Hi Everyone, I’d really appreciate your thoughts, especially those who have Mallards.
My son recently rescued a mallard duckling that jump onto the road in front of his lorry. Thankfully he didn’t run him over. He was around a day old, very cold and wet and mummy duck was no whether to be found. The river was close by and I think they were long gone by that point. Now we’ve no idea why he was on his own, he could have been a late hatcher or for some reason Mummy left him. My son put him in his shirt to warm up and brought him home to me. I got my duckling rearing equipment out of the attic and set to work looking after him. I wasn’t sure if he’d see the night out but he did and over the next day with some coaxing I got him eating and drinking. We called him Coco.
i know ducks are social creatures so managed to track down a duck farm that had ducklings for sale, so we brought him a friend who we called Cornflake. She is older than him by five days and a different breed, a khaki Campbell, Cherry Valley cross. She’s going to be a much bigger duck, but they are very close to each other.
The first week they were on chick crumb as I had to send off for the organic duckling crumb they are on now. This is Allen and Page, a really good make. I am in the process of changing over to duck grower/finisher pellets as Coco is coming up to 4 weeks and Cornflake 5 weeks. Currently have have both. They have access to duckling food and water all the time.They do have treats a couple of times a day to help with the niacin, such as peas, and dried mealworm in water. They also have sweetcorn and watermelon, which they love. But they are mostly eating their duck food.
I have a run in my garden where they spend the day if it’s nice, getting used to my other ducks and eating the grass. If it’s cold they stay with me in the kitchen, whilst I work. They are both growing, appear very happy and contented and are eating and drinking well.
But I’ve noticed that Coco seems to sit down as soon as they stop walking around where as Cornflake stands there. Don’t get me wrong, Coco can stand and does but not as much. He’ll happily stand still and preen his feathers after a paddle. I’ve checked him over, he appears healthy, he's not got brumble foot and his legs are straight. He can run around when he wants to, just seems to prefer sitting down on the grass or sitting in his mini pond. He’s active and chatty enough, they usually sleep the same time. He doesn’t appear to be ill.
Ive not had a mallard before, and my last ducklings were eight years ago now and all the same age. They acted the same way and I can’t remember if they sat down a lot at that age. There is an age difference, as well as a breed difference, between Coco and Cornflake so I’m not sure if he just gets tired quicker than she does as he’s younger. Or maybe Mallards do sit down a lot, he’s certainly much calmer and laid back in nature.
I don’t think this is a niacin deficiency issue as it’s only the little duckling that sits down a lot and they are honestly eating well. I have no idea why mummy duck left him, maybe she knew something we didn’t but he is growing well and his feathers are coming through beautifully. I could be worrying over nothing here, and It’s perfectly natural that he sits down when he stops. He’s just a different breed of duck to the domesticated ones. He is a wild duck after all.
I would appreciate anyone‘sthoughts on the matter, even if it’s just a bit of reassurance. Am I over thinking this and worrying over nothing. Am I doing something wrong that effects him and not her? I’m totally in love with both of them, but he loves a cuddle and is so calm. I’m worried I’m missing something and I will lose him.
My son recently rescued a mallard duckling that jump onto the road in front of his lorry. Thankfully he didn’t run him over. He was around a day old, very cold and wet and mummy duck was no whether to be found. The river was close by and I think they were long gone by that point. Now we’ve no idea why he was on his own, he could have been a late hatcher or for some reason Mummy left him. My son put him in his shirt to warm up and brought him home to me. I got my duckling rearing equipment out of the attic and set to work looking after him. I wasn’t sure if he’d see the night out but he did and over the next day with some coaxing I got him eating and drinking. We called him Coco.
i know ducks are social creatures so managed to track down a duck farm that had ducklings for sale, so we brought him a friend who we called Cornflake. She is older than him by five days and a different breed, a khaki Campbell, Cherry Valley cross. She’s going to be a much bigger duck, but they are very close to each other.
The first week they were on chick crumb as I had to send off for the organic duckling crumb they are on now. This is Allen and Page, a really good make. I am in the process of changing over to duck grower/finisher pellets as Coco is coming up to 4 weeks and Cornflake 5 weeks. Currently have have both. They have access to duckling food and water all the time.They do have treats a couple of times a day to help with the niacin, such as peas, and dried mealworm in water. They also have sweetcorn and watermelon, which they love. But they are mostly eating their duck food.
I have a run in my garden where they spend the day if it’s nice, getting used to my other ducks and eating the grass. If it’s cold they stay with me in the kitchen, whilst I work. They are both growing, appear very happy and contented and are eating and drinking well.
But I’ve noticed that Coco seems to sit down as soon as they stop walking around where as Cornflake stands there. Don’t get me wrong, Coco can stand and does but not as much. He’ll happily stand still and preen his feathers after a paddle. I’ve checked him over, he appears healthy, he's not got brumble foot and his legs are straight. He can run around when he wants to, just seems to prefer sitting down on the grass or sitting in his mini pond. He’s active and chatty enough, they usually sleep the same time. He doesn’t appear to be ill.
Ive not had a mallard before, and my last ducklings were eight years ago now and all the same age. They acted the same way and I can’t remember if they sat down a lot at that age. There is an age difference, as well as a breed difference, between Coco and Cornflake so I’m not sure if he just gets tired quicker than she does as he’s younger. Or maybe Mallards do sit down a lot, he’s certainly much calmer and laid back in nature.
I don’t think this is a niacin deficiency issue as it’s only the little duckling that sits down a lot and they are honestly eating well. I have no idea why mummy duck left him, maybe she knew something we didn’t but he is growing well and his feathers are coming through beautifully. I could be worrying over nothing here, and It’s perfectly natural that he sits down when he stops. He’s just a different breed of duck to the domesticated ones. He is a wild duck after all.
I would appreciate anyone‘sthoughts on the matter, even if it’s just a bit of reassurance. Am I over thinking this and worrying over nothing. Am I doing something wrong that effects him and not her? I’m totally in love with both of them, but he loves a cuddle and is so calm. I’m worried I’m missing something and I will lose him.
)
