Update on our Dumped Ducks

[Miniv]

First of all, they are doing fine........They have two large rubber feeder tubs for water and I am changing daily. They have the crumbles, some lettuce, alfalfa pellets, and now some cracked corn. As a treat they are getting a few bites of bread.

When things look like everything is truly melting, we'll put them out on our bigger pond. Larry says he'll build them a roosting box. We'll continue feeding them, but hopefully they'll also start foraging.

Here's the SHOCKER..........We found out who dumped them at the golf course! They found out through the school that we have them and complained!!! They said we should return them to the golf course!

Ummm......it's my understanding that abandoning a pet is ILLEGAL???

 

[Riverrose28]

Pets are not disposable! They dropped them off to fend for themsleves, shame on them. You did the right thing in taking them in. How were they going to feed themselves without your intervention? If they give you any more grief call animal control! How dare these people! God Bless you for taking them in.

 

[Shari]

Those people have some nerve, and not a legal leg to stand on. Glad you took the ducks in.

On another note, if you have raccoons and Possums in the area, I would keep them locked up at night. Those predators love duck!

Will have to tell you sometime, about the time DH had to run out, when we first got ducks, in the middle of the night in just his underwear, carrying a shot gun.

 

[miniwhinny]

Here's the SHOCKER..........We found out who dumped them at the golf course! They found out through the school that we have them and complained!!! They said we should return them to the golf course!

Maybe there's something more to the story. Someone took the trouble to hand raise them, they aren't afraid of people and obviously cared for. They were also obviously not "dumped" because just a few days after they went missing the folks knew they were gone and went looking for them. Most of the resort courses around here have large duck flocks. Maybe you should contact the folks and find out what the situation really is....people who "dump" pets don't usually demand you put them back. They dump them because they want to be rid of them...these folks want them back. Maybe they are the courses mascots and Brianne was wrong in taking them. Just an idea worth looking into because it seems a bit odd that the folks want them put back....to me that says they aren't dumped.

 

[mad for mini's]

Good for you for taking those ducks in, unless someone was providing shelter and fresh food and water for them at the golf course, they would have died. Plus, I would be surprised if the golf course wanted them there any way, with the mess ducks make and for sanitation issues on the course and pathways. Sounds like you have a good handle on taking care of them, I only have one thing to add : If you have a large pond, be on the lookout for snapping turtles, they will grab a duck from the surface and drag them under to drown them. I've seen it happen, after the first few attacks the ducks learn and refuse to go into the water but by then it is usually too late for one or two of them.

 

[ErikaS.]

My thinking was they got the ducklings as pets and when they grew up they thought it would be nice to release them back into the wild probably while humming "Born Free".

 

[HGFarm]

Well I think you did the right thing and SHAME on those people!!

 

[miniwhinny]

Good for you for taking those ducks in, unless someone was providing shelter and fresh food and water for them at the golf course, they would have died.

Maybe they are being fed and cared for at the golf course. It just seems odd that one day after they went missing folks were out looking for them. It's certainly worth contacting them (now you know who they are) to find out after all they went to the trouble to go and look for their missing ducks - to me that says the ducks have someone who does care.

 

[Miniv]

No, they did NOT want them back. We asked. They just wanted us to return them to the golf course. The school was happy that we took them because it wasn't safe for them to hang out in front of the building or in the parking lot.

They had spent their lives in a cage with tubs of water and were fed from a dish, so they didn't understand how to eat off the ground..... unless it was bread. They also didn't understand that they could get water from the river that runs along one side of the golf course. They went right for the big rubber feeder tubs of water when we got them home.

It turns out they are not technically Mallards, but a domestic breed that looks similar called "Rouen Ducks".

 

[miniwhinny]

Sounds like they are in a way better place now then

Good luck with your new family members

 

[Miniv]

Danna, Thanks........The golf course didn't even know about all this. And I don't think the girls who released them realized that what they did was against the law.

Ericka, LOL!!!

mad for minis, We don't have turtles in our area. We won't be showing the ducks our pond(s) until the water is definitely unfrozen, and even then we know we'll have to continue feeding them. Larry plans on building them a simple roosting box next to the bigger pond for night time.

Hopefully this is a "Alls Well That Ends Well" story.

 

[HGFarm]

Poor little guys.. Sounds like they have a wonderful home with you and Larry, and they will be WELL taken care of!!

 

[Reble]

Good Foods for Ducks

The best foods for ducks are those that provide the nutrients, minerals and vitamins the birds need for healthy growth and development. Many of these foods are similar to the natural seeds, grains and plants the birds will forage on their own. The best foods to offer ducks include:

Cracked corn

Wheat

Barley

Oats

Milo

Birdseed

Grapes (cut in half)

Frozen peas or corn (defrosted)

Earthworms

Chopped lettuce

Vegetable trimmings or peels (chopped)

Duck feed pellets or poultry starter pellets are another great option, and they can be purchased from farming or agricultural supply stores.

 

[Miniv]

THANK YOU Reble for that list.....Very very helpful. They've already been fed a few things you mentioned and now I've got much more to work with.