# Ducks in the yard **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 3, 2011, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637 "2011-05-03T23:52:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2011, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/21 "2011-05-04T22:00:22Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I would love something other than an apex predator hanging around my buffet\\yard. > > I got a pair of eagles … > > That is why I am down on chickens this spring. Not sure I am going to replace, we may be trying to sell starting next year. Eagles are usually found near water. They feed mainly on fish (often scavenged) and waterfowl captured in pursuit. Sibley, _op. cit_ ---
**Author:** ![Iridescent\_Orb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@Iridescent\_Orb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iridescent_Orb)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/22 "2011-05-05T05:34:54Z")
If you feed them, I second the recommendation of corn or a specialty feed. According to our local wildlife officer, bread has low nutritional content per unit volume (especially if it has expanded in water). They will fill up on soggy bread, stop eating and eventually become malnourished. Much like dining at a cheap all-you-can-eat restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/23 "2011-05-05T12:57:32Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > If you have the baby ducks you’re gonna have problems like opossums, skunks, raccoons, hawks and foxes which eat baby ducks. Unfortunately true. We had ducks nest in our yard a couple years ago. They picked a relatively open spot at the edge of a fence and something eventually ate the eggs. This year I’ve spotted Mr. and Mrs. Duck waddling around the yard again and expect to find another nest somewhere. I wouldn’t worry about excessive ducks too much. Geese - now that’s another story. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/24 "2011-05-05T15:23:15Z")
I think mine are kind of stupid. They do come back year after year, but they always end up going someplace else when the rear of the yard dries up. And at some point, I’ll fix the drainage problems, and there should never be water for them in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/25 "2011-05-05T15:35:02Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > I live in a suburb of Charleston, SC. Foxes have been spotted in Mt. Pleasant, east of the Cooper, and I’ve seen foxes at Charlestowne Landing State Park, but no foxes seen here in James Island, although we have plenty of raccoons and possums. I suppose there are some here, but they stay hidden. **I’ve also seen a rattlesnake under my desk,** which worries me some, especially since my cats have brought me some non-venomous snakes. > > The Pekin ducks are just a variant of Mallards. Actually, we had them and them only when I first moved in in 1986. I fed them, too. For some reason, they disappeared. I think one of the owners brought them in. They would come right up to my window and play with my toes when I sat outside. They also would go into my storage place and crap all over it. So I keep the birds off my deck now. The geese would go right up if I let them, but I chase them off the steps when they get that far. I sure hope you mean ‘deck’ rather than desk. At my old apartment complex the ducks never left the retention pond all our buildings were around; they never lacked for food they found on their own and they laid down an impressive layer of poop that never seemed to wash away and permanently prevented us all from walking on the grass. Where on James Island are you? We have a spot between Folly Road and Camp Road in an older subdivision behind the Catholic church; walking distance to Andolini’s, naturally. ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/26 "2011-05-05T17:54:11Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > I checked my _The Sibley Guide to Birds_ re the migration issue. Surprisingly to me, mallards and Canada geese have very similar ranges. According to those maps, both of them should be here (in SC and also through much of the south) only in the winter and throughout the rest of the country year round (summer range being in Canada). So the mallards here are not native, either. Having lived in Illinois many years and seeing them year round there, I assumed it is the same here. They are in Illinois year round. Well, both species are also here year round now, too. In Seattle, mallards are year round, but just north they are just summer birds, except for along the coast, where they also are found year round. There are mallards, and then there are mallards. The mallard duck is a native species and, as your Sibley’s indicates, are migratory. However, “mallard ducks” are also common as poultry. These are simply ducks that have been exclusively bred in captivity for umpteen generations, mostly for meat and eggs but also secondarily as ornamentation (to populate lakes and ponds). These domestic versions do not migrate, although they certainly do fly from place to place. Whether originally escaped or deliberately released, they may be found year round in geographic locations well outside the normal breeding range of wild mallards. These birds are usually larger, faster growing, but less capable of active foraging and thus more dependent upon commercial food supplementation than wild birds. They also frequently have