Are all Mallards toe clipped or banded at the hatcheries?

[daisygirlfp]

Hello all,

We have 12 ducklings that we purchased from Tractor Supply and the folks there have no idea if they are selling Rouens or Mallards. Maybe somebody here knows if all mallard chicks are marked in some way at the hatchery to comply with federal wildlife laws. I know the hatcheries we usually use mark all mallards by toe clipping (back right toe) or banding but the TSC folks aren't helping with any information on this.

Thanks for any help you can give us.

daisygirlfp

 

[MeepBeep]

Hello all,  

We have 12 ducklings that we purchased from Tractor Supply and the folks there have no idea if they are selling Rouens or Mallards.  Maybe somebody here knows if all mallard chicks are marked in some way at the hatchery to comply with federal wildlife laws.  I know the hatcheries we usually use mark all mallards by toe clipping (back right toe) or banding but the TSC folks aren't helping with any information on this.

Thanks for any help you can give us.

daisygirlfp

Call (or probably better) visit your local TSC and find someone knowledgeable about what hatchery they are using for 'chick days' this year and they should be able to tell you what hatchery they used for their chicks... It's generally not a secret and can be found on their paperwork or even on the displays occasionally, but they don't go out of their way to advertise but will almost always provide you with the info if you ask... Once you have the hatchery info call the actual hatchery to get real answers... Make sure you contact your store, to the best of my knowledge they contract several hatcheries across the US depending on the region...

 

[daisygirlfp]

Thanks Meep Beep,

I did ask and even the store manager was mums the word and said they get ducklings from different hatcheries but declined to give me the name of the hatchery because he said he couldn't tell which specific hatcheries specific ducks come from. He was really weird so I emailed the company (corporate) and got an email saying that I would need to take the ducklings to a veterinarian to have them toe clipped. Not the info I asked for or needed.
Maybe every TSC is different.

I'll go back and try again. I really am nice and professional but think maybe because I mentioned state wildlife regulations he got nervous.

I really just wanted to find out from this forum if mallards are always toe clipped or identified with bands as being mallards or if some hatcheries don't specifically mark mallards. Now I'm just interested and will probably just check on a lot of different hatchery sites. I know Metzgers marks their mallards.

Thanks! Daisygirlfp

 

[daisygirlfp]

I live near a marsh and want to make sure I am compliant with regulations regarding mallards (if my ducks are mallards.)

Here is a link the federal wildlife rules concerning mallards.

http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-9.pdf

 

[lomine]

They are supposed to be marked or altered in some way to differentiate them from wild born Mallards.

Rouens normally have two stripes over their eyes while Mallards just have one. Though sometimes it isn't the case. A Mallard duckling will also be much smaller. Where there other ducklings there? Were the ones you picked the same size as them?

 

[cymbaline]

I've had five mallards, some from TSC and some rescued from being dumped at the lake that I'm told came from a pet shop, and none of them were marked in any way. Size would probably be the easiest and most reliable way to tell the difference. Mallards grow up to be 2.5-3.5 lbs and Rouens can be double to triple that, so even at an early age they are noticeably smaller.

 

[daisygirlfp]

Hi all, They were mixed ages in a trough and I got the older bigger ones. Thanks for the two stripes info, maybe mine are Rouens because they mostly have a broken double dark eye stripe. Regardless they are quite fun and leap out of the swimming pool to say hello when I come into the garage. Still working on finding out if TSC mallard ducklings would be marked.

 

[cymbaline]

Still working on finding out if TSC mallard ducklings would be marked.

I'm surprised they can't/won't tell you which hatchery they came from. I've asked my local TSC on two different occasions and both times they happily gave me full contact info for the one they were using that year (one year it was Murray McMurray, this year I think they said Hoover's).

 

[MeepBeep]

  Still working on finding out if TSC mallard ducklings would be marked.

I'm surprised they can't/won't tell you which hatchery they came from. I've asked my local TSC on two different occasions and both times they happily gave me full contact info for the one they were using that year (one year it was Murray McMurray, this year I think they said Hoover's).

I agree, never had even the smallest amount of problem getting the hatchery name from TSC or other local farm stores when I ask...

 

[daisygirlfp]

Good morning, Thanks to your help I think they are Rouens. We are going back to TSC to get feed today so I will try once again to see if the manager won't say which hatcheries they use. Maybe he thought I wanted to know which hatchery specific ducks came from and couldn't answer so this time I will just ask for which hatcheries they are using this season.