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

[Miss Lydia]

They truly are gorgeous

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Why do those duck look like my old male wood duck when he was a baby. Sadly he past away when he was 6 years old ): A bit to young but he was very weak when he was young sadly he died to young at 6 years ):

Ah, because they are wood ducks. <smile> When the rescue person brought them, they told me that they were mallards.

My ducks are 1 1/2 years old now. I read that their average life expectancy is 4 years in the wild. I'm not sure what it might be when they are living in a tamed environment.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

I sometimes wonder if they're a little on the chunky side ... or maybe they're healthy and well-fed.

 

[MGG]

How have I not found this thread before?!?! I have wood ducks.
Did you get a permit to keep yours or did you just rescue and keep them? They're beautiful.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

How have I not found this thread before?!?! I have wood ducks.
Did you get a permit to keep yours or did you just rescue and keep them? They're beautiful.

Rescue, and they didn't want to leave. I can leave the door wide open, and they won't go out.

I have had them out, but last time, a red tailed hawk tried to attack. We're all happier this way.

 

[CaliFarmsAR]

Rescue, and they didn't want to leave. I can leave the door wide open, and they won't go out.

I have had them out, but last time, a red tailed hawk tried to attack. We're all happier this way.

That’s awesome! I bet you take great care of them!!

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

That’s awesome! I bet you take great care of them!!

Hauling buckets of water for them every day. Can't wait 'til I can pull out the hose again.

 

[wilwingswaterfowl]

They are so beautiful, love those voices. any idea what that means? or is it just happy calls?

Those are just hen wood ducks calling other ducks like their mate, I hear them making those noises flying through the trees in the wild, it can be pretty loud. If you listen at 2.36 you can here the male noises they are real quiet.

 

[ThreeOfSeven]

Those are just hen wood ducks calling other ducks like their mate, I hear them making those noises flying through the trees in the wild, it can be pretty loud. If you listen at 2.36 you can here the male noises they are real quiet.

Thank you for sharing this video!! I *LOVE* your setup! <duck pool envy> How do you keep the water from getting rank and nasty? My 4 have a small kiddie pool (in non-freezing weather), and by the end of the day, the water is unfit (and half of the water has been splashed out of the pool). I'd love to give my 4 more swimming space (and deeper), but it's a lot of water to dump every day. I tried a larger pool last summer, looked at different types of filters, etc., but didn't go much further than that. The cheap plastic pool liner ripped, so I trashed that pool/idea. (I once had a small ornamental pond at my previous home w/pump, filter, plants, etc., and I remembered also that I added chemicals to keep it from getting nasty. Another reason why I didn't go down that road w/my ducks.)

What are you feeding? My ducks cohabitate w/my 10 chickens, so I have heritage/organic layer feed, all-flock, and quality scratch grains available for the ducks. They seem to be doing well. I also provide green stuff -- I grow fodder, give them lettuces/greens, plus stuff I grow in the garden, etc. In the summer, I get duckweed from a nearby pond.

Mine have been w/me for 1 1/2 years, so I guess I'm doing something right, but I'm always anxious to make it better.

 

[VeryHappyHens]

Ah, because they are wood ducks. <smile> When the rescue person brought them, they told me that they were mallards.

My ducks are 1 1/2 years old now. I read that their average life expectancy is 4 years in the wild. I'm not sure what it might be when they are living in a tamed environment.

Can you show an adult picture of them!!!