, I assume to go eat.They would come back to my house a couple of times a day mostly to swim and take a nap. There is a holding pond about 2 to 2.5 miles away if you go by street. If she flew in a straight line I would say it is a mile or so away. I have seen them (looks like their size) together with another larger male in this pond when I was out riding my bike before she started laying on the nest fulltime as I was trying to find out her primary source of water. Across the street from this pond is a big yard probably 2-3 acres and the house is sit way back from the road. I have seen two large male mallards and 1 large female in this yard.

Now she is on the nest fulltime getting off about 2x a day to get in the pool. She does fly away for 5 or 10 minutes but she does not go very far-just to my next door neighbor's pool mostly. I am not worried about her eating as she is able to fly. I am concerned about feeding the babies once they arrive. There is no body of water where they could eat vegetation close enough in walking distance and they will not be able to fly.

I am not sure what to do once the babies hatch. Feed them and wait until they are older and can be relocated? Cage them and relocate them?I looked online for a wildlife rescue person in my area but she only works with relocating mammals. The bird sanctuary place called BEAKS is closed until June 30th(?).I do not want to keep the ducks as pets as my yard isn't that big and really don't know the best way or time to relocate them. I do not want to upset their mother or spook her. I have read that it will take the babies 50 days to be able to fly. If I fed them until then, would they fly off or am I ruining their ability to look for food themselves. I do have some friends that might be able to take them at their pond, I just don't know what and when would be best for them with the least amount of stress to them.

Any advice is appreciated.

Comments (157)

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Hi nicole! Wow they sure are big now! You did a fantastic job keeping them all safe! So they haven't taken short flights yet? What mine did as you may have seen in the video I posted was they would jump from the pool deck or alligator float and fly into the pool. I think it was about a week of doing that and they went. Sometimes 2 at a time, 3 at a time, 4 at a time. Mom did come back to check on the stragglers too. Don't worry they will all leave your pool no matter how wonderful you have been as a host! How exciting! Looks like they have some shaded areas to help this heat wave we have had the last few days. We have a spot that we can turn on to fill the pool and the loved swimming into the stream of cool water to keep them cool too... if you don't have one you can try spraying them with a hose a little bit or into the pool. Keep us updated! So dumb but I had several heart to heart talks with them too to let them know that if they see a real alligator, don't get on one or if they hear a loud bang, hide and be careful. You know little things like that! hahaha!!! Nice job!!!

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Yes they LOVE when we spray towards them with the hose! I still need to video them "biting" the water Thanks for the encouraging words, as always. Will update again soon.

  • 20ravel
    4 years ago

    Hi Nicole. I’ve been following your duck story. We also have mallard ducklings (five) and mom in our yard/pool. They’re seven weeks old, but not practicing any flying. Did your ducklings fly off? I don’t know how much longer our pool pump can hang on.

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Hello! So nice to know there are others "crazy” enough to take on this adventure!

    Our babies, who are now the same size as mama, turned 9 weeks old yesterday. They are all here but 1 that flew away Saturday morning. I’m becoming concerned that they may never leave! ok, I’m sure they will soon but we finally gave up on our pump a few days ago. It just couldn’t handle it anymore so we stopped running it and now we truly have a pond. As soon as they are gone we are draining it and starting all over. Some of the ducks are starting to fly from one side of the pool to the other but it’s only occasionally. The last 2 days we’ve been dealing with some new Duck that has mysteriously appeared and is constantly chasing all of them. Needless to say, this has been ALOT of work.

    ‘Where are you located?

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago



  • 20ravel
    4 years ago

    Hi Nicole. Yes, I agree it’s crazy but at the same time I spend as much time as I can watching them. They’re so beautiful.


    Our pool guy is barely speaking to us. He’s had to clean out the pump every week and the pool still looks like a murky pond.


    It‘s been such an interesting time with them here. We live in Los Angeles, about 3 miles from a park with a lake where ducks gather. In past years, we occasionally had mallard pairs land in our pool. This year one pair hung around a bit more and then we saw a nest with eggs. Prior to this year, we always had two big dogs who probably scared them off. We lost one of our dogs a few months ago and our remaining dog is a bit wimpy and apparently more accommodating to backyard guests.


