Help with mallards

[shawluvsbirds]

Also.. I might add,
I don't know where you live but where I am you are actually supposed to have a license to keep mallards. It is actually against the law to take eggs from wild mallard nests or to interfere with them in any way. If you own "domestic" mallards
They're supposed to be banded and there are guidelines you are supposed to follow in regards to when they can be freely roaming around.
It may or may not be a big deal where you live but it's something you might want to check into.

 

[Cecisflock]

Some have said to clip their wings which I would hate to do but I am worried they will fly away and not survive on their own

clip them and get them q covered run if you truly want them to live a healthy, happy life.

Also.. I might add,
I don't know where you live but where I am you are actually supposed to have a license to keep mallards. It is actually against the law to take eggs from wild mallard nests or to interfere with them in any way. If you own "domestic" mallards
They're supposed to be banded and there are guidelines you are supposed to follow in regards to when they can be freely roaming around.
It may or may not be a big deal where you live but it's something you might want to check into.

x2

 

[Nana of the ducks]

Clipping wings isn't the worst thing in the world in my opinion.
With my call ducks if I have them in an area that does not have a covered run I clip their wings.
I prefer to do both sides evenly so they can still get off the ground just a little bit they just can't get a lot of lift.
And remember they will molt those feathers and their flights will come back so it isn't permanant.
It all just comes down to what's best for your situation.
For mine getting over in a neighbor's yard with dogs or out in the road or on the train tracks it would be more dangerous to let them fly.

How long does the clipped wings usually last?. The 3 of them stick close together so I was thinking about just clipping the males. The females will stay with him. Does that sound like a plan

 

[emadele]

I need some advice. A wild Mallard laid a egg in our yard, I tried to incubate it but it was not fertile. I was enthused about process and tried to educate myself on line for hatching and raising and releasing Mallards. I purchased some eggs online , incubated and hatched them . I have 1 male and 2 females. They are now 4 months old. They live in our fenced in back yard and seem quite content. I let them roam and figured when they were ready to leave they would just go. They have flew around the yard but never stray to far from each other.
Yesterday they flew. The 2 females were just on the other side of the fence and waited there for me to get them. The male flew further. I went looking for him. He was a couple houses away and seemed lost how to get home. I walked him back to the yard without a problem.
I love these ducks and do not care if they stay here forever but I am concerned if they fly away will they be able to survive on their own in the wild.
Please help me.

 

[emadele]

That's a tough one.
I have mallards at home that we raised from ducklings. Now that they are 1.5 yrs old, they "free range" in our yard and 1 acre pond. I have never clipped their wings and they do not fly away. They are fed by us daily. Very much domesticated in my opinion, but also know how to find food on their own and keep safe from predators (we live in the country and have a large coyote population as well as stray dogs). Both of the hens lay eggs regularly around our pond and in my flower beds! Definitely fun to have around if you decide to keep them... or they decide to stay

 

[shawluvsbirds]

How long does the clipped wings usually last?. The 3 of them stick close together so I was thinking about just clipping the males. The females will stay with him. Does that sound like a plan

https://www.ducks.org/conservation/...ence/understanding-waterfowl-the-amazing-molt

That's usually what I do to my calls even the ones that are kept in the run that way the girls can get away from the boys when they are being too rough.

 

[ruthhope]

Hi Nana of the Ducks!

Wild mallards are migratory birds and will leave in flocks in the Fall for their wintering grounds further south.

Mallards bought on line should be domesticated -- it is illegal to trade or sell wild mallards and their eggs.

Domesticated mallards have lost the urge to migrate but can still fly. Your neighborhood will look very different from the air than from walking round and so your mallards will likely get lost if they fly around.

I don't know where you are, but I am thinking you must be suburban as you mention neighbors. I think that is different from keeping mallards happy in a large rural garden with a 1 acre pond. I would certainly clip one wing on each duck when they have their new fall plumage, this year. The clipping lasts only until they molt the feathers and grow new ones so you would not be making any permanent decisions about the mallards. That way you can give the ducks the option of taking their freedom next year when they are older and more experienced.

I live in Florida where there are restrictions on keeping mallards, and it is imperative that domesticated mallards are kept out of the wild. We need mallards to migrate north out of Florida by the breeding season so that they do not cross breed with our endangered local mottled ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Since she bought these eggs I'd say these are domesticated Mallards.

@Nana of the ducks I clip my Muscovy ducks wings every fall after they have their big molt where they lose their flight feathers. Duck love to fly and I've had a few young ones fly out of their property and down towards the river. So many predators here I don't feel good about letting mine fly off. If you decide to go that route there are quite a few pictures online that show how to clip.

 

[KaleIAm]

How long does the clipped wings usually last?. The 3 of them stick close together so I was thinking about just clipping the males. The females will stay with him. Does that sound like a plan

To clarify on how long the wing clipping lasts: it depends on how long until they molt their flight feathers. My ducks molt their flight feathers every fall, they just dropped them and are growing them back now. After their flight feathers are grown out I will trim them for my ducks safety. After that they do not drop and regrow their flight feathers until next fall. So, I have to trim yearly.

My duck flew into our barn and broke her pelvis - which is why I trim her flight feathers.