Hi all, so I recently built a pond for my 4 ducks (7 feet wide, 4.5 feet deep) and the ducks naturally loved it immediately. We couldn’t keep them out while we were building it!
Well as of lately they have been hesitant going in. The past few days they will approach the pond and examine it really closely to which my drake will then rough his feathers up and seem like he signals that it isn’t safe and they all waddle away together. They’ve only been in once in the past week which was yesterday when I threw some tasty treats in. And even then, it took them forever, and when they finally did they were floating around all quiet like, and out of now where they spazzed and came bolting out. Reminded me of a person who touches sea weed in the bottom of the ocean and freaks out lol they haven’t been back in since.
I don’t understand because they have LOVED this pond since the first day. We’ve had it for little over a month now.
The only changes made to the pond since it’s been established is 1) natural wildlife have already taken a liking to it. I see frogs in and out of it all the time. And 2) I put some feeder fish in it. About 50 of them 3 weeks ago and they’ve only ate a few of them. Plenty still live in there surprisingly. They usually in the past have gobbled them up out of the bath tub.
So my theory is, is something is scaring them from the pond. But they’re DUCKS. If it is the frogs and the fishies touching their feet… what kind of duck cares?! Ahh I worked too hard on this pond for them to act this way lol I’m hoping maybe one of you will have a better idea of what’s going on and how to fix it. Thanks!
Well as of lately they have been hesitant going in. The past few days they will approach the pond and examine it really closely to which my drake will then rough his feathers up and seem like he signals that it isn’t safe and they all waddle away together. They’ve only been in once in the past week which was yesterday when I threw some tasty treats in. And even then, it took them forever, and when they finally did they were floating around all quiet like, and out of now where they spazzed and came bolting out. Reminded me of a person who touches sea weed in the bottom of the ocean and freaks out lol they haven’t been back in since.
I don’t understand because they have LOVED this pond since the first day. We’ve had it for little over a month now.
The only changes made to the pond since it’s been established is 1) natural wildlife have already taken a liking to it. I see frogs in and out of it all the time. And 2) I put some feeder fish in it. About 50 of them 3 weeks ago and they’ve only ate a few of them. Plenty still live in there surprisingly. They usually in the past have gobbled them up out of the bath tub.
So my theory is, is something is scaring them from the pond. But they’re DUCKS. If it is the frogs and the fishies touching their feet… what kind of duck cares?! Ahh I worked too hard on this pond for them to act this way lol I’m hoping maybe one of you will have a better idea of what’s going on and how to fix it. Thanks!