    Besides feeding and cleaning up after them, there‘s also protection involved. We’ve had raccoons, a cat, and crows after the eggs and now the ducklings. The mother is great, quaking when anything is around and the ducklings scurry into the pool. They’re pretty big now, so it’s less of a problem.


    Finally today a couple of the ducklings started flying/flapping across the pool. I had read that the ducklings usually fly off around 8 weeks, but we’re afraid that they’re enjoying it so much here they may never leave. Unfortunately, I’m enjoying them too.



  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Nicole and 20ravel -


    I'm so sorry about your pool!!! I know it is a lot of work. Now you understand why we have duck proofed our pool each year after caring after our 8 ducklings and mom a few years ago! So much money on food and liquid chlorine! It is still an adventure and looking back, I think it was worth the one time to witness and learn about these beautiful ducks in the comfort of your own backyard!

    They will fly away! I felt the same as the two of you but wildlife expert kept reassuring me that no matter how much they might feel safe and love it here, it is still in their natural instinct to fly away and start their journey!

    I don't think mine flew away on the 8 week mark, maybe 9 weeks. They were quite plump!

    Something interesting that I remember was most of the ducklings flew away at dawn and dusk. Majority did fly away with mom leading the way. I still enjoy watching the video's I have of them on YouTube. Growing weekly, daily practices with mom and capturing each one fly off!! Fascinating little messy things!

    Home stretch! Hang in there. Can't wait for your next update!!! Fingers crossed!

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    20ravel- Love the pictures of your ducks!


    I know both you and Porter T can relate to all going on. Even at our most frustrating moments, we appreciate this experience! It definitely is one we will never forget. I will keep you both updated when any other fly off.

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Hello! Latest update...on Friday night I got to watch 2 of the baby ducks fly off! I was sure they would be here in the am but nope...they haven’t been back since. The others are all flying back and forth across the pool but mostly in the early am and at dusk. I assume the rest will be going any day now. Today they are 10 weeks old. Definetly bittersweet.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Congratulations nicole! So bittersweet. I wish them all a very safe and wonderful journey!

  • 20ravel
    4 years ago

    So sad that they are leaving! I wonder where they go. Nature is so amazing!


    Our five are 8 weeks and still mainly flapping their wings. But at least they’re practicing. A couple of days ago I went to the local lake to see the ducks. They were much smaller than ours. Ours look like bruisers in comparison.


  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Look at those beautiful ducks you raised! They do get pretty and plump and juicy when they are fed a buffet every day! Wildlife expert told me they are all on their own as soon as they take flight but I've also read different things. I read that they do stick together as a family and although they are not under the watchful eye of the mom anymore, she is still guiding them because in fall, they will begin molting for 2 weeks which is a very vulnerable time for them as they cant fly. I read the mom will guide them to their winter migration site. By spring the ducks especially the female will return to their breeding grounds (YES YOUR POOL!!!) to raise their own family. For future reference, we did several things to try to get the ducks to not come into the pool. We bought a bunch of PVC pipes and corner joints and created several squares with a cross in the middle. We floated those and it worked pretty well. We store them at the side of our home so its not in the way. It worked pretty well for 2 seasons. But this year we bought a Solaskimmer Solar Robotic Pool Skimmer for our pool. It wasn't a perfect solution for picking up the leaves which was the reason we bought it but this little solar device kept the ducks from coming into our pool this year. For that reason alone, it was money well spent! I think because its moving all day on solar, the ducks were scared of it and they did stay away. Keeping those ducks from coming into your yard is important because once they do and she is nesting, you are their caregiver for 2+ months and your pool becomes a pond! If you don't mind it, that would be amazing!!

