need help with some orphaned wood ducks.

[chinbunny2]

My sisters neighbor found some orphaned ducks frantically running around her yard yesterday. the other neighbor was out doing working in his woods, and we think they were spooked from there & that's where they came from. There is not sign of the mom. They caught one baby last night. The second got scared and hid under their deck. they caught that one this morning in their pool/pond/something they have have in the backyard. No sign of the mom. from what i have read on the net, the mom should have shown up by now. I have them in a brooder. got to looking through some of the posts here. they not seem to 'get it' eating from the feeders. They did drink a little from the waterer when I showed them where it was. I have have a shallow blue lid of water in there for them too. tried offering them a magarine lid with feed & grass on it. they picked at the grass not the feed. I read on here its ok to put a baby chick in with them to help teach them to eat and drink. the only chicks available are older ones that aren't big, they have some feathers on their wings. it has been years since I have raised ducks and chicks together. There are no ducks available at the feed stores. What i am worried about is the chick might hurt the ducklings. would it be a good idea to give it a try? but I don't want them to die. I can see if a local bait shop still has live meal worms to offer them too. i know they don't sell crickets.

Aaand since I am in town, i want to know if these guys make a lot of noise? from what i have read, i don't think they do. ducks generally aren't allowed here. My sister cannot keep them. her fiance said no ducks. So they'd have to be 'hidden' till further notice. Right now I want to focus on keeping them happy and alive & then we will go from there when they are older. have tried wildlife rescue/ rehabbers here with birds we have found, and we basically got stuck with them anyhow. So they would be a no go.

Hopefully the dang cats won't bother them. i have them put up where i don't think they can get them & have heavy duty rabbit cage bottom wire around the brood real tight. I know my one cat won't bother them, im not so sure about the other. Going to try to keep her locked upstairs until these little ducks can be moved out in the barn. There is no way i am putting a heat lamp out there either. Don't want it burnt down.

 

[chinbunny2]

They will eat the feed if I wet it and put a little on fingers, and offer it to them. can't seem to get them to do that in the feeder.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Woodies are hard to get to eat. A newly hatched domestic duck is a good thing to add to them as they show the others where food is. Get meal worms (pet store) and put them in the feed in an open shallow bowl. The movement often triggers eatting.

Wood ducks don't quack, but they do make noises.

I will say this: it is not legal anywhere in the US to take any migratory (like wood ducks) from the wild and raise them in captivity. It would be best to seak out a wild life rehabber to turn the ducklings over to.

 

[Amiga]

Ditto the meal worms, and ditto getting help from a licensed rehabber. If caring for the wood ducks really does something good for your heart and spirit, might you consider getting licensed so that you can care for such animals?

 

[chinbunny2]

they didn't make it. The wildlife rehabbers around here are crap. so even if they would have made it, and I tried to contact one, id still get the short end of the stick with them. Tried it with them before.

 

[Miss Lydia]

So sorry,