Glad I found this forum

[flgardengirl]

I am glad I found this forum. I have been trying to identify some 'wild' ducks that I've seen around town here. They go from a gas station on a fairly busy street to the ditch and across another fairly busy street to a retention pond. They beg food at a gas station and I've seen people feeding them. Last spring they had several babies with them and they seem to do okay. I have identified them as Muscovy ducks. They sure are strange looking but delightful. I am assuming these are domesticated ducks that just got out from somebody's yard? Or are there truly wild types? Just curious and fascinated

~Lenette

 

[nettie]

What do they look like?

 

[flgardengirl]

Like these http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=muscovy+ducks&sp=1&fr2=tab-web&SpellState=n-75582486_q-npuelYHx2exLr2yfS1YPpgAAAA@@fr=slv8-tyc8
Alot of them have quite a bit of black in thier feathering. They have the red bumpy looking skin around thier eyes and bill. I will try to get some pics next time I see them.

 

[rainplace]

you're in Florida. I just got back from visiting my family down there and I was surprised with how many muscovies are running around. Every pond I went to had huge flock of them. No wonder they are cracking down on them in Florida!

 

[eggybritches]

I'm from Florida and I always assumed they were wild, too. Scovies are the only ducks I've ever really SEEN, other than the ducks that live out in the ocean.

What are they cracking down on?

 

[horsejody]

Feral is probably a better description than wild. I think that you should make a duck enclosure in your yard and adopt a few. Then you can build a coop and keep chickens too. Pretty soon you find yourself constantly on this site, and we will welcome you to the dark side.

 

[eggybritches]

^ She speaks the truth.

 

[LoreenH]

Quote:
Don't you mean the duck side?

 

[horsejody]

Quote:
Don't you mean the duck side?

Yeah! That too!

 

[flgardengirl]

I got some pics on my cell phone today when I saw them on my way to the bank. It was raining and they were all by the side of the road splashing around in the ditch. They aren't afraid of you but kinda shied away from me and my camera a little. I bet if I had brought food it would of been a different story but I didn't expect to see them on that road

I will upload them as soon as I figure out how lol. One of them had some green on his back feathers like maybe he was mixed with something else. The rest of him looked exactly like muscovey. There were 6 of them there and then a ways down further, I saw several more.

I would love to adopt some. I didn't know if I could just take them or if they are wild. I would never take a wild animal that is protected~ I don't wanna go to jail LOL!!
They are sweet ducks and seem happy, I just wonder how many get killed by stray dogs, eagles (we have them here), foxes, etc. It seems like they would get hit by cars too although I haven't seen any roadkill ducks. There are always dead oppossums that get hit by cars. Most people seem to slow down for the ducks and let them cross the road, but the streets are busy and I know some people can be mean. When I was taking pictures of them at least 20 cars went by and it is only a small side street. They usually hang out a few streets down on a busier one. It goes into a main street that has thousands of cars on it.

I already have the chickens lol and some eggs to incubate. We used to raise ducks but haven't had them in 5 yrs or so. I had never seen a muscovy. Before, we had runner ducks and a few pure white ducks not sure what breed.