Ducks are trainable. I have Indian Runners & Roeuns(look like mallards). So if they're anything alike, you have to show them their boundries. It takes alot of patience and sometimes a little reminding, but mine do not go in the front yard...much. I'm lucky enough to have neihbors who don't care if they come over for a snack or make a dinner of their bugs. If they get out of bounds I yell "Hey" and clap my hands and that usually turns them home. One out of 15-20 times I may have to make them know who's Boss. I'm trying to teach my Yorkie to "Round-em-up", but he gets a little to excited sometimes. Your ducks will learn to let you guide them. Its kinda like backing up a trailer, If I hold my right arm out straight they turn left, or visa-versa. I usually put them in their pen at night by myself, but once in awhile,when they're feeling like staying out all night I need my husbands help. Good Luck !!! They are such a JOY.

Ducks are territorial. They will attack any strange ducks and don't recongnise their offspring if they don't raise them. It is possible that happened, or it could be some kind of illness. Maybe you should call a vet in your area and ask them if they know of any illnesses it could be. Also www.thegoosesmother.com is a great site. Email the owner (find it on the contact uis page.) She raises ducks and geese and was even on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno. She can tell you pretty much anything you need to know.

What a great story! While attending Bible college in Clarks Summit PA we lived in a great old farmhouse.I got my son (then 8)a pet gosling at his insistance. After three days he paid no attention to her and said he only wanted her for awhile.(we never did get him another pet) She ended up being MY pet and at first she was indoors in a box. I have an old photo of me holding her and a cat who was fond of her. The younger son just a toddler began calling her Doe Doe PeeP. When Doe Doe got big she had to live outside but snuggled up to the backdoor on a chance one of the kids would leave it open and she could sneak in.One day my hubby was taking out a HUGE bag of trash and accidentally stepped on Doe Doe. Her skin was ripped from her neck and she was blind,one eye not even able to open.She just went round and round and round.I told hubby to do something and even though we were ministry students with a tight budget he took Doe Doe to a bird Dr. The bird Dr gave us ointments,eye drops and antibiotics and said if it was him he would want to live. I faithfully administered the meds rubbing her eyes with the eye drops. Eventuall the closed eye opened and she had sight in only one eye. her feathers grew back just beautifully and I remember she had one black feather on her shoulder we called her beauty mark.Doe Doe followed me around and was a great guard goose. She always had to turn her good side to you in order to see and she'd cock her head and look at you with her one good eye. I depended on my veggie patch for food for our young family , Someone said geese ate bugs off veggies so I fenced in my veggie patch and allowed Doe Doe the run of it (complete with kiddy pool.)Bad MOVE! Doe Doe ate everything I planted down to the ground! Soon the fence was to keep her out! When we put the house up for sale the realtors were not happy showing the place because they were soon chased away by our overprotective goose. We were moving to Florida and my hubby would NOT entertain the thought of travelling that far with a goose. We put her in the back of our station wagon and headed to my sister's in the middle of PA. We got in a traffic jam,a standstill and I'll never forget the looks on peoples faces at a goose in a station wagon. Now I have grandkids and am raising three ducks who Ill soon let enjoy my big pond.we are just waiting for a few more feathers to come in. The grands have enjoyed watching them grow.

They do use lead, regardless of laws. Rehabbers deal with this regularly. But Wood ducks are not divers or grazers (like Canada geese), so not sure from what source the lead would come. Possible she was poisoned? Or shot, and made it back to the nest? I don't think sparrows would/could kill even a little duck like a Wood duck. Sad to find that. Dirtgirl, may I make a suggestion, though? I say this every spring and summer, and people hate me for it, but I know you will not. I do not think it's ever a good idea to check bird nests that are accessible to predators, or that do not need to be maintained (like bluebirds). I know there was no indication of traumatic injury (like you would with a raccoon attack), but visiting nests regularly leaves a scent trail for mammal predators (like raccoons and even squirrels) and crows watch and figure out something is doing in there. And I am not at all suggesting that's what happened, but you know your stuff, and I know people will probably follow your example more than mine : ) Anyway, happy spring, and good luck with the W. ducks this year.