Abandoned baby duck

[pekin12ducks]

My friends found a baby duckling in the middle of the road w/o any mom or other siblings, just all by itself (yes they walked around the area to try and find the mom). And they knew I had ducks and that I can take care of it. So now I have it, what should I feed it (this little thing can't be more than a couple days old). And it can stay outside right? I think it is definitely warm enough for it to stay outside, it is outside in the coop with my other ducks, but it is in a taller bin so the other ducks cannot get in (but so the baby can hear the ducks, so it doesn't become lonely) and then I have a screen over it so my ducks cannot get in and then a towel over that so it doesn't get too hot
****Please help out with anything and everything you think I should know about taking care of this abandoned duckling!!!!!!****

 

[Pyxis]

Firstly, thank you for taking it in and giving it a shot. But to follow that up, you'll need to get it to a wildlife rehabber or rescue because it is illegal for you to have it. If you're caught with it you can face fines and I believe even jail time, even though you're just trying to help. So I would start calling rehabbers in your area to see if they can take it. Domestic mallards are marked in a certain way so that they can told apart from wild ones, so even though it seems like it would be easy for you to just say it's domestic if you're caught, it's not so simple.

You might want to take it out of your coop. Since it's wild, it could be carrying diseases that it could pass to your other ducks. They don't necessarily have to come into contact for this to happen, some diseases are airborne.

As far as care goes, it will need heat, a heat lamp will do it. Make sure it can get under it if it's cold but can move away from it too if it gets too hot. For food, you can feed it a chick starter that you can buy from a feed store. Make sure it has water to drink too. Don't let it swim however because it isn't producing its own oil and without mom to wipe oil on it it'll get soaked and chilled easily at this young age.

 

[pekin12ducks]

Firstly, thank you for taking it in and giving it a shot. But to follow that up, you'll need to get it to a wildlife rehabber or rescue because it is illegal for you to have it. If you're caught with it you can face fines and I believe even jail time, even though you're just trying to help. So I would start calling rehabbers in your area to see if they can take it. Domestic mallards are marked in a certain way so that they can told apart from wild ones, so even though it seems like it would be easy for you to just say it's domestic if you're caught, it's not so simple.

You might want to take it out of your coop. Since it's wild, it could be carrying diseases that it could pass to your other ducks.

As far as care goes, it will need heat, a heat lamp will do it. Make sure it can get under it if it's cold but can move away from it too if it gets too hot. For food, you can feed it a chick starter that you can buy from a feed store. Make sure it has water to drink too. Don't let it swim however because it isn't producing its own oil and without mom to wipe oil on it it'll get soaked and chilled easily at this young age.

Thank you! I will look into the wildlife! And is there anyway I could keep it? Like a way to show it is domesticated or is that not possible?

 

[pekin12ducks]

Firstly, thank you for taking it in and giving it a shot. But to follow that up, you'll need to get it to a wildlife rehabber or rescue because it is illegal for you to have it. If you're caught with it you can face fines and I believe even jail time, even though you're just trying to help. So I would start calling rehabbers in your area to see if they can take it. Domestic mallards are marked in a certain way so that they can told apart from wild ones, so even though it seems like it would be easy for you to just say it's domestic if you're caught, it's not so simple.

You might want to take it out of your coop. Since it's wild, it could be carrying diseases that it could pass to your other ducks.

As far as care goes, it will need heat, a heat lamp will do it. Make sure it can get under it if it's cold but can move away from it too if it gets too hot. For food, you can feed it a chick starter that you can buy from a feed store. Make sure it has water to drink too. Don't let it swim however because it isn't producing its own oil and without mom to wipe oil on it it'll get soaked and chilled easily at this young age.

And also I have it so my ducks can't have any contact with the baby duckling they can only hear but they can't touch it at all, so I made sure they wouldn't get any diseases the baby might have had

 

[Pyxis]

Thank you! I will look into the wildlife! And is there anyway I could keep it? Like a way to show it is domesticated or is that not possible?

No, that would be illegal because it is not domesticated. If you've fallen in love with the breed though you could order yourself some domestic mallards

 

[Pyxis]

And also I have it so my ducks can't have any contact with the baby duckling they can only hear but they can't touch it at all, so I made sure they wouldn't get any diseases the baby might have had

Just because they can't touch doesn't mean diseases won't be spread. Some are airborne, and diseases are easily passed on fomites like feeders, waterers, your hands, your clothes, your shoes etc.

 

[pekin12ducks]

Just because they can't touch doesn't mean diseases won't be spread. Some are airborne, and diseases are easily passed on fomites like feeders, waterers, your hands, your clothes, your shoes etc.

Ok great, thank you so much for the help! I will be calling wildlife tomorrow!