I wonder how often this happens......

[chickensioux]

When I picked up my Runner pair this past weekend, the lady that I got them from was also fostering 5 little ducklings that had been hatched in a classroom project. They were mallard mixes and only 14 days old. She said the teacher was about to release them onto a lake. Fortunately this lady took them and put them in a brooder and is trying to find them homes. She is giving them away.
How often do you suppose people do this? Raise little ducks and just release them assuming they will survive or not caring one way or the other. I was shocked and I guess I've had my head in the sand. I wish people would realize they cannot survive that young on their own and think this "class project" through more thoroughly.

 

[FenDruadin]

It happens ridiculously often. The local parks around here that have lakes always have mixed populations of wild ducks and domestic. I used to not understand the difference but of course now I recognize the domestic breeds. The waterfowl rescue in our town is always overstocked with birds rescued out of situations like this. People just don't know--they assume a duck is a duck is a duck and they'll be fine in the wild.

 

[Goat_Walker]

It is really sad. Id love to take in a few. Good thing Ive kinda "taught" my school about ducks. I have two ducks right now that I used to take in to the elementary schools. I have a teacher interested in incubating some and she came right to me and asked me if i would take them when they were done with them - of course i said yes, lol.

 

[veronicasmom]

IMO, it isn't right for the schools to do the incubating then dispose of the ducks or chickens when they are done with them. I think it gives kids the idea that animals are disposable. That you can use them and then when you are done, just get rid of them. It absolutely infuriates me. I have 15 animals, soon to be 16 (adopting a new duck Saturday), all but two were rescued, adopted or rehomed. I have a baby guinea pig that was found running in the halls of an apartment building, a horse that was a little lame and was quickly dumped by her owner, a retired harness racer that was no longer making money, so she was passed around for years, a Greyhound that washed out of racing at two years old, the list goes on and on. There is no need for any school to create new lives then just get rid of them when they are finished.
With all the technology today, why can't they follow an incubating egg in a computer program? Like virtually dissecting a frog?
Okay, done ranting for now. I just get SO MAD!

 

[tia]

I have incubated ducks with my students for the past three years. The first two years the eggs came from one of my student's families who had quite a few khaki campbells and when the ducks hatched we kept them in the classroom and then the student who brought the eggs in took the ducks home. That was the plan put in place before we began to incubate the eggs. It was beneficial to the people and us, they wanted more ducks, and it was an educational experience for my students. The third year they didn't have any eggs, but I had arranged for the ducks to go to a nearby farm before we even began to hatch the eggs. They wanted more ducks and we helped them out. I visited the farm and will take my students their in the spring if possible. Last summer I purchased a new incubator and tried it out at home and now have 7 ducks of my own. I got permission to have them in town. We will incubate eggs again this spring, using eggs from my ducks. I will take some of them, and I have found homes for the rest. Most teachers are aware that students learn from the behavior they model, and strive to teach students about responsibility. I talk to students about ducks, and what conditions are necessary to take care of them. I would never incubate eggs without first having made sure I have an appropriate home for the ducks. I think you would find the same of most teachers, so don't let those few give us a bad name.

 

[b.hromada]

Unfortunately, people just dump all kinds of animals!! Down here in S. Florida especially, we have a HUGE Iguana population! I mean HUGE! This crazy state wants to iradicate them! I ask myself why? They don't do any harm from what I have seen. Okay, maybe they end up in your pool from time to time.

I personally, love to see them. Now Muscovy ducks, the same thing. The state would love to get rid of them all.

Now what problem are they, really? My husband's niece's husband has a friend who works for game and wildlife commission here in Florida, and he says that they inspect ducks nests. He says that they can tell whether or not it is a pure Wood Duck nest, or a mixed breed of ducks, just by looking at it. If he feels that it is not pure Wood Duck, he will then crush all the eggs in the nest!!!

So, its not a good idea to just drop off ducks! Like you have said, animals are not disposable. They are for life!

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
I actually found a tiny little kitten years ago when I was in high school, racing through the halls. It couldn't have been weaned for more than a few days but the kids were screaming "RAT!" and throwing books at it! I almost got clobbered by the flying books myself when I grabbed it and raced to the dean's office. The women who worked in the office kept it in a box all day with a refrigerator shelf over the top and by the end of the day, one of them wanted to take it home, so I let her.

Someone had to have dumped that kitten in the halls, because there was no way she could have just wandered in...the school is in a high crime area and even then, the doors were all watched pretty regularly. Propping open doors just wasn't done. So there you have it, someone actually dumped an animal INSIDE the school!

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

More often than I would like to think about. That's why the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue was started. They find all kinds of domestic breed waterfowl in places they should not belong. I think they even found one that had been shot with an arrow and it had the arrow still in the bird and was alive.

 

[classroomducks]

I raised my first ducks this past fall with my classroom of special education students. We raised a total of 8 ducks, 6 pekins and 2 mallards. When we were finished with the ducks it was december and they were 8 weeks old...far too little to live outside unsheltered. So i drove them in my car 12 hours to my parents farm in colorado. I did not just dumb them. And for the record, my students got 100 times more understanding from hands on than they ever could have gotten from a computer. Most teachers who would do this as a class project would have had to put hours of research into it to even get a single viable egg. Not to mention the cost of getting an incubator food and eggs; and the time involved in making sure they are at the right temperature and humididty. For 8 weeks i was at the school every day, feeding, cleaning, and playing with our ducks. I have to admit that before starting the project I thought we could just release them on a lake. However, doing any amount of research into it, you quickly find out this is not the case. That being said...i agree with Tia...dont lump all teachers with the few who are irresponsible. I cannot even begin to describe the amount of knowldege my students gained from watching these babies grow. Not only biologically, but also emotionally. They ask how the ducks are doing all the time...they had owner ship in them and they loved them. When i took the ducks to colorado they by no means thought they were disposable. I am pretty sure this kind of situation is like any animal situation. While most people care for their pets, there are a few people in this world who for whatever reason, can dump a box of puppies on the side of the road, can fight dogs to the death, and watch their live stock starve...but it doesnt mean no one should raise puppies or kitties or other animals. There are going to be people in this world who just plain suck.

 

[Duck_feeder]

Quote:
Technology will never be a perfect substitute for actual experience. But it's up to the teachers and parents to determine what experience is actually necessary (outside of learning how to raise ducklings, is this ever necessary?) and the best ways to gain the experience in the most responsible fashion!

I'm glad there are plenty of teachers that take the time plan for the life of ducklings beyond their usefulness to a classroom. It's a great experience outside of the the core curriculum and if taught correctly can teach kids about the importance of planning ahead and being socially responsible.