13 weeks old Mallard outside over night?

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you - so glad to be part of this community! I will take some steps with your advice in mind

I am talking the door to her coop! Not to the outside!

 

[kaumlauf]

She was an egg you found? she may have come from a wild Mallard but she is now used to someone taking care of herand has no skills to survive on her own.

Not true necessarily. If she's a Mallard, she very likely may fly away in the fall when she hears other Mallards flying over head.

 

[kaumlauf]

It's sort of two in one, it has a closed area, as well as outdoors. We change the water every day.
View attachment 3903927

Very nice coop. It looks very safe. I'd live in there, if I were small enough.

 

[kaumlauf]

Yes, sadly

Cudos to you for taking good care of her!

 

[arnaromarsson]

Hi, Just an update on this topic: I've kept her outside (unprotected) 24/7 now for a few days* and she seems very happy about it. She's has a pond 10feet across and about a foot deep that she spends most of her time in or around. Now we are slowly feeding her less and less with hopes that she flies away one of these days.

I got a hold of a biologist that studies Mallards in Denmark (where I'm based) and my actions have been informed by his advice.

*we took this step when she was about 15 weeks old.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi, Just an update on this topic: I've kept her outside (unprotected) 24/7 now for a few days* and she seems very happy about it. She's has a pond 10feet across and about a foot deep that she spends most of her time in or around. Now we are slowly feeding her less and less with hopes that she flies away one of these days.

I got a hold of a biologist that studies Mallards in Denmark (where I'm based) and my actions have been informed by his advice.

*we took this step when she was about 15 weeks old.

She's flying good now?

 

[arnaromarsson]

She's flying good now?

Yes, she's been able to take proper flight for some time now. A few times she has flown far away to return some minutes or up to two hours later. Also she likes flying up to the rooftops of our houses and hang out there.

We understand that she might get killed by a predator, but we would rather her to be happy and unsafe (like all other wild Mallards), than safe and unhappy.

 

[Lin97588]

Yes, she's been able to take proper flight for some time now. A few times she has flown far away to return some minutes or up to two hours later. Also she likes flying up to the rooftops of our houses and hang out there.

We understand that she might get killed by a predator, but we would rather her to be happy and unsafe (like all other wild Mallards), than safe and unhappy.

Any update? Is she still hanging around?

 

[arnaromarsson]

Any update? Is she still hanging around?

She is still around, but we have found a large natural lake populated with wild ducks where we will bring her this Sunday and hopefully she will stay

 

[Miss Lydia]

She is still around, but we have found a large natural lake populated with wild ducks where we will bring her this Sunday and hopefully she will stay

I hope you stick around to make sure she isn't attacked she will be a newbie.