10 Baby Wood Ducks (1st thought they were Mallards)

[ThreeOfSeven]

Thanks! They're almost a year old, they'll be a year old next month.
Violet is. Velvet is not as tame.
Violet is a "special needs" duck though, so I've babied her a lot. I think that's made her tamer. View attachment 2551935
Velvet just likes her space. I'm hoping she warms up to me more though.

That's wonderful! How is Violet a special needs duck?

Mine are not friendly. They keep their distance, but I know that they recognize me. They are familiar with me and are more comfortable with me than other people. I am the bringer of food, good stuff, and water. And I'm in the coop a couple of times every day.

 

[MGG]

That's wonderful! How is Violet a special needs duck?

Mine are not friendly. They keep their distance, but I know that they recognize me. They are familiar with me and are more comfortable with me than other people. I am the bringer of food, good stuff, and water. And I'm in the coop a couple of times every day.

She has severe scoliosis.
It's more visible in these two pics.

She's a very sweet little thing. I got her for free as a duckling, due to her issue. She just needed some TLC, and now she's happy and healthy. I just have to keep an eye on her around water (She can't keep her bill out, it's like she's snorkeling. She has to have only shallow enough water that she can stand in it.) and scratch her itches. She can't reach some spots on her own.
Mealworms have done wonders in taming Velvet. Vi has kinda always been tame.

 

[MGG]

Here she is as a baby, when it first started to show.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

She has severe scoliosis.
It's more visible in these two pics. View attachment 2552032View attachment 2552033
She's a very sweet little thing. I got her for free as a duckling, due to her issue. She just needed some TLC, and now she's happy and healthy. I just have to keep an eye on her around water (She can't keep her bill out, it's like she's snorkeling. She has to have only shallow enough water that she can stand in it.) and scratch her itches. She can't reach some spots on her own.
Mealworms have done wonders in taming Velvet. Vi has kinda always been tame.

Oh my heart melts for her! You are wonderful for giving her so much love and care!

 

[MGG]

Oh my heart melts for her! You are wonderful for giving her so much love and care!

Aw, thank you! When I was offered her I knew I just had to have her. She's so perfect and sweet. She's my favorite current bird. I just love waterfowl so much, their personalities are amazing.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Aw, thank you! When I was offered her I knew I just had to have her. She's so perfect and sweet. She's my favorite current bird. I just love waterfowl so much, their personalities are amazing.

Since my intention was to release my ducks, I made it a point to not handle them when they were young. Oh well, who knew how it would all turn out. They flew away, and then came back. The world was way to scary for them.

 

[MGG]

Since my intention was to release my ducks, I made it a point to not handle them when they were young. Oh well, who knew how it would all turn out. They flew away, and then came back. The world was way to scary for them.

Awww they came back?!?! That's so cute! ❤

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

We built this upper, corner box for the ducks before the beginning of the 2019 winter. They freaked. Thought it was a huge duck-eating monster, and stayed off this perch (their favorite) for months. Slowly, they acclimated, and this winter, the box has given them a warm and comfortable space on these cold days.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Awww they came back?!?! That's so cute! ❤

Yes. A couple showed up within hours. The last one showed up a day or two after release.

I had them out again a couple of times. The last time they were out, one of my hens spooked and flew away. Within seconds, she came back into the yard like a jet, flying for her life. A huge, hungry red tailed hawk was inches from her. She ended up flying into my garden fence, and the hawk flew off. I herded her back into the pen, and that's the last time I let them out.

Here's what I figure. If they are released, they're not going to add to the gene pool. They'll end up being lunch. We have a heavy population of hawks in my area, red tail and others.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

I hung the old nesting bucket on a whim a month or so ago. I'm happy to see that a couple of the girls like it. Both of them were in the bucket before I had a chance to grab my cell phone and take these pictures. I have a 2nd nesting bucket, and I'm tempted to hang it higher.

I also noticed scooped nesting-spots in the bedding in their raised corner box and the cheap little dog house that I stuck in the pen before winter. And, like last year, I saw one of the wood duck hens in the chickens' nesting box. They'll go anywhere. LOL!