Ducklings in Back Garden

[RedOnRed]

Perhaps slightly off topic but...

...A mother duck has just given birth, hatched, or what ever, eleven ducklings in our back garden for some inexplicable reason.

At the moment we've got them all foraging around our garden very safely, which is quite a cute scene. We've made a make-shift pond out of a baking tray which they seem to be enjoying. Which is quite ironic as the baking tray has seen quite a lot of duck/poultry baking action in its time.

Any advice as to how we should look after them would be much appreciated? We're around a quarter of a mile from a canal.

Cheers.

[Bob Eager]

We had the same thing in a courtyard at work. We got some duck food from somewhere, and made a rather larger pond out of a few large stones and a tarpaulin. They appreciated it.

The problem is what to do when they are ready to leave. I guess ask the RSPCA (well, unless you live near Canterbury, in which case forget it!)

[Ian Stirling]

Aww, how sweet that would look.

My only quesion would be 'Can you even get oranges that small'?

[Gordon Henderson]

I'd just leave them alone - but you'll turn your garden into a swamp, given half a chance!!!

But more info can be ound on news:sci.agriculture.poultry or

[Peter Crosland]

Phone the RSPCA for advice. If need be they may come and move them to a more suitable location.

Peter Crosland

[Guy King]

The message from Ian Stirling contains these words:

Kumquats

[Chris Bacon]

Nothing is off topic, it seems.

Put some feed down for them. Make sure they've drinking water. When they're ready, they'll go. Oh, buy a powerful air-rifle to see off any cats, which will kill the ducklings.

[Mathew Newton]

There's no need for that kind of language...

[Owain]

Hoisin sauce.

Owain

[RedOnRed]

I think the mother duck might have something to say about that. She seems a bit of a tough bitch.

[Huge]

I wouldn't waste the cost of the call. IME, they're completely useless.

[Guy King]

The message from "Mathew Newton" contains these words:

I just thought some'd be nice arranged neatly in a quincunx with kumquats.

Don't you like kumquats in your quincunx?

[Chris Bacon]

I remember a venerable gander, who, as it happened, inhabited an old walled graveyard, together with with some hens, and a few geese. He was a sizeable old bird, and as randy as anything. There wasn't much he'd refuse to try to mount. One day, cutting the grass around the stones with shears, I noticed a cat, creeping up on some birds which were bathing in the dust.. the cat was concentrating very hard. Its ears twitched as hens scratched. The gander noticed the new citizen, and waddled majestically up behind the cat, which continued to twitch and swivel its ears, crouching in the grass. Suddenly, it was siezed by the old boy's beak, by the scruff of the neck, and the gander mounted the cat, waggling its tail from side to side in an apparent spasm of self gratification. The cat shot away as fast as I've ever seen one go. The gander waggled its tail few times more, and strode off, presumably in the knowledge of another good job, well done.

[Chris Bacon]

AOL.

[Andrew Gabriel]

Well, that's an improvement on the duck which hatched her ducklings in a second floor window box in a very built-up area of London (can't recall exactly where -- it was on the news a week or so back). The ducklings all fell down to the street below, a drop which they are apparently designed to survive, and the RSPCA picked them up with the duck and took them off somewhere more suitable.

I arrived back home at about 2am last Sunday. For some reason, I turned on the flood lamp on my back lawn and looked out of the window. There was a deer curled up on a pile of grass clippings. It was completely undisturbed by the light and was occasionally nibbling on some long grass just next to it. I didn't go outside as I knew that would scare it off. Next day, I rigged up an IR camera to get some pictures, but it hasn't been back since.

[Steve Firth]

THe police say much the same thing. The only time the RSPCA turn out is when there's a chance there will be a news team on site.

[Mal]

Agreed, I wouldn't bother phoning the RSPCA Limited again as I was amazed at the lack of knowledge. I phoned about an injured fox and they said to leave it, the police collected it in the end after people complained. It was being a bit nasty as it was injured and scared. I also phoned about an injured hedgehog and the daft woman said to go and put it in the nearest park and leave it.

[RedOnRed]

I suppose we could escort them down to the canal, but i'm told that there are pike in the canal.

I suppose it's all part of nature though.

[Guy King]

The message from "Mal" contains these words:

Have they contracted out their call centre to Bangalore?

"Injured fox, sir? Best in a phaal as the taste's too strong for a korma"

[Pinot Grigio]

Have you got a wild-life hospital / sanctuary near you. They might be able to help. If you let them stay, I think they will need food other than what is in your garden though. Get some suitable for the youngsters from a pet/farm store. Can foxes get in your garden? If so, the ducklings won't last long!