Mallard Ducklings on a Small Pond

[EstateGLB]

So, I briefly posted in my introduction that I'm hoping to raise mallard ducklings on a small farm pond. Let me provide just a bit of background:

The property where this would be happening is roughly five acres. There is a climate controlled garage that would be the location for the brooder to raise the ducklings, but there is no barn or other outbuilding.

Friends we've spoken to have said that they have success raising mallards and releasing the onto their pond, but that the mallards typically migrate and don't return. This is fine for us too! We'd love to have a migratory "flock" that returns annually, but this is almost more of just a "just because" experiment.

My question is this: Again, we have friends who mention that they raise mallard ducklings from brooder and eventually to pond, without a barn or coop for the ducks. Every guide or set of instructions I've read about duckling rearing expects that you'll be keeping the ducks in an enclosure once the ducks reach adulthood -- if this isn't our aim, are we still okay releasing the birds onto our pond? I've read that mallards, being less domesticated, are better suited at living in "the wild" after raising. Are we going to be okay raising ducklings just to "release," so to speak?

Thanks for any suggestions ... this is all a very new thing for me.

 

[fatty and friends]

unless you are a licensed rehabber and the ducklings are rescued from the wild then releasing ducks to the wild is illegal.

domestic born mallard ducks can’t be wild.

 

[EstateGLB]

unless you are a licensed rehabber and the ducklings are rescued from the wild then releasing ducks to the wild is illegal.

domestic born mallard ducks can’t be wild.

Thank you. That is a very succinct answer that clears up some confusion I was having.

Our goal is to keep them, for sure, but I was a little confused with how migration worked with a species like a mallard. In continuing to read, it seems like as long as we have shelter and perhaps an enclosure for them and ensure that they're well-fed, they would stick around year round.

I appreciate the feedback! As I've mentioned, this is a new area for me and I want to make sure we do it right.

 

[quackingdom]

If you raise them from ducklings, they won't learn to find their own food and will not be able to live independently, which means they're likely to starve if they migrate. You will have to care for them and clip their wings to prevent them from migrating.

Living on a pond without an enclosure or coop can work as long as they are fed and can't fly away, but they'll still be at risk of predator attacks.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Domesticated ducks should not be released into the wild. They won't have the survival skills they need and will likely die.

You could build them a nice duck house and clip their wings to keep them though. That is if you are committed to caring for them for the rest of their lives.
There are tons of ideas for duck houses here on BYC and we can help guide you on caring for them.

 

[fatty and friends]

Thank you. That is a very succinct answer that clears up some confusion I was having.

Our goal is to keep them, for sure, but I was a little confused with how migration worked with a species like a mallard. In continuing to read, it seems like as long as we have shelter and perhaps an enclosure for them and ensure that they're well-fed, they would stick around year round.

I appreciate the feedback! As I've mentioned, this is a new area for me and I want to make sure we do it right.

they need shelter at night or something will kill them, but you are right about how domestic ducks will not fly away as long as they have all they need to be happy and healthy

 

[neo71665]

My mallards stayed on my stock pond year round. They even encouraged wild ducks to stop but the tame ones stayed when the wild ones left. As stated the predators will be the main problem. The coyote and fox population grew around here and ended up taking my ducks out. Five years later I'm still trapping and shooting them.

 

[quackingdom]

they need shelter at night or something will kill them, but you are right about how domestic ducks will not fly away as long as they have all they need to be happy and healthy

I don't know if I'd trust them to not fly away? I have heard from so many people whose ducks flew away, no matter how happy and healthy they were.

I think they either do it by accident, or don't understand that not every place in the world is necessarily as wonderful as their home.

All the stories I've heard were about Muscovies, though. Maybe Mallards are different, but they do have an instinct to migrate, don't they?

 

[neo71665]

Our muscovies stayed everywhere on our property except the pond. They flew all over the neighborhood but came back at feeding time.

 

[SolarDuck]

I agree that you cannot release any domesticated birds into the wild and they absolutely need to have a coop or shelter that is predator proof at night. Lots of people have problems with their ducks staying on their ponds and not going into a coop, and when that happens they can easily be picked off by a variety of predators.