Rescued ducklings... need some help.

[Renee572]

I rescued 12 baby ducks this morning. I have them set up in my chick brooder. I know nothing about caring for ducks. I have no idea how old they are or what breed. Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Pyxis]

Where did you rescue them from? They could be mallards or rouens, and there are a couple other breeds that also look like that but those two are the most common. If they are wild mallards, they are illegal for you to have and you should see if you can find a local wildlife rehabber to take them. You care for them much the same as chicks. They can eat the same chick feed, although medicated might cause them harm so you should feed unmedicated, and they need the same brooder temperatures. They are really messy with water, so be prepared for that.

 

[Renee572]

Where did you rescue them from? They could be mallards or rouens, and there are a couple other breeds that also look like that but those two are the most common. If they are wild mallards, they are illegal for you to have and you should see if you can find a local wildlife rehabber to take them. You care for them much the same as chicks. They can eat the same chick feed, although medicated might cause them harm so you should feed unmedicated, and they need the same brooder temperatures. They are really messy with water, so be prepared for that.

they were under a bush in my front yard. The mama was with them and I felt that we needed to rescue them but I think I made the wrong call. The mama flew off before we could catch her. A neighbor said he could hear her but we couldn't find her. How would I be able to tell if it's a rouen or mallard to know if I need to call someone. My hubby did call someone but ended up leaving a message and no one has gotten back to us. Why are mallards illegal for us to have?

 

[Pyxis]

If you found them living in the wild with their mother, who could fly away, they are mallards. It's against the law to take an animal out of the wild. You probably did make the wrong call here as the mother would have taken care of them on her own, but it's too late now and she might not come back. It was an act of compassion, though, so it's understandable. If you do see her, it would be best to try to reunite her with her babies. I wouldn't advertise you have them and only contact wildlife rehabbers to come get them. By having them you could face fines and other legal repercussions. Not trying to scare you, just letting you know so that you don't tell everyone about it or make a post on Facebook or something and get yourself in trouble.

Domestic mallards are legal to have, but they are all marked by the place that hatches them, who also has a permit to sell them, so that they are identified as domestic and not wild and are therefore legal to own. Your ducklings won't be marked that way. Now that you are raising them and not the mother, they can't be returned to the wild because you will be providing food for them and they won't learn how to find food in the wild. They also won't learn to be predator savvy. If released, they would likely starve or be eaten. When they get their flight feathers, they will fly away if you don't constantly keep their wings clipped and they won't know how to find their way back and will die.

So you'd have to keep them forever if they were to survive and they would always be identifiable as wild and that would always put you in danger of fines and other legal repercussions, so it really would be best to find a rehabber to take them. They may be able to raise them in a way that they can go back into the wild, too. In the meantime, just keep them fed and watered and warm and they should do fine. They are pretty much like chicks to care for except much more messy with water.

 

[TLWR]

They are several day old mallard ducklings.
Not sure if you would be able to reintroduce them to their mom if she did come back.

If you can find another mallard with a bunch of babies, you may be able to sneak them in with them.

 

[Amiga]

There is a law called the Migratory Bird Act. For better or worse, it makes it illegal to take in certain species of wild birds unless you have a permit (like a rehabber).

I wish there were some sort of middle ground covered in the act, for acts of compassion, but we don't have that right now.

It may not be too late - miracles do happen - but you have them for the moment while you wait on someone to respond to your query.

Have they eaten any food you have given them? Sometimes they don't know what food is if they have been in the wild…. They need food with water 24/7.

Regarding water - you might find this helpful.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/641902/created-a-water-saver-for-my-duck-brooder

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/679433/water-water-everywhere/10

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/858161/feed-water-solution-for-brooder#post_12901321

http://frankiemakes.blogspot.ca/2012/06/watering-solution-for-ducks.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/259876/do-your-ducks-have-water-at-night/10#post_13568197

post number 8 from this
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959603/ducklings-getting-stuck-on-their-backs#post_14939819

 

[Renee572]

Thanks for your help. I honestly had no idea I was not supposed to "rescue" them. And believe me no one has to sit here and tell me I made a mistake because the second I saw the mama run off and then fly away I knew I had made a big mistake but there was no turning back then and the babies were so scared so I needed to get them and make sure they were safe. Some were running into peoples backyards and I knew there would be dogs that would probably eat them. Really I thought I was helping as I didn't see how this mama duck was going to keep 12 babies safe in this neighborhood. Hindsight is always 20/20 and they probably would have been pretty safe with mama. Lesson learned.

Now moving on from that, we do have calls in and emails in to people that will direct us in the way we need to go. For now they are safe in the brooder. I have a heat lamp on them, they have water that I am positive they have drank from. I have a real shallow dish in there with water that they have been sitting in randomly. And there is chick start and grow in there with them. I have not actually seen them eat any but in the morning I will do my best to get them all to eat.

I feel really bad about the choice I made and I am just praying the mama will hear them and come back, I really never meant to break them up. The thought never crossed my mind that she'd leave her babies. Since I haven't heard back from the people we have contacted about it do you suggest if I see her nearby I let the ducklings go and hope she comes down for them or do you suggest I try to lure her to them?

 

[Amiga]

I know when returning a baby squirrel that had fallen from a tree, I put it in a basket, elevated a bit to keep the cats from getting to it, and she came down and took it back.

So for these, perhaps you can set them in a temporary fence, perhaps 3 feet high, but with a wide enough diameter that mama duck can fly in and reunite with them, but other critters won't get in easily. If she does come back to them, then you can take the fence down or open it a bit and let her walk them out.

Just an idea - prayers for you all. You were being compassionate.

 

[Pyxis]

It sounds like you're doing good so far! I think Amiga's idea is good - maybe if she's still in the area and she hears her babies she'll come back for them.

 

[Orca5094]

If she hears and sees her babies, she will very likely come back to claim them, but you need to be far enough away from the area for her to feel safe. Mother ducks will fly off from their babies if they are scared by something, or chased by males wanting to breed her, but they always come back to their babies. I would do like Amiga suggested and put them outside so momma can hear them and hopefully return to claim them. That would be the best thing.