Abandoned ducklings...What to do? *pic added!!!

[QuackerJackFarms]

In any case Mama is gone. Was she hiding? No, she wasn't. She was either killed or she was killed. She would NOT have left them... period.

But the question that remains now is what to do with them, and the answer is to call whatever conservation organization is in your state.

If it were me I would keep them

but not if you don't know what you're doing. (I mean that in a nice way.)


And as a side note: THEY ARE SO PRECIOUS!!!

Those are just my thoughts. Keep us updated on the little peeps.

 

[desertdarlene]

You shouldn't get into any trouble for just picking them up and keeping them long enough to find a person licensed to handle them. I've had to pick up ducklings before, too.

 

[THunter]

I'd throw them out.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

Quote:
I'm sorry to those who disagree, but I'm with Clint on this one.
I too have dealt with migratory waterfowl my entire life, both captive raised and in the wild. These hens will defend their young yes, to an extent. but they'll bail on them in a hurry too if they feel the need such as a predator or a human getting too close.


I also agree 100% with the medicated feed is a myth on waterfowl. That was started decades ago when we used harsh med in the fed. Todays feed is 100% safe for all waterfowl.
You can use it, or you can let your ducks get coccidia. I have raised virtually 90% of all the captive species of migratory waterfowl out there over the years, everything I have ever hatched has been on 100% medicated feed. Those that tell you they lost all their to it, well they may have lost them but it was from disease or something not the feed I assure you of that.

for the post saying you cant get in trouble for picking them up. Well that's a myth too, you are not under and circumstances allowed to remove any animal from the wild, period.
If you see an animal in need you are supposed to contact you local US Fish and Wild Life Service or Dept of Natural Resources. If they permit you to, then you may remove them and carry the directlt to the closest atorized rehab facility. Removal of healthy un injured birds will get you in trouble too though.
Removing birds, especially migratory waterfowl is illegal under and conditions other than hunting.
There are a couple thread like this going on now and 75% of the folks keep telling the OP just to keep them, or it'll be fine etc etc.

well folks yall are going to end up getting the people in a lot of trouble, the Feds regulate migratory waterfowl, so it will be them that gets you.
They dont care if you knew or not about the laws. Our local Game Warden has a sign on the side of his truck door that says
"it's a good thing for you that ignorance isnt painful"

cause that's all they ever hear, people playing dumb on them. The law is the law, it is our responsibility to know it. At this point in this thread, everyone who has read it now knows it, so.... My advise is dump them back where you got them, or call you local DNR and turn them in. Things have a way of getting out, and before long if you keep them, trust me, a local Game Warden will be knocking on your door.

Do I think this is fair, no not really, but I do agree with some of the reasons why they do this.
Like I told the fellow in the other thread, one of the reasons they do not allow this is my main area of agreeance with the law, spread of disease to wild flocks.

Our captive poultry are riddled with various diseases. From centuries of keeping them in close quarters, most have become immune or just out right resistant to most of them.
Wild fowl on the other hand are, well wild and out in the open. They are not in mass communities in close quarters like or domestic fowl are, therefore have never been exposed to a lot of these ailments.
Now here comes the problem.
you collect your own birds from the wild with the best of intentions. Think it's a good idea to house them with or near various domestic stock. Hey they seem healthy (you didnt know they were carriers) Now these birds with no immunity are exposed, you later want to do the right thing and turn them back in the wild, you did your good deed, or they just escape on their own. Where do these new sick birds go, right back to the rivers and lakes where all the other wild waterfowl are.

Now your good deed have possibly infected the entire flock of native wild birds.
Sound far fetched? well really it's not.
This is why the US Fish and Wild Life Service would rather a few birds die of natural causes than allow a free for all with people "doing good in the eyes"
Government , good - bad, everyone has their opinions, but some times they are there to protect us from ourselves. They dont just make wildlife protection laws on a whim, there are countless biologist and researchers behind every law passed. We may not agree with them all, but they are in fact there for the protection of the species, from who, US!

 

[desertdarlene]

The wildlife rehabber I dealt with definitely said that you do not get into any trouble for bringing in sick or injured wildlife to their facility. In fact, they encourage you to do so as long as it's done in good faith. From what I've read in the law, it says that you are allowed to possess wildlife for the amount of time it takes to get it to a proper licensed facility for treatment (usually within 2 or 3 days). I have personal experience with this, even left my name, address and phone number with the facility and haven't had anyone fine me for anything, yet. If I felt that it was worth my time, I would track down that law for the people who would want me to.

I haven't heard of a single person getting into trouble for bringing in an animal to a licensed facility.

 

[KansasKid]

Quote:
I think BBB was stating a broad fact of it being illegal to acquire any wild animal of any kind (fish, salamanders, small mammals, birds) from the "wild" not that it was strictly illegal to take them straight to a rehabber with honest intentions.

on a side note, i'm not being rude or anything but for future reference to all readers of this thread if someone could come up with the fine print on illegally/legally taking them to the rehabber it would probably beneficial.

 

[StevenW.]

So if we find wild ducklings and no mom, we are just spose to leave them to die? That's just down right disgusting.

This is why I prefer Animals over humans.

 

[KansasKid]

Well when you put it that way...

it would be better to stay back and observe them from a distance to see if they rejoin their hiding mother before take any action.

 

[Boggy Bottom Bantams]

that's right Kansaskid

Wasnt saying they cant be taken to a facility, but yes to take them home with you yep that is illegal without knowing what to do with them, or penning them especially.

And yes, before you decide that they are abandoned, you must watch them for a long time to be sure, some times the mother is just off some where else, they do it more often than you may think.
Yes this is the primary reason why they want us to CALL them and let THEM remove the animal.

Case in point, back when I raised migratory waterfowl. I came home one evening, was feeding up and all and noticed an odd shape in one of my concrete ponds, couldnt quite make it out cause the water was stirred up.

Walked over to the edge and it was a dang 9 foot gator. Some of the ducks flew over to the pond and it killed the crap out of them and ate them.

Well having endangered species of waterfowl in the pond and to protect my own animals, I went and shot the thing. Knowing this was illegal then, I called my buddy who was a nuisance gator trapper for the DNR, he sells them after he removes them so figured I would help him out.... boy I was glad he was a friend...even under those circumstances they crawled my butt about it.
I was supposed to call the local DNR station, file a report, they'd contact him
he'd contact me, and make an appointment to come out and kill it...... bunch of red tape for the same end result.

I know that has nothing to do with the topic at hand but it shows how the system works.
You have to do it their way.
If you personally remove animals from the wild, arrangements need to be in place for direct transport to a rehab facility.

I am only saying all this because I see SO many threads every year from people doing this and not realizing how much trouble you can get into for thinking you are doing the right thing.

To the post above, yes you are supposed to leave them contact the local Game officials and let them Handel it. Unless you hold a permit to move them, YES you can get in trouble.
I will try to find the link on the USFWS site for yall

 

[bufforp89]

hate to get off topic but why is it that baby wood ducks are so much harder to keep/feed then regular baby ducks? Do they just not take to comercial feed?

I agree that you should turn them in to a rehabber or whom ever. Better to have an expert who knows what they are doing raise them them take a risk.