Human imprinted ducklings rehoused

[Quatie]

Ok great! That was actually my next question because the rescue place that wanted to take the ducklings said to send a picture of them so he could “confirm they were wild” before dropping them off (I said ok and then never did). So I was wondering HOW he would be able to confirm that by pictures, if there was any physical differences or markers that would give that away?

Rouens look very similar. They may be looking to see if they are obvious domestic ducks confused for mallards.

 

[Quatie]

I would still keep open the possibility of giving them to a wildlife organization, but ultimately the decision is yours. You will have to decide what is best. It is not an easy decision.

 

[AlyssaB4]

I would still keep open the possibility of giving them to a wildlife organization, but ultimately the decision is yours. You will have to decide what is best. It is not an easy decision.

I emailed some places giving their age and the fact that they human imprinted and asked if these ducks would be able to be released in the future or not. Hopefully they reply, if not I will call other places to see the general consensus.

 

[Quatie]

Sounds like you are making an informed decision. Best of luck with your endeavor.

 

[AlyssaB4]

Btw for anyone who wants to see... here are my babies. Right after bath time and drying themselves.

 

[AlyssaB4]

Sounds like you are making an informed decision. Best of luck with your endeavor.

Thank you, it will depend now on the responses I get. If the majority say they are not releasable then I will keep them as to avoid any possibility of them getting euthanized for that reason. I also asked about the impact on their emotional health. Thanks for the input of your experience and knowledge. It is much appreciated!

 

[AlyssaB4]

In short, 2 Mallard duck eggs were abandoned in my neighborhood when the mother got killed. I rescued them and incubated them. They are 3 weeks old now, and they have imprinted on me as I have been taking care of them ALL the time. The issue is, I didn’t know that even though they weren’t hatched/been raised or have never been outside, they are still considered ‘wild’. Therefore, legally I am not supposed to keep them.
So... I am currently struggling with the decision to either keep them anyways or to give them to a wildlife rescue center (as I was told that that is where they are legally supposed to go). The main issue i have is that they are imprinted on me (cry when I am not in sight,etc.), so it scares me and breaks my heart to think that they might feel scared or sad/abandoned if I give them to a rescue center. Also, one of the wildlife centers said that they would raise them and release them into the wild. But from what I researched, it seems that they won’t follow other ducks and won’t follow ‘natural’ behavior patterns and communication once they imprinted on a human?

I am just trying to get any and all informed-opinions about how duckling imprinting on a human affects them and basically, if giving them away at 3 weeks of age after being imprinted on me would be a big problem for them emotionally/psychologically. Or if they would be able to adjust still and move on easily?

A lot of wildlife rescues that I emailed are saying they don’t know if the birds will be able to be released into the wild. And I found that the California wildlife says that human imprinted ducks are one of the non-releasable conditions... if they can’t be given to a educational center then they can be euthanized.

So instead of being killed or having to be passed around to different places, I’m thinking another option would be to rehouse them with a loving, duck-experienced person who is willing to give them a forever home, since it is not looking like my city allows ducks.
Is there anyone in Southern California that is an experienced duck owner willing to give two mallard ducklings (3 weeks old) a forever home?

 

[Quatie]

A lot of wildlife rescues that I emailed are saying they don’t know if the birds will be able to be released into the wild. And I found that the California wildlife says that human imprinted ducks are one of the non-releasable conditions... if they can’t be given to a educational center then they can be euthanized.

So instead of being killed or having to be passed around to different places, I’m thinking another option would be to rehouse them with a loving, duck-experienced person who is willing to give them a forever home, since it is not looking like my city allows ducks.
Is there anyone in Southern California that is an experienced duck owner willing to give two mallard ducklings (3 weeks old) a forever home?

Wish I could, but I am too far North. You may want to post in the rehoming section and the southern California area thread.

 

[AlyssaB4]

Wish I could, but I am too far North. You may want to post in the rehoming section and the southern California area thread.

I am new to this site, so I wasn’t sure how to navigate on here and find those threads for my area. Do you have a link to that?

 

[Quatie]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/california-southern.161/

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/animals-in-need-of-free-re-homing.16182/

Here are links.