help! important question!

[Duck mommy 2019]

ok so we have a pond near our house... every year we have to rescue a few ducklings that get abandoned or get injured (these ducklings would die otherwise) so my question is, is it ok for us to be doing this? most times the rehabilitations centers will be full or can’t take them in for some reason or another. we always release them (we never handle the ducklings so they stay wild and we teach them how to find their own food before releasing them) and every year they return with babies of their own! so my question is, even though it’s illegal to keep wild ducks but is it ok to keep them until they are fully feathered and capable of taking care of themselves and then releasing them (the ones we help always migrate with the other ducks in the pond) ?????? thank you all

 

[ChickNanny13]

Good question, you may want to ask the Rehab Center that question. Personally, I don't see anything wrong but some may say "let Nature take it's course"

 

[Quackter]

Call your DNR or whoever regulates in your state. Most would either tell you where to take them or write you a slip to keep them. You don't want to run a fowl of some migratory bird statute, they can be pretty harsh. Most likely they'll be good with your good intentions, but still CYA, don't go calling in confessing to fell lawn e's. Actually, talk to an NGO shelter , or rescue group first, that are willing to help you navigate. If you're not sure about the legalities of something you done, don't post it. Just a suggestion, I'm not a mod or speaking for anybody.

 

[sylviethecochin]

What sort of ducks are they? If they're abandoned Cayugas, there's not even the beginning of a concern. If they're actual wild ducks, they're federally protected, and it's technically illegal for anyone but a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to be "in possession."

Most people ignore that. Some wildlife rehabilitators ignore that, as seen here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/10-baby-wood-ducks-1st-thought-they-were-mallards.1317993/

 

[LizzzyJo]

Yeah, it really depends on where you live. Where I live (out in the country) no one would think or care if I had wild ducks in my pond or on my property. Make sure they are a common breed, of course. Half the time the ducks here just 'move in' without asking permission or paying any rent at all! People make duck boxes for them on their ponds and life goes on.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

Yeah, it really depends on where you live. Where I live (out in the country) no one would think or care if I had wild ducks in my pond or on my property. Make sure they are a common breed, of course. Half the time the ducks here just 'move in' without asking permission or paying any rent at all! People make duck boxes for them on their ponds and life goes on.

everyone here loves the duckling, and our neighbor is fine with it since we let their kids play with our ducks!

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

What sort of ducks are they? If they're abandoned Cayugas, there's not even the beginning of a concern. If they're actual wild ducks, they're federally protected, and it's technically illegal for anyone but a licensed wildlife rehabilitator to be "in possession."

Most people ignore that. Some wildlife rehabilitators ignore that, as seen here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/10-baby-wood-ducks-1st-thought-they-were-mallards.1317993/

mallards, some adults that we never even handled are very friendly though so we believe some of them were dumped because their was a pekin as well (we rehomed him the first year as he wouldn’t have survived the winter because he didn’t allow us to pick him up and didnt get along with my pet ducks so we couldn’t keep him) but he was friends with the group of mallards so we believe they were dumped