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Good morning...20ravel, your ducks are adorable. Be prepared for heartbreak cause you will feel it when they leave. As happy as I am to have them leaving, I feel like our babies are gone and it hurts. Just this am, I am now down to one. mom flew off with the remaining 3 about 5am but the last one didn’t make it over the wall and turned back to our pool. He/she has been calling since they left which is almost an hour ago now. I am confident mom will be coming for the last any time now. She has been an amazing mom these last 10 weeks and I know she won’t leave this one. I, too, pray they are all together in the wild now. I have to believe that and hey- after 10 weeks that’s my "expert" opinion LOL

    Porter t- please can you share ALL the details of prevention for next year? We are having our pool redone this month now that our duck time is over. My husband said we should just turn the pool into a pond for all. If only....


    oh and as im writing this the mom just came back for about 5 min but left again. I’m sure she’ll be taking the last one with her today/tonight!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Prevention for next year:


    Option 1: We purchased the Solaskimmer by Remmington after loving the Solar Copper Anode from Costco. We bought it last year thinking we could use it to pick up any fallen leaves before it hit the ground. Although it didn't do a perfect job at it as we had hoped it was still worth it because it worked to keep our ducks away from our pool. It was expensive but because its on solar and starts working from around 7am - 8pm every day, the water is moving and we only fill the water up and turn on the pump and run our automatic pool vacuum once a week to once every two weeks (Depending on any debris that fell to the bottom). This year we were ready to put down our PVC creation (more on that in Option 2) but we realized that we didn't have to because the ducks were afraid of this moving device that was circling our pool all day long! Is it worth it just for that reason alone, yes! We did have a duck (we think original mom) come by but she left very quickly as the thing spooked her. She came back again (maybe it was one of the ducklings all grown up?!) but she just sat for a minute out of the pool but left. This is the device: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiNU_TjgK7A


    Option 2: Last year we were determined to not repeat having to host the ducks and ducklings as you know by now how much of a burden that can be on your pool (even though we all admit what a wonderful experience this was) but doing it again.. hmmm we had to decline. So we did try several things but what we did that worked and is inexpensive to do is to buy a bunch of very long PVC pipes from Lowes. We also bought some T connector and 90 degree elbow connectors. Make sure you also buy a PVC cutter as you will be making a lot of cuts and it makes the process so much easier. Size is really up to you. We wanted to keep using it yearly so we measured an area at the side of the house where we could use a large hook and hang them all when not in use. Figure out the dimensions and the length of PVC you are going to buy so you don't create too much unusable excess. Made squares with a cross in the middle. We also had to use PVC glue to glue every end together. Just float those suckers! It's a bit of an eyesore but we had no choice! It worked. We did have a few ducks (we think the original mom) who would plop in on one of the squares but after a minute she realized his sucks and she flew away to another pool! Pic attached. I know it looks crazy but it works!



    Thank you both for sharing your lovely duck journey. I enjoyed all the updates! Please continue to share them. Nicole, are you able to find out about the runt duckling that was rescued? Curious if she will be released in the near future!

  • 20ravel
    4 years ago

    Thanks Porter for your words of wisdom. It’s great to read your sage advice especially since you‘re an experienced past duck parent!


    Although it’s been an experience I’ll never forget, once is definitely enough. Between the constant guarding of the eggs and then baby ducklings from predators, daily feedings including finely chopped greens and several times daily hosing of any area they’ve hung out, it‘s a one-time deal. But at the same time, I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed my back yard more! Watching them diving, preening and just floating around is magical. In the last few days, a bunch of small black birds, I think Black Phoebes, have also descended on our yard and now I get to watch them swooping near the ducks and the ducks trying to nip them. It’s like my yard has turned into an aviary. I’ll miss all of it when the ducks leave. Assuming they will!!


    Nicole, I’m so sorry for your loss! I completely understand your attachment. Our ducks have also become a big part of our lives, just like any pet would. Seeing them together all this time and what a tight bond they have makes me also believe that they must stay together at least for a little longer than after they fly off. I’m so happy we’ve helped start them on their journey! Wishing your flock a good and safe life!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    I love what you said 20ravel and it is so true about enjoying your backyard. You had a big job to do as much as the mom duck and it was to guard the whole family!


