Found Baby duck

[ZoeS95423]

So today, my little brother walked to my house through te woods and field from my parents. He called me and said there was a baby duck in the field on the trail behind my house, I told him to leave it, the mom would get it.
Approximately 2 hours later I told him he could take my dog on a golfcart ride, and the baby duck was still there running up and down the trail. It can't be any older than a day or 2. He brought it back to my house and I set it up in the brooder. I have experience raising ducklings , pheasants, and chickens. Never a wild duck though. I assume it is a mallard. Very tiny thing. I showed it the food and water, buy am unsure if its eating and drinking. I have alot of 3 week old chicks. But no other small ducklings, and I fear the chicks are also too big to be with it. I have been truing to find another baby duck or 2 to go with it but can't...
Any help would be appreciated, I know we probably should have just left it. I didn't expect him to bring it back and after he touched it and brought it back to the house I didn't know if the mom would take it. He couldn't find a mom or any other babies. I don't know much about wild ducks at all.

 

[Amiga]

I would contact a wildlife rehabber - preferably a waterfowl rehabber, as soon as possible. I have found them online.

It may be more likely to eat worms and bugs than starter crumbles.

If it is drinking, I would put something like poultry nutri-drench in to the water tonight.

 

[ZoeS95423]

I put vitamins in the water. The closest animal rehabilitation center is 4 hours from me.
I will call tomorrow, I can't make that trip anytime soon. Last time we called because our neighbor found a baby deer with the mother not around and it was injured. They wouldn't take it. The DEC wasn't help either.
If that's how they feel about a deer I can only imagine what they'll say about a duck.

 

[Amiga]

I think I understand. Glad you are trying to help the little one.

 

[ZoeS95423]

I am hoping tomorrow I can find some other babies. I have an outdoor brooder I want to move it to, with an indoor area with heat lamp, and an outdoor area with a roof and hardwire is what is used to make the pen, maybe it will do better out there with grass/ bugs?
Just crossing my fingers it survives till morning.

 

[fuzziecreatures]

id get it to a wildlife rehab. wood duck?

 

[nayeli]

I'm sure it will be fine. I would try putting two chicks in with it to give it some company. If either injures the other remove them but I have two ducklings and one of them has a broken leg, the other duck sometimes is rough with her so I put her in "isolation" with a more laid back chick for company. It kept her calm and happy =)

Ducks are social creatures.

 

[nayeli]

.... also seeing the chick eat and drink the duckling will probably follow suit. When I introduce a new food the ducks usually try it first and the chicks soon follow, but the brave one is copied by the others =)

so the chick can teach the duckling.

 

[ZoeS95423]

Fuzziecreatures I am about 4 hours away from the nearest rehabber. I do not have time to drive all that way, and last time we called them a few years ago they weren't concerned.

That's what I thought, that yhr chicks will teach it. I've always had ducklings and other babies for the past 5 years, but never a wild one.
It is still alive this morning and has a good amount of energy! I am going to tty putting some chicks in with it. I have a "cackle hatchery surprise" bunch of chicks, so I'll find 2 of the smaller ones.

 

[Fancychooklady]

This is the story of the duckling that I found.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-disney-gang