Ducklings Adopted Us

[CarleneAltom]

Clip their wings ONLY if you plan on keeping them in a coop full time. Mine are Mallards that I bought from the feed store in East Texas. They stayed protected until they could fly. They free range with my chickens, but they like to sleep on my porch at night. They fly everyday at sunrise and sunset and always come back. We got lucky and have one of each sex, so they won't be flying off looking for a mate, food or water... It's all here. Please, don't clip the wings. It's the only defense they have. Only 1/2 of their brain sleeps at one time and the other 1/2 ( and one eye) stays alert for danger. I'm 100% against those who buy breeds (not your case, you rescued) meant to fly and they clip them. There are way too many domestic ones that can't fly naturally to pick from! They will imprint on you and your home. Mine are so attached to the house, we have 5 ponds (3 just yards away from the house) and they won't go in them. They fly to it, only if I'm there fishing, may take a drink, but won't get in. I bought them to keep the ponds clean.

They like their water dish and sleep in it. I posted them on my FB page flying this morning and coming back. It's so rewarding to watch. I did not handle them when they were babies and they have free ranged Since they were 8 weeks old, just to insure they could make it on their own incase they did fly off. I kept food out for them at 1st, but they had no interest in it once they started to free range. That was hard because I wanted to hold them so bad.. But had to do what's best for them. They are almost 5 months old. They nibble all over me, but won't let me pet them and they won't let the dogs around me. It sounds like what you described.. Someone dumped a ton of freaking ducks off in your area. 1 is a Mallard, the other 2.. I'm clueless. Nobody is going to call the duck police because of 1 rescued mallard, don't let that scare you... (Can you just imagine that call. Good grief, it's not a flock Lol. It would have to be your own friends and family that turned you in for rescuing. It's just not something to worry about., especially since there are no rehabilitation folks around you. Good luck! I hope this helped. It's a beautiful thing to experience

 

[Pyxis]

I just wanted to go ahead and voice my disagreement with the poster above and say that you do have to clip them if you're keeping them in a free range situation. They will fly away and not come back. It's just a matter of time before they fly too far away one day and aren't able to find their way back, or get taken by predators while they are away. I had a pair of mallards of my own and learned this the hard way when they flew off one day, never to return. First the male and then the female. Either they got eaten while they were away doing whatever, or they got lost and couldn't find their way back. You can find a hundred similar stories right here on this site alone. I also had fully flighted muscovies for a little while whose wings I didn't want to clip - until half of them flew out of the pen, into the road, and got hit by cars.

So please do clip them. Ask breeders of any flighted duck breed (calls, muscovies, etc) and they will tell you the same thing. It doesn't matter that they have food and water and mates available. Some day a predator or something is going to scare them and they are going to panic, fly away, and not be able to find their way back.

 

[Ravynscroft]

First and foremost I just want to say, you did the right thing... wild or domestic ducks hatched by a broody mama imprint and bond in minutes... as soon as they dry, they know who is safe... from the way they followed you and your children to safety, I'm very positive those were hatched by someone and they either didn't want extras or thought the wild ducks would 'adopt' them... either way, that would be exceptionally odd behavior for young ducklings to be able to recognize people as safe...

Also, one is a grey (mallard color) and the other 2 *I think* are blue fawn (blue mallard)... not typical mallard coloring...

As for wing clipping, I am a Call duck breeder and yes, I advocate clipping as well... unless you keep them in a secure duck house with a secured run/flight run or a special built aviary, then for their own protection it is best to clip their wings... not because they might 'fly off' but because they might fly into the wrong area or at the wrong time... I learned the hard way... I lost 1 young drake when he got startled at dusk going into their pen and he flew up right into an owls grasp... a 2nd young duck who hadn't learned full control that flew down into the valley below us and right into a mated pair of hawks territory... she got dropped instantly... those were very hard and tough lessons to learn... and while I adore watching them fly as should, as domestic animals it's our responsibility to keep them safe... we have to make the tough choices for them because they are not wild and instincts only go so far...

Btw, mallards bought from hatcheries or feed stores are not the same as wild bred mallards... they are a domestic mallard...

 

[Lilki]

I'm so sorry about the flooding. That's awful! I hope the clean up goes well.

I just wanted to chime in my experience rescuing wild ducks. A few months ago we rescued two baby mallards (like the dark one) and they definitely did not follow us around. They were about two days old when we found them and, poor souls, they peeped and peeped for their dead mom. We took them to a rehabber, since it's illegal to keep them here.

 

[baccalynnwv]

I'm so sorry about the flooding. That's awful! I hope the clean up goes well.

I just wanted to chime in my experience rescuing wild ducks. A few months ago we rescued two baby mallards (like the dark one) and they definitely did not follow us around. They were about two days old when we found them and, poor souls, they peeped and peeped for their dead mom. We took them to a rehabber, since it's illegal to keep them here.

Thanks. It is very strange how friendly there are. I couldn't believe it when my kids said they were swimming with them and then they followed us down the river going home. I'm thinking they were part of a mass drop off. So sad...

 

[baccalynnwv]

Here is the video of the ducklings following us down the river. I finally figured out how to upload it. At this point we had probably walked 25 feet or so from our swimming hole. They scrambled along the river and then climbed the bank. You can kinda see the river and bank behind them. It was really steep!



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[Ravynscroft]

Here is the video of the ducklings following us down the river. I finally figured out how to upload it. At this point we had probably walked 25 feet or so from our swimming hole. They scrambled along the river and then climbed the bank. You can kinda see the river and bank behind them. It was really steep!



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I say definitely not wild bred! The loud peeping cry stopped and went right to comfortable peeping as soon as they heard your voice... between that and them following you like that it sure looks like they were domestically hatched...

Good call on rescuing them!

 

[Pyxis]

Yep, definitely seems like they were dumped domestics, maybe domestic mallards. I'm glad you took them in