    We have hawks flying around daily and when I spotted them I would rush outside making sure they weren't going to swoop down. If the neighbors saw me doing the things I was doing to protect these little ducklings, they would have called for a psych evaluation!!


    Did any of you have issues with Raccoon visitors at night? They are fearless and relentless little buggers. Cute adorable and fatty little things but they aren't scared of a thing! I had bought solar red lights (prey eyes) but they couldn't care less! Then I bought those squirting motion sensor things so when the raccoons came, the water would squirt directly at them. They were too smart and would wait for the squirt to finish and come out when it was "reloading". Again total fail! One thing that I think did scare them was me playing coyote and wolf howling and growling on my phone. But they still came in the middle of the night when I (coyote wolf playing person) was a sleep.


    Anyway, I can't wait to hear updates on when your ducklings take their first flight! ciao

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Thank you for all the wonderful info! We will definitely be looking at all options to let the next batch of ducks know our "pond" is closed.

    As far as we know, the facility that took out runt duckling places him with others his size and all was working for him. I imagine he has flown away now too.

    no, no raccoons here. I, too, was helping mom in the early days fend off a cat or 2 but once the ducklings got bigger the cats stayed away.


    so here’s my latest dilemma...

    We still have one lone duck! It’s been 2 days since the others left. Mom came for an hour Tuesday night and about 15 min this am but she never came back tonight. My heart is breaking for the loner still here! I know he can fly- I’ve seen him but I assume he didn’t have confidence to go before and now no one is here encouraging him. We are scheduled to have our pool drained Friday and start demo on Saturday. (Replaster and retile) I’ve already postponed twice now so I can’t again because we are running out of time to have it complete before we leave on vacation. My husband said we should keep him Im already picturing having to go buy a plastic kiddie pool Friday am.

    Porter T- I know you had one left for a bit too? Did it just finally go without help?

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Oh it is so heartbreaking and yes we had that one lonely duck calling out for mom so much it was hard to watch. I would go visit him and sit with him to sort of keep him company. What happened with this duckling was he could fly. He would fly away at night and he would return in the morning so when I contacted my wildlife expert person she said, as long as he is gone for hours, that means his out flying and able to get food for himself. So she told me his only returning because his clever enough to know that I have good food here. As hard as it was and even convinced that he was just lonely because he would leave and can't find his mom and siblings, it turns out wildlife expert was right! She told me to slowly stop giving him food. Maybe throw some food in the pool so he can have a few nibbles but thats it. This was hard for me but I did just that. He would fly in at night and I would throw some a handful of dried mealworms in the water. He would eat it all up. In the morning if he was still there, I would do the same. He realized with in a day or two that he just wasn't getting enough food and he left and never looked back.


    I wonder if that is what is going on with this little one. I think you said he tried to fly out with his mom and siblings but couldn't make it over and returned? Is that right? Has he taken flight and be gone for hours?


    As long as he is flying away and gone for hours, I think its safe to drain the pool to replaster. But if he hasn't actually taken flight, I think he just might not be ready to fly yet.


  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Thanks for the quick reply. Nope- he has yet to leave the yard. He must lack the confidence to go because he does fly across the pool for practice And I saw him reach the wall where all the others left. We are going to do as you suggested and just give him a few pieces of food Today. He actually doesn’t seem overlay interested in food when I do give it to him. I imagine the pool is full of insects now I’ll update when he’s gone.


  • 20ravel
    4 years ago

    Hi Porter and Nicole - we’re also in the same spot. Two nights ago, two of the ducklings flew off. Sadly, one only went over the wall to a neighbor’s pool. it was crying and the mother flew back and forth numerous times. The neighbor (who I’ve never met) heard the commotion and tried to shoo them away. Over the wall, I told him that it was a mother and it’s baby and that the baby had just learned to fly so it might take a bit for it to leave. The neighbor replied that these were large ducks, there were no babies. I then had to explain that the “baby” was bigger than the mom. I don’t think he believed me and now realizes that his neighbor is nuts. In any event, he left them alone and by the morning I couldn’t hear it anymore so I’m sure it flew away.


