Are wild ducks a safety concern?

[elliefeather]

I'm still in the planning phase of duck ownership, and I feel like I have a thousand questions!

We have a small pond on the property, and I had planned to build the duck house a little ways away, about halfway between my house and the pond. We've had a ton of rain this past week, and the other day I saw a pair of mallards, and the next day I saw a group of ten or so on the pond! I'd never seen them before, and haven't since.

Do wild ducks pose a health risk to domestic ducks?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Wild waterfowl are prime candidates for spreading avian influenza - so, yes, there is some risk associated with them mingling with your potential domestic flock. Some domestic flocks are more inclined to share their area than others, you may find that once you have your ducks established in the area as their territory they will not welcome any potential visitors of the wild type -- if wild birds do become an issue you can address it at that point.

 

[elliefeather]

It's a pretty small pond, I think the wild ducks are usually at the neighbor's much larger two ponds, if they weren't just moving on through.

Should I be worried about any contaminates in the water, or just encourage them to move on if I see them again?