Earlier this Spring, we decided that since we have a pond, and a big yard, we would head on down to the hardware store and get three Mallard ducklings. We thought it would be nice to have some quacking around and the thought of them eating slugs and pests out of our garden would be a welcome treat. Little did we realize, ducks can become very friendly…
Over the weekend I made the monumental mistake of showing our web-footed friends how to get up on our back deck. For the next few days they followed me up there, and wandered around begging for food until they grew impatient and waddled down to the pond. This was more or less harmless, and we didn’t really mind… Harmless, that is, until yesterday.
Since we allow our cats to come and go as they please, we always leave the sliding screen door slightly opened for them while we are around. Keep in mind, this is just a slit. Our cats are very thin and the screen door was only open about five inches. None the less, the three stealthy ducks managed to slip through this gap yesterday afternoon, and infiltrate our living room where they proceeded to carry our their nefarious black op mission of pooping on our floor!
I have no idea how these fat ducks were able to get through this tiny gap, but they had no intention of leaving after having worked so hard to get inside. They ran, quacked, flapped their wings and generally resisted ejection to the best of their duckly abilities until finally being ushered back outside where they belong. Even then, the quacks of protest could be heard for some time and they re-adjusted to outside life.
Cleaning up the mess was a fairly easy prospect, and the trouble of it was well worth the hilarious story. It would seem that I now must focus my attention onto the development of an elaborate duck security system capable of thwarting the invasion efforts of these winged masterminds… Most likely a small bit of mesh.
I nearly fell out of my chair laughing when I got to the “nefarious black op mission” part. If I were you, I’d be careful … I certainly would not want to be the victim of mallard revenge that they must be plotting at this very moment out in that pond where you can’t hear them quacking. Watch your back.
I live in Southern California and have a pool, not a pond. This pool is for exercising arthritic joints. However I have 2-3 ducks (1-2 males and 1 female that like my pool, they swim, stay on the surrounding cement and lawn. The pool man, nor gardeners, nor the 5 visiting cats, nor the visiting families of opossoms, nor the visiting raccoon, seem to convince the ducks to leave. I really do love all kinds of animals and would never hurt them but I am concerned about swimming in a pool they have most likely pooped in. I asked the pool man if the chemicals he puts in my pool will clean up the pool so I can safely use it, but I am not sure he understands what I am saying. Any ideas or experiences?
I found this website by accident, I was searching for a answer as to why a animal would kill a duck and just eat the insides and leave the rest. This is just a common white duck I am so sad we have had her for 10 years. She was with our chicks I really think she thought she was one. We raised her from a baby duck with chicks. We did find some holes chewed on the boards where we have created this chicken house. We have had this house for over 20 years. Please give some advice for raising ducks. I told my husband I would like to get another one probably not till next spring now. Thanks
Sounds like a raccoon. I’m sorry to hear you lost your pet duck. 10 years is a really long life for a duck though, so it sounds like she had a good life. As for advice, I have answered most common questions here: http://spiralbound.net/2008/05/24/mallard-duck-faq Good luck and let me know how it goes.