    This morning two more flew away with the mom. So now we’re left with the one who‘s smallest. Like yours, Nicole, this “runt” early on was picked on by its siblings. I called two wildlife places, but they told me that they wouldn’t take it unless it was injured. One said to wait it out. The worst of it lasted about 4 days, when the others wouldn’t let it near either them or the mother. We watched pretty carefully and finally it let up, but the smaller one was always careful around the others, usually sleeping on the other side of the mom. The good part is that it became the most resourceful food hunter. Now, the poor thing is frantically moving about the yard, calling for his mom. He/she also barely eats from the food we put out, usually just eating flying bugs. At least it should be better adapted to the wild.


    This one also has barely flown, so I’d be surprised if it leaves today. I’ll keep you posted.


    Nicole - good luck with your baby and I hope your pool redo goes well. Ours could use one too, but I think we’ll wait til next year after we’re sure there are no guests.


    Porter - we have tremendous problems with raccoons although it varies from year to year. One year, one even got into our house through the dog door. That’s a long story, but suffice it to say that the mess was equivalent to the ducks. Nothing we’ve done has ever been effective other than the bravado of our dogs. As I mentioned in an earlier post, we now only have one sweet boy who doesn’t feel guard dog is part of his job description. Thus, this year we have ducks (and raccoons and cats...). Oh well.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Nicole - It sounds like this lonely duck just isn't ready yet. The great thing is, he is still practicing (which alone is the cutest little image that I have in my head). He hasn't given up and as long as he is practicing, please let him continue. I think its best if you can postpone one more week? If it's possible, I'm sure the pool guys will understand and they are getting paid any way so let them wait? Oh and you have your vacation... is it possible to do the replaster after you return from vacation? I know it's stressful but this duckling just isn't ready yet to fly. Maybe he was the 2nd runt of the bunch, after all mom did have 11 babies (which I believe is on the higher end).

    I think as long as he is practicing by himself he will get there. I don't think it's a matter of him not wanting to leave because of the food as he has never actually flown out in to sky and out of your property yet. He just needs a little more time to do it. So if you can just be patient.

    20ravel - wow you too have a lonely duckling? I guess this is pretty common occurrence as it happened to the three of us (well except mine was just too smart and wanted the buffet). Since you know this one is the runt, he probably needs more time to practice. It's interesting that he is self efficient with hunting for his food. I guess survival of the "weakest" in his case huh. Well, same thing, be patient and give him time. I can only imagine how terrifying it is for these young ducks to be the last one alone. I am curious do you see mom or siblings come back for him? When the ducklings were leaving, I did see mom and siblings come for a short visit but the visits became less and less frequent in the end.

    Also it's too bad the people you contacted didn't want to help the runt like they did with nicole's.
    But looks like it all worked out in the end. It's pretty fascinating (and sad) how literal the term survival of the fittest applies in the wild. Even the moms will choose which to care for if supplies are limited. Wow I have heard of raccoons entering from a doggy door. That must have been scary. My dog has never used a doggy door but I have seen doggy doors that are now using NSF chips. So only the animal (your dog) wearing the tag/chip around her neck will open the doggy door.

    Today is my dog's 14th birthday but I'll be thinking of the both of you and your single duckling.

    Happy 4th of July.

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Happy birthday to your pup porter t! I currently have my 12 year old rescue sitting next to me on the couch in full anxiety mode because of the fireworks still going off

    so wonderful news here...our lone baby left this evening! Sadly, mom didn’t come back for him but around 7:00 he started flying across the pool and then just after 8 I looked out the window right as he was taking off over the wall. As happy as I am, i also very sad!

    So 20ravel- there’s hope for you lone baby too!!

    guess I won’t need to postpone our pool redo or vacation! big lesson learned on this adventure...patience is key!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Congratulations nicole! So happy for you and the ducklings!!

    I wonder if he was spooked because of the fireworks. I hope that he was able to find his family.


