Duck died suddenly

[Corinne23]

My poor Claire passed today very suddenly we think she choked on her food. There was plenty of water but the were all fighting for the food. I went outside a few hours later to find her dead by their pool half stiff . She had a mate Jim. She was a khaki Campbell and he is. What should I do for Jim? I am so worried about him. I have 4 other ducks but jim and Claire were a pair. Should I watch him closely, leave him alone? I’m just nervous something will happen to him. He won’t stop calling for her and now I can’t get him out of the pen when I call his name he runs for the far corner and keeps calling for her

 

[ruthhope]

So sad for you Claire and Jim. I had to separate a tightly bonded pekin drake from my son's flock of females in February 2022. The drake called for his females for 4 or 5 days, but then settled down in his new home.

I expect Jim will accept that Claire is gone in 4 or 5 days.

We were able to reintroduce our pekin drake back to my son's flock in June 2022 and the drake was accepted straight back. I cannot know that he knew the flock nor that they knew him, but he fitted straight back in without any see but no touch period. For two and a half months of the time that the drake and flock were separated, one of my two tightly bonded juvenile drakes moved to live with my son's flock. When we swapped the drakes back, my juvenile drakes definitely recognized each other and have maintained their tightly bonded behavior ever since. From this I conclude that [pekin] drakes do have a developed memory but that they also accept loss of partners if separated.

 

[Corinne23]

So sad for you Claire and Jim. I had to separate a tightly bonded pekin drake from my son's flock of females in February 2022. The drake called for his females for 4 or 5 days, but then settled down in his new home.

I expect Jim will accept that Claire is gone in 4 or 5 days.

We were able to reintroduce our pekin drake back to my son's flock in June 2022 and the drake was accepted straight back. I cannot know that he knew the flock nor that they knew him, but he fitted straight back in without any see but no touch period. For two and a half months of the time that the drake and flock were separated, one of my two tightly bonded juvenile drakes moved to live with my son's flock. When we swapped the drakes back, my juvenile drakes definitely recognized each other and have maintained their tightly bonded behavior ever since. From this I conclude that [pekin] drakes do have a developed memory but that they also accept loss of partners if separated.

Thank you I’m just so worried about him I feel horrible. My 4 Perkins are staying near him even my pekin drake (and they don’t get along). I wanted to bring him in to sleep in his house pen tonight in my sons room but he wouldn’t come out at all and usually he does when I ask if he wants to come in the house