Will Ducks thirst themselves? Won't get in pond!

[Miss Lydia]

Have you ever checked for snapping turtles? they are awful predators.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I too thought your pond might have snapping turtles that they are aware of. If they like the neighbors pond better then it seems something in yours is scaring them. Good luck with them this winter. The Heated water buckets are a Godsend and I have several out for my flock of 14. They love it.

 

[Moments]

Duck Wizards:

We have 7 female ducks that refuse to go in our 1/8 acre pond. My thought is that if we don't provide any water, they'll go in the pond eventually, or at least drink from the edge. Wife thinks they won't so we keep a small bin of fresh water so they can drink where they eat (about 10' from the pond's edge). We fill a baby pool once or twice a week and they go bananas in it and clean up, so they love swimming, but refuse the pond. Winter is fast approaching (southern ohio), and it would be a challenge to keep thawed water available outside of the pond all winter. The pond has fish and frogs, and maybe some turtles but we never see turtles so not sure.

So: If we remove all drinking water -- will they eventually go in the pond to drink? Or would they actually thirst themselves to an unhealthy point (or worse)? How long can they safely go without any water? There is a place in the pond where they can wade in slowly -- and a pond across out drive way that has a "beach" type area. They used to hang out in both of those areas and seemed to be easing in -- but then stopped completely.

They eat duck pellets readily by the pond, and hang out when not eating about 100-150' from the pond amongst some pine trees and bushes by the house.

A little back story:
Mallard, Black Swedish, Blue Swedish, Blue Runner, Welsh Harlequinn, Saxony, Cayuga.
The reason we have these 7 ducks was to be companions to our beloved duck Peso. Peso has lived in the pond for the past year -- but became a coyote snack this summer . Peso was just starting to "mother" these 7 ducks who were pretty small at that time. Loved that duck. So now we have these 7 ducks and they refuse to get in the water.

After months of refusing, we tried to ease them in by holding them close to the shore, take them in in a kayak (ha), but they just ran out like a Jesus lizard and gave us the stink eye. I've tried to put their food RIGHT by the edge and they won't touch it. We tried leaving taller grass around half the pond so they had hiding places, no luck.

They hang out on one side of our house all day, then cross the front yard at duck and wait for us to come out and pen them up. They go right in nightly when we go out and walk them to it.

Maybe they sense a predator?