Ducks Wandering the Yard - Advice Please!

[veronicasmom]

If you don't want her to fly off, clip her wings, or one wing, which will keep her off balance. She is too imprinted on you to release, that will probably not end well. If you google it, there will be some info on wing clipping. We have to do it to our domestic mallard and muscovies. It won't hurt if you cut the right feathers. Or someone on here might be able to give you instructions. My husband is in charge of that so I am not the best to instruct you on the finer points.

 

[Quackpot]

Serenity Rachel,

I like your advice. An animal rescue place here in the Grant County area threatened me, saying I should have a license to have a wild Mallard. The fact is, until it got old enough to figure it out through its feathering, and posting pictures in here, I really had no idea what kind of duck it was anyway. Where I live the nearest water is better than 2 miles from here (I measured the distance yesterday) and I have NEVER seen ANY wild ducks flying overhead, or anywhere near my house. The duckling that came to my house was maybe a day or two old judging by the duckling that was given to me to keep Ernie company, and, given the terrain around here, it seems unimaginable that the duck came from a wild nest.

The rescue center insisted the duck be released, regardless of my protestations that the duck was unable to fly yet, and had lived all but maybe a day or two in a pen with another domestic duck, and the company of humans every day. My second issue is that Ernie thinks my dogs and even my cat are her buddies. She has no idea that other animals - including humans - can be lethally dangerous.

Below is the yard (including damaged gate!!!) she came running across on June 26 this year. The others are views of the arroyo she had to cross to get here. Despite an exhaustive search using a large portable hunting light (I do not hunt, but it's very handy around here at night!!!) I saw no trace of any ducks, or anything else for that matter. There is NO water of any kind in the arroyo, and the nearest water that is not in people's swimming pools or coming out of a faucet is better than two miles away. I cannot see that I did a single thing wrong, apart from (apparently illegally) saving the life of a tiny baby duckling.

 

[Quackpot]

Veronica's Mom,

I will take them to the vet. We have the world's most wonderful vets right here in Silver City, NM. We do all we can to support them. These vets responded to a local online community posting by a young man whose pit bull puppy had a severe, life threatening abscess on her face. She could not eat or do anything else. Shelby and Britton Bradberry jumped right in there and took care of the dog, without charging the owner a red cent. Others of us in the community donated $10 here and $20 there to help cover the bill, but these guys were only interested in taking care of the dog. Seriously, the best veterinarians both in spirit and capabilities I have ever met. Taking Bert and Ernie will be my pleasure. Bet they won't think so though.

 

[SerenityRachel]

Personally, I think you did the right thing rescuing her and should keep her

 

[Quackpot]

Well, Ernie turned out to be a female Mallard, and she moved to a giant farm with ponds and tanks and lots of others ducks, geese, and what-have-you. Bert turned out to be a VERY big male Rouen drake, with an even bigger attitude. I just took the top picture with my phone, so it is very grainy. The bottom photos are of Ernie, and Ernie with her two best friends in the whole world. They spend all day together. Ernie, never a friendly duck, has also fallen in love with her chosen person - aptly named Bird. She follows Bird all over the place, and will even let Bird pick her up. She is a very spoiled pet duck with a wonderful home and mama. The one other photo is of Bert and Freckles - his new wife - together. Freckles was a mistreated duck who is now very spoiled and very happy to be here.

Bert is a bad boy. He will come inside every opportunity he gets; he terrorizes the dogs, and he thinks the yard is his personal domain. I love him to death, but I do worry about