    Thank you for the birthday wish. She had a nice little birthday party. Fireworks are unfair for animals. Mine was never bothered by them but this year, she was pretty spooked. Unfortunately she's lost a lot of her confidence with age. I too sat with mine with the TV on and some CBD oil and she fell asleep. Well, congrats again nicole. Have a great time on your well deserved vacay!

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Thanks! I’m hopeful the fireworks didn’t scare the last duck since he left before all the noise started

    Side note/?- does the cbd oil help your pup? I bought it last month and have tried it for our old lady pup and wow, this year was the worst ever with fireworks! She was so afraid. Needless to say I’m bummed it didn’t help with her anxiety as of late either.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Hi nicole.

    I use CBD for her arthritis which I'm not sure if it helps. It has a lot of great benefits in general so I do 9-10 drops directly in her gums a few times a week. I do think that it does help calm my dog a lot. I sat with her with TV on and she was snoring and sleeping in minutes. You have to keep in mind that not all CBD oils are the same. The amount of CBD mg/ml ratio is really important. I have purchased a couple of CBD oils in the pas that were not too expensive but mg/ml ratio is very low - so not a lot of CBD in it. I buy Nuleaf cbd oil for dogs. Its not cheap (with promo code its about $140 for a 30ml. Its ridiculous but it has the most cbd that I could find. I hope that helps. I also heard that it helps to turn on "pink noise" (on Youtube) to cancel out the firework noise. I think I would get so annoyed but maybe something to try next year too. Another thing that calms my dog is acupuncture. When she goes for acupuncture for her arthritis, they always stick one needle at the top of her head. Its a point that helps to relax them. It's the funniest thing because as soon as that needle goes in, she immediately closes her eyes and starts snoring. Sometimes while we wait the 15 minutes, the needle comes off and I'll just stick it back on, super easy. You have to be a Dr to purchase needles in the US but you can buy them on ebay or even online stores in Canada and you don't need a license. Probably a bit too crazy but I thought I'd mentioned it. You can try acupuncture at a holistic vet and see how your pup does. Sucks to see dogs go frantic over fireworks. It's hard to see them shake and be so afraid. Your poor baby.

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Thank you for all the helpful info! I’m not giving up on The cbd oil yet

  • 20ravel
    4 years ago

    Hi Porter T and Nicole.


    Well our lone duck is still here...11 weeks and counting. She’s, we think it’s a she, been growing nicely and is now bigger then the mother. For the past couple of weeks, the mother‘s been coming by in the evening for an hour or so and on Wednesday I watched as she flew off and the baby followed. It was sad and beautiful to see them go off together. Alas, a couple of hours later, my husband saw the baby wandering around our front lawn. We herded her back to the pool. The next two days, the mother came by in the evening but when she flew off, the duckling stayed put. Yesterday and tonight, no mother, so I think she’s probably not coming back.


    The duckling obviously can fly. She left with her mother once and every day I see her flying back and forth around the pool several times. She’s diving, jumping in and out of the pool and seems to generally be having a very pleasant time. I’m not sure what to do. Should we stop feeding her? Or perhaps should I try to bring her to our local lake where there are lots of ducks? We’re very conflicted. We don’t treat her like a pet, since she’s wild, but we feel responsible for her. Not feeding her seems mean and trying to take her to the lake seems like it would scare her. Everything I’ve read says that she should have flown off by now. Now what?!


    Best to both of your pups!

  • blfk
    4 years ago

    Nicole, Porter and Ravel, we’ve had a duck family here in our yard for a couple of months, too. I came back from a weekend away and the cat sitter said she’d seen all but one finally fly away. Mom came back this afternoon, but left little Princess behind. I’m hoping she‘ll be ready to fly away soon. We started with 9, but five were lost to predators early on because Dad kept coming back and luring Mama away. Somehow, with Mazuri Starter Feed, and a kiddy pool, we managed to see four grow up fat and shiny. I won’t miss the mess, but it has been the experience of a lifetime.


  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    20ravel - Hi there. I'm sorry you too are going through a lone duckling. I guess this is more common than we all realize.

