Muscovy Ducklings- Southeast Florida

[LizS]

I have been raising 2 ducklings I found in my apartment complex. The 1st I found when it was newly hatched. The mother had picked a very strange nesting spot with a high curb surrounding some shrubs. This one didn't make the jump out of the shrubbery and was on its back for god knows how long when I noticed it in the morning. It was still wet and barely alive. The mom was nearby with the others but didn't seem concerned. I took it upon myself to rescue the poor thing and bring it back to life. A few days later I found another duckling from another mother abandoned. I have been raising the 2 together. They are now roughly 6 weeks old. I am trying to get some details on next steps. They are wild and I don't want to keep them. My goal is to release them back with the rest of the Muscovies that live around a lake near my home. What age would they be able to be released? Any help with this would be great.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@Miss Lydia can help

 

[Miss Lydia]

It was very sweet of you to take these ducklings in and care for them. They may have been wild but now they are dependent on you for care and feeding. Since you live in an apartment complex and your in possibly Florida where Muscovy are hated you'll not find a rehabber that would take them and get them to where they can go back to the wild. Well not really wild but where the rest live around the lake[feral] You could start off by taking them down to the lake and letting them play in the water feed them there just a small handful just to get them use to that area. Then take them back to your home. Do this daily for a week maybe gradually leaving them for 5 mins at a time till your up to leaving them for up to 30 mins. More than likely they are imprinted on you so they may not want to stay there but follow you. It's going to take some patience and time to get them acclimated to not being dependent on you so you may want to feed them even after they are living full time at the lake. It's really hard to get a feral duckling who hasn't been raised in that atmosphere to get use to living other than with a human who has been their mama. The only other thing you could do is to take them to another lake and dump them out but that would be cruel. They need time to get use to it all. You were so sweet and caring to take these ducks. I am sure you'll do the right thing by them.

 

[LizS]

of course I wouldn't just dump them. Otherwise I never would have taken them in. I try to keep my contact with them as minimal as possible and only see them when I clean and feed them. They are still scared of me which I think is a good thing. I did find someone who actually has a Muscovy sanctuary. So I might be able to have her help out. Thank you for your help!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes she is in south Florida. Hope she can help. Last time I rec her she was full up so I didn't mention her this time.