Help needed - baby ducks!

Originally Posted by snodvan

We are all big softies where ducks are concerned.

I think ducklings fend for themselves from a very early age. All day they seem to have been pecking / grovelling into the grass of the lawn (which has been uncut for a week or so) and just at the moment they are doing that with a vengence. I suspect that is because as night comes and the grass gets more moist all sorts of small insects/ larvae come out - at least it is always this time of night when the midges etc bite my ankles when I am camping.

There will be loads of insecty things in the flower borders because 3 months ago I spread 2 tons of stable manure on those and a million "things" seem to live in the straw layer that is now on top. Keeps the blackbirds and other birds occupied all day so I guess it will do for ducklings as well.

There will not be much food in the pond because it is only small (4 ft x 3ft x 2 ft deep)and recently established. The onlyu thing in was a few taddies and they are now mini frogs somewhere. The duckies had better NOT eat my wife's mini frogs - she has been nurturing them through from the tadpole stage.

I tried making up a food supply (prawns/ crab stick and some sweet corn mixed in the blender with a little milk and bread). They ignored it and continued to peck at the lawn. OK, I tried. I must go and move it in case the fishy smell attracts any cats.

Watch out for tomorrow's exciting installments

aha - it's looking like a mutation, where shelducks realise handing their chicks over to suitable humans, with a nice garden, saves them a lot of work

- seriously, though, it sounds like they have both food & water, sorted - nice one

[snodvan]

Originally Posted by Incognitas

I'm afraid they still need the parents.Anyway they may not be heading to the sea just the nearest large fast flowing water source.

Why not contact the Hedgehog sanctuary folk? I forget the name but according to the TV series they make a point of rescuing ALL wildlife.

Incog.

here you are St Tiggywinkles

Incog

Thanks for that link. I now have a couple of additional local phone numbers to call tomorrow if things do not go according to "plan A".

The duckies are now all quiet in two little huddled groups - one in the rhubarb and the others (strangely) in the middle of the lawn. I wonder if they would like a hot water bottle to snuggle up to? I'm almost daft enough to do it!

Originally Posted by homealone

aha - it's looking like a mutation, where shelducks realise handing their chicks over to suitable humans, with a nice garden, saves them a lot of work

- seriously, though, it sounds like they have both food & water, sorted - nice one

I think what they can eat depends on what type of bill they have according to the quick search I've done on Ask.com.

http://www.nysite.com/nature/fauna/mallard.htm

http://www.kiddyhouse.com/Farm/ducks.html

http://www.liveducks.com/faqs.html

Incog.

[snodvan]

Update!

I was up and about at 4am. All the fluffy humbugs had survived the night OK.

Parent ducks arrived in the larger side garden at around 4.30. For 30 mins I let them settle/ call to the duckies in the enclosed rear garden, then I opened the joining garden door. Last night I had left that door unlocked and just held in place by a couple of bricks and with a rope attached to the handle and through the house patio door - so I could gently pull the garden door open without going outside and causing a disturbance.

There was a family reunion in the side garden then they all started to move off through other gardens initially then out onto the pavement. Within 50 yards there were 2 parents leading 6 chicks - but there were 8 chicks leaving my garden. I still have not found the mising 2.

Parents and 6 chicks were "escorted" down 2 roads, across a normally busy main road and then into a small housing estate that is next to some allotments/ a playing field and then a nature reserve. By 'ek, they can't half run those little 'uns. I finally 'lost' them when they went under a back door into a garden that backs onto the playing field. Being only 5.15 am at this time I did not think the occupiers would appreciate being woken to ask "can I check my duckies are OK". One parent flew off at this time - I think I was getting a bit too close.

OK, so that lot are probably OK and will all make it to the nature reserve - what about the 2 who have gone AWOL? No idea. I have search my garden and they are definitely not there and yet I know 8 left the back garden and there were only 6 with the parents some 50 yards later. More searches after I have had some rather early breakfast.

[greencreeper]

Sometimes the parent duck hides the young ones under her - did you spot a four/six legged duck? Fingers crossed that a moggie hasn't got them as an early breakfast. Glad that the rest have made it though

[snodvan]

The family were 'legging' it so fast there is no way that mum could carry a couple of chicks. It was only max 2-3 mins between me opening the side gate and then closing the patio door, grabbing a coat and being out in the side garden/ side road. If a moggie had been around and done any damage then the parent ducks would surely have reacted. In practice they looked cool & calm and had moved into the next garden - but only had 6 chicks with them. I'm off for a bit of a hunt before I start work. It is going to be a long day!

[greencreeper]

Going like the quackers huh

How hard can it be to find two noisy fluffy humbugs?

[snodvan]

Quick update - all 8 chicks are in the garden of the house where I last saw them disappear under the gate. Maybe I just can't count at 5am. No sign of the parents but no doubt they are 'lurking'. That garden is almost fully enclosed so the chicks cannot really go anywhere. I am about to put a note through the house door offerening to collect the chicks and move them further on their route to the nature reserve - only another 1/4 mile so I am sure the parent ducks will find the chicks.

[greencreeper]

I guess a load of fast moving fluffy humbugs are a bit tricky to count
Hopefully not all Sheld duck parents are this lackadaisical when it comes to caring for their offspring.

[altis]

But someone told me that ducks can't count above three

(Not sure I believe this mind. Struggles to imagine how they found out)

[snodvan]

Postscript

The ducklings were rescued from a set of gardens and moved 300-400 yards further on to a playing field close to the edge of a nature reserve. Parents were "flying around" the gardens and general area so the hope is/ was that they will find the chicks. That would be fairly easy if the chicks had stayed on the edge of the palying field because they are very visible. However, no, the silly **s wandered off as a group into the nature reserve. That is not much further but is all long grass and generally is not in the direction of the streams/ marshy areas. I think it will be damned difficult for the parents to find the chicks in all that vegetation. Anyway, I cannot really follow them in there (restricted area) so I guess that is "it" so far as my involvement is concerned.

It has been a l-o-n-g copuple of days. I am knackered with late last night and up again at 4am this morning. Now I can have a 'lovely' day staring at spreadsheets while I try to sort out my business accounts for the taxman.

[altis]

I think you need to set up your wallpaper first

http://images.google.co.uk/images?sv...ck&btnG=Search

snodvan for you and only you.

Incog.

[Halcyon]

Well done on your duck mission.
You have saved their lives.

Originally Posted by Incognitas

snodvan for you and only you.

Incog.

he deserves it too - nice one Incog