Towne Lake Garden Association

The problem here is the Ducks at Towne lake are generations being fed by residents. We usded to be guilty of this too until we found out that it may have contributed to a fungal infection in our cat, we decided fur before feathers. (especially when the meds are around $75.00 every 2 weeks for what's been a few months now) I wouldn't call the ducks around here wild, not really, not when they've come to depend on the humans more than their own natural instincts. Some Ducks are so trusting they'll let you pick up their ducklings, perhaps because they were picked up as ducklings. I'd say our ducks are somewhere in between wild and domesticated, but I would still be careful with the fungi. If people are going to feed them the lake would be the best place if you have pets, just my 2 cents.

The ducks that eat handouts are the muscovies and the muscovy cross-breeds. Muscovies aren't really wild ducks, and are often raised for their meat. They aren't really water birds, either, though they may swim, sometimes. They're more of a yard bird or land bird, so it isn't unusual to me to see them in peoples' yards and near our roads. They are the ones who subsist on the food people feed them, and it's not at all out of character.

Our lake also supports wild ducks and other birds, such as black-bellied whistling ducks, lesser and greater scaups, teals, grebes, great egrets, great blue herons, cormorants, purple martins, and a variety of song birds. All of these birds contribute in a positive way to keep down insect and snake populations, and to make our community appealing. These birds seldom, if ever, eat anything provided by humans.

I'd like to respectfully suggest that if people have cats and allow them to roam, they are not only threatening the wildlife in our neighborhood, they are doing their cats a great disservice. Cats that are allowed to roam live much shorter lives than those kept indoors, due to disease, injury, and potential poisoning from things like insecticide and anti-freeze ingestion. Domestic cats do not need to roam, and allowing them to do so with the idea that they 'need' to hunt or supplement their diets with birds or vermine is a mistaken notion that will lead to heartbreak for their owners. Your best bet, if you own a cat, is to enjoy it indoors, where it will live a long and healthy life as a valued member of your household.

Our cat is 17 years old,  has always been an outside cat, has done more to keep out rats and snakes than have the ducks and has never bothered the ducks. We still have a few ducks come into our yard after insects, but not near as many since we quit feeding them.  Of course, since he's been under the weather we've kept him in so we can make sure he's properly medicated. So, I guess I'd have to disagree with you.

These ducks are not wild...The mallards, and maybe the wood ducks are.   The population of the whitish domestic ducks has gone thru the roof.  Is there anyway to maybe relocate some of them. I have enough bird poop in my driveway and will  go scrub it as soon as the water restrictions are lifted and it gets cooler.  At this rate it may be October.  By the way, I have never fed them and they are still in my yard.  I didn't buy here many years ago because of the lake, or the ducks.  I bought here cause it was a nice quiet neighborhood.  I would like to see it remain so.