    How long ago did the siblings fly off?

    Since the duckling is still "practicing" she might need a little more time to get her confidence up.

    I don't think you should bring her to a local lake, I hear they are easily picked on and bullied when you put a duckling with a different family or group.

    When you first saw the duckling fly off with mom, you saw her in the front yard about an hour or so.... she may not have actually flown away which would mean that she just isn't ready yet.

    I would cut down on her feeding and see how that goes. Maybe just put out some food in the morning but nothing at night or maybe a handful at night to start. From my experience, nicole and others I have heard of, there seems to be that one duckling that just isn't ready to fly. Perhaps she needs a little more time. The expert I consulted with in the past told me to just be patient with the lone duckling. That seems to be the best thing for her. With mine, she would fly away for hours but always returned. So we knew that she can 100% fly and she just enjoyed the easy food she could get at my house. Your duckling probably just need a little more time to build her confidence.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    blfk - wow you too?! I'm sad to hear that the others didn't make it. What predator killed the ducklings? But wow you managed to care for them in a kiddy pool?! Sounds like this one isn't ready to fly yet. Just be patient and continue to care for Princess. Since she hasn't taken her first flight, she needs more time. Curious, were they able to practice in a kiddy pool? Is it a standard size kiddy pools like the ones they have at like a Walmart?

  • blfk
    4 years ago



  • blfk
    4 years ago
    last modified: 4 years ago

    Porter, it’s just a kiddy pool from Target. That’s what the Wetlands and Wildlife Center advised me to get. Mom has stopped coming around. One sibling came back for a couple of days, and another stopped in for a short visit. But, from yesterday, Princess has been alone again. She was up on the patio table this morning, so I know she can fly a little. I shook the food container at her this morning, and she got startled and flew down to the lawn. She was the smallest of the bunch. We have a lot of predators around here, as my neighbors have a large slope on the back of our property with lots of trees and brush. We have coyotes, possums, raccoons, rats, feral cats, and crows. Also, our urban forest slope is a breeding ground for Cooper’s hawks. Right now, and every year at this time, the fledglings use our trees for practice flying and hunting for a couple of months. I think they were nestlings when the baby mallards arrived, and so Mama hawk could have fed them some duck meat. But, I don’t think she fed them four all at once. One went missing after the first night, and then four disappeared a couple of nights later. It was pitiful to see them all lined up on the edge of the pool cheeping away for Mama to return from her swim in the neighbor’s pool with Deadbeat Dad. I was so relieved when he stopped showing up. The babies just disappeared, and there was no sign or sound of struggle, so it had to be something that grabbed them and carried them off. My bet is on the crows. They killed hummingbird hatchlings in our yard before! Anyway, I think Princess is lonely. She sought me out in another part of the yard this afternoon. I don’t want her to bond, so I shook my coyote-hazing can full of nails at her. this weekend, I am going to our local Audubon Summer BBQ. I’m hoping to get some advice/help there. And soon, I’m going to get rid of the kiddy pool, start gently hazing her, and maybe let my cats get a closer look than I have for the past two months. I’m not sure if that would even help because the ducks sat right outside the French doors with my cat inside scratching at the pane to get out! Don’t worry, my cats wont get too close, and I will have their hated coyote-hazing can at the ready. I barely have to tap the top of the can, and the cats race back inside. Before the ducks came around, they only went outdoors for short strictly supervised fresh-air sessions because the coyote problem is acute here.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    blfk, I love the set up you gave the ducklings. But sadly not alot of space for them to hide or get away from the predators you have surrounding your home. What a horrifying scene that must have been to lose so many ducklings, for you and for the mom duck. I don't have time to reply at the moment but I did want to give you the lady that helped me a lot with advice on our lone duckling. annelewisdc@gmail.com I think she could give you some expert advice. LIke you said she was the runt so it does sound like she just needs more time. Not having a large pool may also have hindered her ability to practice and gain her confidence. Anyway reach out to Anne. She was a great help for me.

  • blfk
    4 years ago

    Just wondering what area everyone in this thread lives in. I’m in an Orange County, CA beach city.

