Let Her Go?

[Chip2po]

Hey everyone! I have a question that maybe more experienced duck owners can help me with. A little backstory… we found a Muscovy duck as a weeks old baby a few months ago swimming in our pool all by itself. No momma duck to be found. My guess was she had been grabbed by a hawk and dropped. We took her in and raised her so she would survive. We have a pond across the street where many neighborhood ducks hang out. My neighbor across the street leaves food and water out for them all every day and they all know to go there to eat. Our duck was unfortunately raised all by itself by us, and got really comfortable with us. However, now that she can fly, she went over the fence to join the other ducks on the pond. She came back once, but flew away again and has not returned. The other ducks seem to be friendly with her, but I am worried that, since she’s used to being fed by us, that she won’t know how to figure out how to join the other ducks and eat at my neighbors house. She does forage for bugs, etc. and seems content, but she does come to me and follow me (most likely for food) when she sees me outside. There are no real predators around our neighborhood, either, and many of these ducks have been here for a long time. Is she going to be ok? I’d rather she bd with other ducks instead of in our backyard by herself, but just worried she won’t be able to figure out how to be a duck, so to speak. And no, there are no rescues in my area that are taking new ducks. It’s the reason we ended up just raising her ourselves so she’d survive. I tried every one of them when we first found her. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ruthhope]

She's fine. She has other ducks to guide her. You did really well as a muscovy foster parent.

 

[SJS66]

I have muscovies all over the farm. I've hand raised some, and they are what I consider a semi domesticated breed. They are born foragers. As soon as they can run (3-4 days) they are off hunting and digging in the mud.

If your duck baby flew to the pond in its own and came back, you have nothing to worry about, she's smart. She's down there looking for a handsome drake. Don't be surprised if she comes back iin a while with 12-18 peepers teaching them where the free food is.

The first muscovey we got is still here, shes pretty old. She flies off every now and then, and in a while shes back in the driveway. If we go call her sometimes she will fly back. This yr she put a nest in the greenhouse so...I don't have to worry about her coming back, her nest is like an anchor.

They are superb foraging survivalists.