Ok, I googled the whole thing about dropping woodrocks and here is what I found about woodrocks raised by mama:
Reproduction and Nesting
The wood duck is one of only a few duck species that nest in Florida. Courtship and pairing take place during winter. In early spring, the drake follows the hen to a nest tree she used the previous year or to the general area where she was hatched. For instance, a drake hatched in Florida may pair up with an overwintering hen from another state and follow her to her northern natal area for the nesting season.
Suitable nest trees have cavities; are within one-half mile of permanent water; have clear and easy access; and have shrubs close by to conceal the ducklings as they walk from the nest tree to the water. For nesting, they favor willow, maple, ash and sycamore trees with a trunk that measures at least 24 inches in diameter at about 4 feet above the ground. The height of the nest above the ground or water ranges from 3 to 60 feet. They will nest in old pileated woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus) holes. Wood ducks also readily nest in artificial cavities and boxes (see Habitat Management section).
Because wood ducks do not bring in nest material, the cavity should contain some litter (rotten wood) to form a base. The hen covers the eggs with her down feathers. Egg-laying starts in late January (the peak is February and March), with one ivory-colored egg laid every day until the clutch is finished (typically 10 to 15 eggs). Occasionally more than one hen will lay in the same nest. However, the hens usually desert these "dump nests." Two females occasionally use the same cavity, incubating in turn or simultaneously. Incubation begins the day after the last egg is laid and lasts about 30 days. During incubation, the hen usually leaves the nest twice a day, early in the morning and late in the afternoon, to feed and rest with her mate. Toward the end of incubation, the drake leaves the family to molt with other males and never returns.
Ducklings usually leave the nest the day after they are hatched. At the hen's call, they use their sharp claws to climb to the entrance of the tree cavity or nest box. They pause momentarily at the entrance before jumping sometimes from as high as 70 feet. They hit the ground or water uninjured. After the entire brood is out, the hen leads them to water.
The hen usually remains with her brood until the young are able to fly (about 9 weeks). The mortality rate (due primarily to predation from turtles, alligators, snakes, bass, etc.) of ducklings is quite high. Normally, only 3 to 4 from a brood survive to the flying stage. The hen, after leaving her brood, also molts during late summer. One brood per year is normal, but two broods can occur.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW180
So drinking water may not be a big deal the first day. Hope this helps.
