Duck question

[JudyK]

I live on a lake and we've been in a drought so our lake is low and we have more birds than normal during winter. When I came home today, I saw a white duck with a male mallard and four brown babies. Is this normal? We had a flock of mallards earlier but when the weather stayed warm they left. No one on the lake has ducks because of gators. It sure seemed strange.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I live on a lake and we've been in a drought so our lake is low and we have more birds than normal during winter. When I came home today, I saw a white duck with a male mallard and four brown babies. Is this normal? We had a flock of mallards earlier but when the weather stayed warm they left. No one on the lake has ducks because of gators. It sure seemed strange.

Wild ducks do mate with domestic ducks, could the white duck been a white mallard? either it is a white mallard or a drake has taken up with a domestic, but most domestics don't fly very well unless Muscovies or calls.

 

[JudyK]

I never knew there were white mallards, but you could be right. I just assumed since it was all white with a yellow beak, that it was a domestic duck. Obviously, I know little about ducks. They must of had the babies and couldn't leave with the rest of the mallards. Thank you for your info.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I never knew there were white mallards, but you could be right. I just assumed since it was all white with a yellow beak, that it was a domestic duck. Obviously, I know little about ducks. They must of had the babies and couldn't leave with the rest of the mallards. Thank you for your info.

I just looked White mallard ducks up, I have read on BYC of people talking about them but never saw one in person..


http://www.google.com/search?q=Whit...OPMulsQLzoemOBw&ved=0CEgQsAQ&biw=1152&bih=531

 

[JudyK]

They started moving up into the yard and my husband threw them some bread.

 

[chics in the sun]

That sure looks like a Pekin to me! Lol. That is a Mallard Drake that appriciates the bigger girls..... How adorble. And how on earth did all the babies come out black?

 

[Miss Lydia]

They started moving up into the yard and my husband threw them some bread.

That maybe a Pekin and since she can't fly they are stuck there.

 

[chics in the sun]

Do you think he knew that when she caught his eye? Or did they have a big duck argument about him not going on his anual trip to Canada this year? "Don't you dare take off and leave me with all these babies!"

 

[EmAbTo48]

Lol ahh sure is a cute odd family! Hope your able to keep them safe, watered and fed ! Because she isn't going anywhere! I also wonder if the mallard might be clipped and they both were pet ducks that som onee dropped off???

 

[desertdarlene]

I think they might have been dropped off. For one, that's a Pekin and, two, the babies are too dark to be Pekin-mallard hybrids. Pekin-mallard ducklings look similar to mallard ducklings, but may be more oddly shaped or lighter brown. Sometimes, they get a yellow one or two. So, I don't think the mallard is the daddy. Also, one of the ducklings is crested which makes me more suspicious. She might have been someone's pet and mated to a cayuga or runner and then either escaped or were dropped off where you live.

Is it possible you can take them in and house them?

ETA: Mother ducks can actually travel a very long way with their ducklings. It's amazing sometimes. She might have been owned by someone a few miles down the road or across the lake.