Story of a Dumped Duck

This was a story I published about a year and a half ago about "Bitey", a male Pekin duck.  I miss Bitey a lot and think of him often.  I still don't know what happened to him, but I hope he ended up in a safe place with lots of food, nice people, and girls galore.

"Bitey" was a pekin duck that was dumped off at Lake Murray in the fall of 2012. Many ducks are dumped off in the fall months, usually about six months after Easter. Last year, a large number of domestic ducks were dropped off at the lake. People dump ducks for various reasons. They are either sick of having them, can't keep them any longer, or think that ducks belong near a lake or waterway. What's worse is that the general public doesn't seem to notice that these ducks don't belong at the lake. They see the same white ducks year after year possibly thinking they're the same ducks they see all the time not knowing they don't live long.

When Bitey first arrived, he behaved like any other dumped duck. He began socializing with an older, previously dumped pekin and both became very good friends. This older duck showed Bitey where to get food and girlfriends. Bitey didn't stand out in any way. Then, something changed in the spring and Bitey's behavior began to change, too.

Bitey liked eating out of that small bowl

In spring, duck hormones change and many male ducks get frustrated and agitated. Bitey no longer wanted to be near any other ducks. Other male ducks, even ducks smaller than him, began to attack and chase him around. One thing that began to be a real problem with Bitey is that he began to act strange around people. He didn't move if you walked up to him and he would bite if you tried to touch him. He would also bite you if he wanted you to feed him, sometimes biting really hard. It's not abnormal for domestic drakes (male ducks) to get a little bitey during breeding season, especially. But, most of the other drakes at the lake never let humans get close.

He would spill food, but choose to eat out of the bowl

It wasn't that Bitey wasn't afraid of people. He actually was terrified of them. When I picked him up one time, I could feel how scared he was. But, he wouldn't move away like the other ducks did. As a result, he was the potential subject of abuse. So, I worked to find him a home. I couldn't take him, myself, as my apartment complex doesn't allow animals, except cats, not even temporarily. So, I let him stay at the lake while I put the word out.

After a month of not getting anyone to take him in, Bitey disappeared. No one knows what happened to him. Another duck in the same area was left there and was fine. I did find a small clump of white feathers that looked like they were plucked near where he slept, but Bitey sometimes did that to himself. Or, one of the other ducks could have done that to him. Other than that, there was no sign of him at all. I hope someone took him home. He was there about eight or nine months. A few weeks after Bitey disappeared, two more ducks were dumped near the same area. Within a couple of days, one had disappeared with no trace, as well. The average lifespan of a dumped duck is less than three years.

I have a Squidoo lens on dumped ducks, including Bitey.  But, they're being transitioned over to HubPages.  Check back soon for the new link.

Don't dump your ducks in the lake!

I originally wrote this in 2010, but I thought I would bring this up because we are in the middle of duck dumping season which usually starts about 5-6 months after Easter.  I have another page on Squidoo called Life of Dumped Duckies

Many people get ducks as ducklings for pets or for Easter presents without realizing what they're getting involved in. Unfortunately, many of these ducks end up being left at a public park or lake, or escaping to one. People dump ducks off for various reasons. Some did not realize the nature of the ducks and their needs when they got the ducklings and had to find a place for them quickly. Others may have been forced to give up their ducks after their city code enforcement officer told them that poultry was not allowed where they live. Still others may have had too many drakes or had personality problems with their ducks and didn't have the heart to sell them for slaughter or couldn't find them good homes. Whatever the reason, people often leave their ducks out in the cold at their local lakes. 

I've heard people say that they've dropped off their ducks at the local lake and their ducks fit right in and did fine. Others say that it's good to drop unwanted ducks off at the lake because they will get fed and be free to be ducks. But, many of those people do not realize the harm that they do.

The biggest is that domestic ducks are very vulnerable to predators. Most common domestic breeds, especially runners and Pekins, can't fly. Most lakes have some kind of predator around, such as hawks, coyotes, foxes, and even domestic cats are dangerous to ducks. Domestic ducks, not only being not able to fly well, are often not aware of how to evade predators. Some of these ducks may have grown up around another family pet like a dog or cat and think they're all the same and try to be friendly to them.

Another issue that these "drop-offs" have is that they can often carry diseases that the wild ducks may be vulnerable of, or vice-versa. Many domestic ducks also have other health issues that their wild cousins might not have to deal with and could spread diseases to the wild flock. Large ducks originally bred for meat will often have leg problems, especially as they get older. Some domestics will not live very long even if they're kept fed and otherwise healthy in a wild setting.

Domestic ducks also cause problems with the population of wild ducks. For example, most wild ducks are great fliers as it's their main means of escaping predators and finding food. However, when they breed with domestic ducks, their offspring often can't fly or fly very well. Soon, there are too many ducks in one area that can't leave on their own and can't be captured and adopted due to them being wild. This can affect the ecosystem as it tries to support a large population of waterfowl all year long and can be detrimental to all wildlife. This may result in more illnesses and even starvation of some species. Not all lakes allow people to feed ducks and dropping off domestic ducks may result in their starvation if there are too many other ducks and wildlife using the ecosystem.

If someone is in the need of finding a home for their pet duck, there might be some alternatives to "dumping" them:

Place an ad on sites like Craigslist and other areas where they sell or deal with waterfowl. There's a site called Backyard Chickens which has a duck forum as well as a selling/swapping forum to find people who may be looking for certain types of ducks. It can be emphasized that they are to go to pet homes only, if necessary.

Ask the local humane society about placing ducks up for adoption, inquire about if they euthanize, and how long they keep them.

Post an ad at the local feed or tractor supply store.

If you have any kind of duck rescue or sanctuary, ask them if they have any advice.

So, don't drop those ducks off at the local lake! Not only is it bad for them and everyone else already there, they would miss their human companion whom they trusted.