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Ducklings living in garden
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28-06-2020 11:18am#1
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I’d build a little ramp for them to get in and out or even stack something they can hop up. It’s surprising when you see them getting up the weirs in the river beside us and hopping up on rocks. You can feed stuff like oats, peas and corn. If the veg is thawed it’ll float and frozen will sink and they’ll dive down for it. The swans here will leave some of the cygnets to fend for themselves at the weir (stressing us all out
), the ducks tend to keep the ducklings close. Herons, crows and magpies here would kill cygnets and ducklings so I wouldn’t leave them exposed if possible and give them some cover. There’s a ramp in work for the ducks to get in and out of the pond lol 
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Some made it up the ramp, the rest couldn't figure it out. They demolished the food anyway well have to top it up. Don't want them to become dependent though but they have no other source for now.
The design on the draught excluder is a complete accident.
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Just a few things op... Momma Duck will have nested, brooded and hatched the ducklings on the ground, not in a tree. It's most likely that she flew into the garden about 5-6ish weeks ago, found a spot she liked, laid an egg each day for a couple of weeks, incubated them and hatched them, all under cover in the garden.
It's not inconceivable that the brood could be raised to fledging in the garden, but no harm to supplement their food with a commercial duck food... if you're anywhere in the Midlands, you're welcome to get some from me, but you can buy it in any agri feed store
The ramp looks a little steep for such small ducklings. Maybe try reducing the slope if you can. Ducklings are absolutely safe on after almost from hatching. They are naturally very buoyant, and get extra waterproofing on their down from Momma Duck's feathers as she shelters them. She might appreciate a plastic box with some straw in it, on its side so that she can shelter at night with her brood.
If they get to fledging, they can fly their own way out! Whilst I realise that mallards are wild animals, in an urban environment, and in a back garden, it's quite likely that they're semi tame, and are fine to assist with feeding, just as they would be in any urban canal, river, pond, or lake.0 -
Thanks very much for the kind offer, we're in Cork City but I'm sure we'll be able to find something locally. I was reading that the vitamin B in something like brewers yeast is very important right now, would you recommend adding that to their food or getting something with it already in it?Just a few things op... Momma Duck will have nested, brooded and hatched the ducklings on the ground, not in a tree. It's most likely that she flew into the garden about 5-6ish weeks ago, found a spot she liked, laid an egg each day for a couple of weeks, incubated them and hatched them, all under cover in the garden.
It's not inconceivable that the brood could be raised to fledging in the garden, but no harm to supplement their food with a commercial duck food... if you're anywhere in the Midlands, you're welcome to get some from me, but you can buy it in any agri feed store
The ramp looks a little steep for such small ducklings. Maybe try reducing the slope if you can. Ducklings are absolutely safe on after almost from hatching. They are naturally very buoyant, and get extra waterproofing on their down from Momma Duck's feathers as she shelters them. She might appreciate a plastic box with some straw in it, on its side so that she can shelter at night with her brood.
If they get to fledging, they can fly their own way out! Whilst I realise that mallards are wild animals, in an urban environment, and in a back garden, it's quite likely that they're semi tame, and are fine to assist with feeding, just as they would be in any urban canal, river, pond, or lake.
I must look for the nest when they've left, it's a small garden there's nowhere at ground or flower bed level she could have nested. There's a loads of Ivy and low branches covering the shed roof it's the only place I can think of, unless she carried them in?
We have a box with some ornamental bark ready just want to leave them alone for a few hours, they're very tame but she was still calling them away every time we went out so don't want to scare her off.0 -
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TheChizler wrote: »I was reading that the vitamin B in something like brewers yeast is very important right now, would you recommend adding that to their food or getting something with it already in it?
This stuff has what they need in it...
https://redmills.ie/products/agri/15-poultrygeeseduck-grower-pellets/
Ideally, a small bag of chicken crumb should be fed for a few weeks, before putting them on the above which is for birds in the growth phase, although it'll do no harm for them to have the growers pellets rather than no duck food at allI must look for the nest when they've left, it's a small garden there's nowhere at ground or flower bed level she could have nested. There's a loads of Ivy and low branches covering the shed roof it's the only place I can think of, unless she carried them in?
She 100% didn't carry them in
Highly unlikely to have nested on the shed roof either. They'll nest under the cover of a shrub, in a hollow she'll have shuffled into the soil. They're very discreet and don't make their nests obvious at all, an adaption against predation.0 -
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