poor or non-existent parenting skills. Neither the ability to succeed in the wild nor the complex suite of behaviors involved in raising a clutch of babies are actively selected for in domestication. Growth and egg production are more important in domestic birds. This tends to mitigate against them being very successful in truly wild conditions. However, in rural or suburban and even urban settings where supplemental feeding is provided and some protection from predators is given (even if only as a byproduct of human presence) these birds can rapidly develop huge populations that cause serious problems. Frankly, despite the cuteness factor, this situation probably should not be encouraged. I do not suggest actually interfering, mind you, but neither would I wish to see you actively help these guys in their efforts. By the way, “Pekin Ducks” are merely another domestic poultry derived from mallards, these being selected for white instead of naturally colored feathers. ETA-- I do actually have rattlesnakes around my desk, but I did assume in your case you meant “deck” too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/27 "2011-05-05T19:13:13Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Eagles are usually found near water. They feed mainly on fish (often scavenged) and waterfowl captured in pursuit. Sibley, _op. cit_ You’re not wrong but eagles are very opportunistic, they will always choose an easy source of prey over what they are “supposed” to be eating. Foxes are very sneaky. You probably will never see one till it gets in and eats the chickens or your eggs or ducks or whatever. Most people don’t realize a fox is about the size of a house cat so people don’t really look for them. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/28 "2011-05-05T19:20:03Z")
They were also bred for the way their flesh is perfectly browned in the oven. That’s why it’s called the “Mallard Reaction” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/29 "2011-05-05T19:50:23Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I sure hope you mean ‘deck’ rather than desk. At my old apartment complex the ducks never left the retention pond all our buildings were around; they never lacked for food they found on their own and they laid down an impressive layer of poop that never seemed to wash away and permanently prevented us all from walking on the grass. > Where on James Island are you? We have a spot between Folly Road and Camp Road in an older subdivision behind the Catholic church; walking distance to Andolini’s, naturally. Deck! Deck! Not desk. I’m walking distance to Andolini’s, too, if 3 miles is walking distance. I live in the Island Bluff Condos at Julian Clark and Dills Bluff. You’re welcome to check our pond for the avian fauna; however, no trespassing signs are posted and my neighbors are prone to shoot first and ask questions later. 🙂 Actually, with all the break-ins we’ve been having, one neighbor down the street actually shot somebody (grazed him). I’m sure you read about that. He was not charged due to the liberal “castle” laws of SC. Another shooting, which you haven’t read about because it wasn’t reported, happened in my building (not my unit). The guy thought someone was breaking into his car and fired two shots. I and another neighbor rushed out to see what was going on, but nobody else did (it was at night). Nobody reported that. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/30 "2011-05-05T20:07:22Z")
> [@Nawth\_Chucka](#): > > I sure hope you mean ‘deck’ rather than desk. At my old apartment complex the ducks never left the retention pond all our buildings were around; they never lacked for food they found on their own and they laid down an impressive layer of poop that never seemed to wash away and permanently prevented us all from walking on the grass. > Where on James Island are you? We have a spot between Folly Road and Camp Road in an older subdivision behind the Catholic church; walking distance to Andolini’s, naturally. Actually I caught a baby rattler under my desk a couple years ago, it was sort of terrified and confused, it sneeked into the house while the back door was open letting in some nice fresh air on an early spring day. Cutest little thing, just barely bigger than a #2 pencil, fresh out of the egg pretty much. Tossed it out into the yard. One of the chickens ate it. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/31 "2011-05-05T21:43:12Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Deck! Deck! Not desk. I’m walking distance to Andolini’s, too, if 3 miles is walking distance. I live in the Island Bluff Condos at Julian Clark and Dills Bluff. You’re welcome to check our pond for the avian fauna; however, no trespassing signs are posted and my neighbors are prone to shoot first and ask questions later. 