Mallards

[wvgal61]

Will mallards that are pets try to fly south for the winter, and if they do will they come back home

 

[kyoko900]

our little mallard didn't, but he had a pekin duck for a friend and it couldn't fly so my mallard stay with it. but someone else may be different if it's a flock.

 

[ConchRepublic]

They may, or may not. If you're worried about it, get Rouens. Bigger versions of Mallards that can't fly, and seem to be a little more friendly typically.

 

[cowman910]

The reason that they migrate is too look for food. If they have food, there is no reason to migrate! Give the a bigger friend, one that cannot fly, and they will stay.

Mike

 

[koiman]

There are two types of Mallards. One is wild which will fly away if they can and the other is domestic. They last one will leave duing the day but usually return in the evening. They leave looking for food and mates. If you supply both they stay at home. The wilds will also stay around if they have food. Usually they will not migrate but some will. Check where you got them and see if they are wild stock or domestic.

 

[CityChicker]

Domestic Mallards are domestic Mallards. They are the same bird, regardless of how different hatcheries advertise them for sale. Any Mallard you buy from a hatchery is going to be bred from stock that has been captive for several generations. I know some would like to think this is not the case, but it is. They are all domestic Mallards and must be marked as such.

If you treat them as a domestic bird, you will not be able to chase them away. If you don't (for example you don't keep them caged and well fed), then they may go feral. This is the case though with any number of domestic ducks. The only difference with Mallards really is that they are typically smaller and more streamlined and therefore, can fly. This is the case with the other bantam ducks as well and actually of all my bantam breeds the best fliers are my Australian Spotteds. My family has raised Mallards literally the entire time I have been alive. We have raised more than I can even count (in the hundreds) and I have NEVER had one take off and not return. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure they might, for example if they were put out to forage and had free access to go wherever they pleased, but in general- no, they don't take off and never come back. Even on our farm where they had access to large ponds and open topped pasturers, I have never had one leave for good or migrate. As always, YMMV, but they tend to know where their bread is buttered. LOL

 

[duckclo99]

Mallards want to be free, so if you keep them in a coop or small field, they won't be happy. They may leave you even if they love you. If they have a friend who cannot fly, they are less likely to leave.

 

[DuckTuckandRole]

My babies are about to hatch and I'm very excited!! So excited that I can't sleep lol. I'm going to be raising mallards which I'm very happy about but my mother is even more happy that they're mallards than I am because 1: they supposedly fly away for the winter and 2: they're cute babies ;D. Do mallards fly away? If there is a way I can make them feel the urge to fly away, how can I do that? Do I need to start taking them outside after 2 weeks and make them eat grass like the other ducks? What do I do? Personally I don't want them to fly away, I've done my research and i can make ducking diapers and keep them in our large heated garage. Let them outside once in a while when it's nice out etc. but she runs the place and I'm only 14 so... :/ how can I "help" them survive in the wild but have them still come back and visit? Help! Thank you for replying, if you do.

 

[DiamondSwan]

Hi DuckTuckandRole, that is really exciting that you're raising baby mallards! I'm 14 too and I have always been crazy about birds and other animals ever since I was a baby (duck was my first word.) I have kept all sorts of animals and bugs as pets and have rescued quite a few too. If you want to know about them just let me know

I don't have any ducks now but I'm hoping to get some ducklings and baby chickens soon (I'm sooo excited!) Mallards have always been my favorite because a mother mallard laid an egg and left it at my grandparents house in the back yard while we were visiting. I tried to hatch the egg under a lamp, but the baby never hatched and we found out that the red ring meant that the baby bird died early on (I didn't know then that it had to be a certain temperature.) Mallards are also beautiful birds and really cute babies

I have done a lot of research on them since then and I will try my best to answer your question. If you really want your mallards to fly south for the winter they would need to follow another mallard that has flown south before, because in the wild they follow their parents, so the next time they will fly the same route and later show their babies how to get there.

You could take them to a pond that has other mallards so yours will follow them when they fly south. When it gets warm again they should come back. Just make sure that the wild mallards live at the pond, because they will return to the place they were born. If they live there, there would probably be a lot of them. If you don't live near a pond that has mallards, then the best place to keep them is in your garage, or an outside pen with hay to keep them warm if your mom doesn't want them in the garage. I think duckling diapers would get expensive and you would be exhausted changing them all the time.

If you decide to keep them for the winter, and you don't want them flying off and getting lost when they are let outside, then their wings will need to be clipped. They still have the instinct to fly off even though they have no idea where they are going. I hope this helps, and let me know if you have any questions

~Destiny