  • blfk
    4 years ago

    Porter, there’s plenty of places for them to hide, but when they were tiny and Mama kept following Deadbeat Dad away, they didn’t understand about hiding yet. They learned quickly, though, which is why the remaining four managed to survive. The only other option would have been to let them out into the street. They did escape once when my careless teenage son left the gate hanging open when he was putting out the trash. Mama marched them down to a neighbor‘s house with a pool, and when the gate was locked there, to another neighbor’s water feature. That neighbor refused to help, so somehow we managed to shephard them back here to our baby pool. Another neighbor two doors down has a big hot tub, and I can see out our side window that he’s covered it since the babies flew away. I guess he didn’t want them around, either. The lady in the house with the pool is nice, though, and she said mom and dad spent a lot of time there. I think that was Mama’s intended duck nursery.

  • blfk
    4 years ago

    I‘m happy to report that Princess has finally followed her siblings and flown away to find a bigger pond! Now to reclaim my garden!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    wow blfk! Thats so great. Did you do anything to push her along? I hope she has safe journey!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    blfk -just saw your previous question. I'm in the San Fernando Valley.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    20ravel - any update on your lone duckling?

  • blfk
    4 years ago

    Porter, patience was my only tool. I think loneliness finally convinced her to be brave. I loved those babies, and wish I lived somewhere that I could make a water feature with an anaerobic cleaning system so I could attract waterfowl. They are so lovely!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    So happy for you blfk! Another successful story. Unlike most wild animals, ducklings sometimes need our help when they decide to nest in such an urban location with no near by lake or pond. I hope that people will see our thread and want to help them. Happy and safe journey to all the ducklings!

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    20ravel - Thank you for the update. That's pretty awesome! They sure are adorable when they are practicing across the pool! Yay to everyone for helping and being patient for these ducklings during such a vulnerable time of their life. Hugs!

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Hello all! Sorry I am late to the conversation...after our babies all left I was so emotional for days! It was good to step away for awhile and try to get back to life without ducks

    ive gone to our closest pond since ours flew away to feed all the ducks there. I didn’t see any of mine

    So crazy to hear of all these other experiences people have had too. I will definitely never forget this summer and hope others will help these creatures if this happens in their yards❤️. Oh, and we are currently redoing our pool! It’s empty and waiting for new plaster this week. Hard to believe it was full of ducks just a month ago.

  • Porter T
    4 years ago

    Thats great nicole! You will definately want to keep the ducks from nesting in your yard next year with a new pool! How do you know the ducks you saw in the pond weren't yours? They all look the same no?! haha. Have a nice rest of your summer!

  • nicole fitzgerald
    4 years ago

    Porter T- A "mother" knows! Lol

  • Caren Corcoran
    4 years ago

    Trying to comment I live in Alaska. Have had to take on flock that was being fed by woman who passed away this summer. First about 50 ducks now down to small group. Winter right now so guessing food is scarce. They eat the sunflower seeds that fell from bird feeder until I read about woman passing. Hoping they all survive but not trying to encourage to stay. Wildlife people say don't feed them but have over 2 feet of snow and other birds showing up. Hard not buy their food. Love to see them but they are spooked to see me at the window after this summer them stalking, staring at my house. School bus glad they don't stay all as they were stopping traffic this summer. Hoping for their survival. Loved all posts here. You guys are awesome!

  • HU-304323305
    4 years ago

    it is nice to know that there is a group interested in caring for ducks. Every year in spring a pair of Mallards come to my yard for food. I have a bird feeder and it might have attracted them They appear in the spring and after end of May they disappear. I was hoping for them to bring the duckling but they never did. One year I bought a kiddie pool for them, but no sighting. It is such a joy to see the pair year after year. I am happy that it chose me as her caretaker.




  • Vietta Wilson
    3 years ago

    It has been over 25 years with a pair of mallards. only come for food for a month or so. did parents tell babies?

  • Porter T
    3 years ago

    Wow 25 years? Every year they come back for food. Very nice.