How do I get my mallards to leave and do their own thing?

[Mowglimommychick]

I have five wild Mallards that I raised along with some Cayuga ducklings. They go to a pond during the day most days and then come back to the coop at night. My intention was not to keep the wild Mallards in the coop once they were old enough to be on their own. I basically used them to fill the order minimum I had to reach when ordering from a hatchery. I ordered the ones that I wanted to keep in the coop with the chickens, and then I threw in some Mallards. I figured they would grow up and fly away. I don't care if they set up house at the pond, but I just don't want them to keep coming back to the coop every night. Is there some point that I can expect them to strike out on their own, or do I just need to start shutting them out? Which feels mean.

 

[Ryder]

Since you have raised them with other domestic ducks they could have been to tamed to be wild anymore. What age are they?

 

[sourland]

Hatchery bred mallards are generally so many generations from wild that they do not act like wild mallards. Their conformation is even heavier than wild bred birds. They no longer know that they are supposed to be 'wild'.

 

[Quacking Pigeon]

If they are from a hatchery then they are Domestic Mallards meaning they won’t migrate or fly away.

 

[Mowglimommychick]

Since you have raised them with other domestic ducks they could have been to tamed to be wild anymore. What age are they?

They're 18 weeks old. I'm attaching a picture of what was in the Hatchery catalog.

 

[Mowglimommychick]

My biggest problem right now is that I have one white Pekin male duck kept with with one Pekin female and 4 Cayuga females. Since the mallards were straight run, I have 3 males and 2 females. The males are starting to become a problem with the white Pekin duck. I really need them to move along. But I do care about them and don't want to send them off to die.

 

[chickens really]

You can start by locking up the Ducks your keeping and start feeding the Mallard by the pond...You don't have to be mean to them but can Herd them back to the pond if they try to come into the Run. Slowly stop providing feed. As they mature they will probably leave.

 

[Mowglimommychick]

You can start by locking up the Ducks your keeping and start feeding the Mallard by the pond...You don't have to be mean to them but can Herd them back to the pond if they try to come into the Run. Slowly stop providing feed. As they mature they will probably leave.

That's a good idea.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Where are you located because if they are use to your for food and care they will starve in winter if they don't fly off when the other wild Mallards leave. If your intention is to cut off feed eventually. Ever thought of plan 2 since they are your ducks make them another pen and house if they don't fly off the way you'd like?

 

[thumper650]

You could give them away on Craigslist.