Need advice please don't judge

Can someone please tell me what the big deal is with wild ducks and mallards? Why are they illegal? I dnt know for sure if the one I rescued is a mallard but he is as attached to me as I am to him. Is it really the worst thing in the world if I keep him? He has it made here. Please don't judge.

new duck mom said:

Can someone please tell me what the big deal is with wild ducks and mallards? Why are they illegal? I dnt know for sure if the one I rescued is a mallard but he is as attached to me as I am to him. Is it really the worst thing in the world if I keep him? He has it made here. Please don't judge.

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You can post a pic of him and we can see if he is a mallard. Mallards are pretty easy to identify. I'm personally not sure of the 'why' other than accepting it as a rule/regulation/law because I choose to live in the US.

Well, in many places they are protected so that the species can thrive without interferance from people. In FL, where I used to live, bothering mallards or their nests was a felony. Unless you are a wildlife rehaber, you will not be able to teach a duckling, wild or not, the skills that it needs to survive. Migration is a learned behavior that mother ducklings teach their young. Predator evasion, foraging and appropriate food stuffs are also taught.

Because of the behaviors of many, some species are more affected by people than others. People release domestic ducks into the wild and diseases not present in wild populations can be introduced. Domestic ducks breed with mallards which pollutes the gene pool. Domestic mallards and wild mallards are different. Wild mallards are stream lined and smaller than domestic mallards. Domestic mallards have been bred to be larger and produce more young. More young in the wild population increases pond density, decreases food supply and can have a devastating effect on the entire population.

Regardless, the duckling would have slim chances of survival in the wild being raised closely by a person.

So in other words please never let it go in the wild it will not make it.

Miss Lydia said:

So in other words please never let it go in the wild it will not make it.

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Exactly. It's illegal in my country to own mallards too.

My take on this is that because there are wild mallards and domestic mallards, new duck people need to know that the wild mallards are in a different category, to protect them. It can be difficult to be sure. I know how it feels to be attached to a duck! I have several of them out in their pen right now who have me wrapped around their little wing feathers.

I think that you are acting out of your care and concern for the little guy, and I hope he's a misplaced domestic.

Maybe this one isn't wild? When was the last time anyone has ever seen a ducking maybe a week old climb out of a pond and into someone's lap? Does it just come down to interrupting nature? I mean domestic ducks at some point were once migratory right? Just really trying to understand all this. Apart from breaking the law, is it really so bad to keep him and raise him? Im a stay at home mom and have been spending the last few days with both ducks giving them lots of attention and constant cleaning up and doing nothing but reading online and a few trips to the library.

So you were at a pond and these ducklings came right over to you? that is odd! i mean, i have some 1wk olds in my barn right now, there curious but mama doesn't let us get to close and we own all of them including her!

There are very strict Federal Laws regarding wild waterfowl. You need to be very careful you do not place yourself in legal jeopardy. Please see the following link for more info.

http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-9.pdf

As far as migrating goes I'm in Texas so where else does he need to go?