🙂 Actually, with all the break-ins we’ve been having, one neighbor down the street actually shot somebody (grazed him). I’m sure you read about that. He was not charged due to the liberal “castle” laws of SC. Another shooting, which you haven’t read about because it wasn’t reported, happened in my building (not my unit). The guy thought someone was breaking into his car and fired two shots. I and another neighbor rushed out to see what was going on, but nobody else did (it was at night). Nobody reported that. I read about the unfortunate ‘incident’ wherein castle doctrine was invoked; happened up in Summerville again not long after, too. It’s sad. I’m from Detroit, so the recent uptick really doesn’t scare me much. [Here](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=EN&geocode=&q=1869+Turkey+Pen+Road,+SC&aq=2&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=37.136668,79.013672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1869+Turkey+Pen+Rd,+Charleston,+South+Carolina+29412&ll=32.724151,-79.975147&spn=0.00964,0.01929&z=16&layer=c&cbll=32.724181,-79.975031&panoid=YyzUmPNyrz48NgDrCa1iOA&cbp=12,48.74,,0,11.98)’s our lot, btw, on a nice quiet street mislabeled as a one-way when it’s not; we can’t wait to build on it! We’ve camped and picnicked on it. There’s a fountain w/ a small park around it across the street and it’s filthy w/ ducks and turtles. They must get along well! ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/32 "2011-05-05T22:03:21Z")
I see that’s in all that new development near Wal-Mart. I work out at Gold’s and usually run in the trail in the condos behind Gold. I should run in that area, but I tried running on Riverland once. Too much traffic there to suit me. I read about the Summerville incident, too. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2011, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/33 "2011-05-05T23:32:58Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > I see that’s in all that new development near Wal-Mart. I work out at Gold’s and usually run in the trail in the condos behind Gold. I should run in that area, but I tried running on Riverland once. Too much traffic there to suit me. I read about the Summerville incident, too. Yes, just behind that development; the upside was getting city water put through; the downside is the road wasn’t; there’s a lovely guardrail and lots of spots where people and bikes go around it. Still, it’s nice to have a dirt road 20 minutes from the press of people at Tommy Condon’s. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/34 "2011-05-06T00:31:42Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > give it a try. i’ve seen them swim in deep puddles in backyards. I lived in a co-op townhouse complex when I was a university student. The business office for the complex had a patio with sliding glass doors. Every morning a mallard would come up to the doors and quack until someone filled a big plastic bucket of water for him. It had been left out on the patio one night by the cleaning staff, and the duck claimed it. Anyone coming to my unit would see a duck in a bucket. BTW - I read the thread title to the tune of “Pants on the Ground.” ---
**Author:** ![CannyDan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cannydan/32/548_2.png) [@CannyDan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CannyDan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/35 "2011-05-06T18:06:03Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Actually I caught a baby rattler under my desk a couple years ago, it was sort of terrified and confused, it sneeked into the house while the back door was open letting in some nice fresh air on an early spring day. Cutest little thing, just barely bigger than a #2 pencil, fresh out of the egg pretty much. Tossed it out into the yard. One of the chickens ate it. Too bad for the snake! If this was in Connecticut, the only rattlesnake would be the Timber Rattler. Babies are indeed about 8 to 10 inches long, and are incredibly colored and patterned. Gorgeous little snakes! They do though possess a full compliment of fangs and venom at birth. And just as a point of information, all rattlers are born alive, not hatched from eggs. (Although perhaps you were just using a figure of speech?) The process, termed ovovivipary, involves shell-less eggs retained inside the female while the babies develop. The individual membrane surrounding each baby may break or be opened by the baby with an “egg tooth”, sometimes inside the mother or shortly after she expels them. There is no maternal care, and the neonates begin their solitary lives without further contact with the mother. _Sorry for the hijack, now back to the duck discussion._ ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/36 "2011-05-06T18:09:55Z")
> [@Sue\_Duhnym](#): > > If they like you, they’ll come back year after year after year. > > /says the person with ducks in the pool and a _freaking_ mourning dove on top of her chimney. Do you have any idea how much that cooing echos? Fortunately for the OP, it is a proven fact :dubious: that Duck Quacks do not echo. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/37 "2011-05-06T21:06:28Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Fortunately for the OP, it is a proven fact :dubious: that Duck Quacks do not echo. 😃 Ducklings don’t quack, either. They peep. Now, about two weeks after hatching, they still are peeping. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/38 "2011-05-06T21:37:18Z")
Would a pair of nesting ducks cover the yard in poop? ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/39 "2011-05-06T21:47:38Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > Would a pair of nesting ducks cover the yard in poop? Makes good fertilizer. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637/40 "2011-05-06T21:51:04Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > Makes good fertilizer. Not something you want your toddlers rolling around in, though. 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ducks-in-the-yard/580637.md?page=3)