Found baby ducklings without mother! Help!

[BirdieLove]

Hi I'm new here! Alright so I just became a mom to TEN ducklings. I found them at a water company and I've seen them out multiples times today with no mom in sight at all so something must have happened to her. I had a duck when I was younger that I raised up but I don't remember much about it. I'll show you the cage they're in tomorrow but I just need to know some basics on what to do, can I tell their age at all, what age is safe to release them, and how big of a cage do they need to be in? Right now they aren't in a very big cage but I can't spend alot of money cause I just wanted to save them and raise them till they can be let go in a pond near me that has alot of ducks that live in it. Sorry for such a long post! Thanks for any info!

Oh and also what is the hottest temp they can be kept in? I live in FL so during the day it gets in the 90's.Is that too hot?

This is all of them.

 

[DuckCommander]

Make sure you get a heat lamp for them. They will die without! I normally let them go once they are feathered up! I know someone on here had posted how much space they need!

 

[Going Quackers]

I'd read through this...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

Any animal rehabs around you could speak with??? i swear those look like Muscovy, those are feral in Florida aren't they??

 

[BirdieLove]

I'd read through this...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

Any animal rehabs around you could speak with??? i swear those look like Muscovy, those are feral in Florida aren't they??

I don't think there's any animal rehabs near me. And I have no idea lol I tried to look up what they could be and I figured out they might be mallards but I'm sure you know better than me.

Are they okay in a garage with temp in the 90s though? that's a big concern with me cause I just don't want them to get too hot out there.

 

[Speceider]

Those look like Class 1-III wood duck ducklings....this late, the hen probably is molting which is why you do not see her. The ducklings are certainly able to fend for themselves at this age. Hope you know how to work with wood ducks...also....it is illegal to capture wood duck ducklings.

Clint

 

[Going Quackers]

I don't think there's any animal rehabs near me. And I have no idea lol I tried to look up what they could be and I figured out they might be mallards but I'm sure you know better than me.

Are they okay in a garage with temp in the 90s though? that's a big concern with me cause I just don't want them to get too hot out there.

I would think so, make sure they have water, they don't look like mallards to me. Not even sure on the wood ducks, as i have had Muscovy who look just like that but i don't know every duck breed out there lol

Read through the care and keeping of duckings link i gave, it'll help.

 

[BirdieLove]

So from what most of yall are saying, should I just let them go? I don't want them to become tame and not know how to find food on they're own and stuff but I wanna make sure they're old enough to fend for themself.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Clint???

(The eye stripe distinguishes these ducklings from my Rouens, correct?)-- Not trying to hijack but I am curious.

Oh I do believe 90-95'F temp would be appropriate for 1 wk old ducklings or younger. So you are right to be concerned about overheating.

 

[Miss Lydia]

if your temps are in the 90's I don't think you need a heat lamp. and they do look like Muscovy ducklings but Muscovy ducklings can look like Mallard duckling when that young so hard to know but I would have done the same thing I couldn't have left them without their mama to protect them. another reson I am thinking Muscovy is there is a lighter colored one in the bunch which if mallard or wood duckling would be there.

 

[Speceider]

Those look nothing like mallard ducklings....color, eye stripe, and bill shape all say wood duck. Size and down quality say class 1-III ducklings. (BTW, that's how biologists field-age ducklings, Class 1, 2, and 3, and subclasses based on physical characterics....that would suggest those ducklings are 14-21 days, they fledge at about 35-40).

Clint