need some advice

[SureIsSweetTho]

So the universe gave me a muscovy duckling for valentines day, which I thought was odd (3 weeks old tomorrow). I have a small privacy fenced yard in a neighborhood with lots of ponds and muscovies, and at least 1 or 2 have figured out a couple good nesting spots in my yard, behind the heat pump and on the patio roof directly overlooking the heat pump. So with no intervention of any kind from me there's been maybe 3 sets of babies born in that spot, but this last batch of eggs something went wrong, and there was a runt or something, and the mom left it behind. The other chicks were bopping along in the yard following mom just fine like little yellow puff balls, but this one was stuck in the nest. I was here with the grandkids, and it was chirping loudly outside the window for hours till the kids got too curious and I had to bring it in. "Had to" indeed. So long story short I have like the ideal wrong situation going on. I mean, it's alive, but there's only one, and it totally loves humans and follows me around.

Is it possible over time to introduce this one to the neighborhood ducks or something, maybe have a little patio/yard/neighborhood duck, or is it completely hopeless and this little guy is doomed? I went to local animal hospitals for advice but they can only recommend sanctuaries, and there's no room for baby muscovies. Is there any way forward? I have time and tools but not a ton of money, but I could probably build a coop that's semi attached to the patio. Is there any chance it could be even semi independent eventually? I don't mind calling it a yard duck and making some accommodations but otherwise transition it to a neighborhood duck. If they were mean it would be a lot easier to be callous but it's fully imprinted and sleeping on my foot at the moment, so I dunno. I guess I messed up.. any advice?

 

[aroostercalledBrownie]

Oh poor you! Are you sure you have no way to fit a duck into your life? they make wonderful pets! If it is eating, drinking, and staying active it will survive. Do let me know how she comes along!

 

[johntfs]

You pretty much have a duck at this point. Probably your best bet would be Craigslist or your state's forum here to see if anybody else wants to adopt the little one.

 

[BReeder!]

If yoy raise it for another month or two it should get large enough to integrate to the the others nearby at the pond. I must caution you that releasing animals is often against the law for the protection of wildlife. However, this is a wild duck that just needs a little support in its early days of life. It wouldn't need much... food (Vitamins are important in the duck world so spend just a little extra for duck starter feed at a fed store. A small bag will do for a month or two.) and clean water deap enough to dunk its head as well as a warm place. A heat source will likely be necessary if you don't have one yet. Normally start at 90F and lower the temp 5F each week until you reach 70 or the ambient temp. That's really it though. Housing for ducks doesn't need to be fancy. A dog crate protected from wind with a heat lamp bowl of water and bowl of feed is a fine setup for a duckling.

 

[SureIsSweetTho]

I wouldn't mind a pet duck, just not one that lives inside my house. If anything I've enjoyed having a reason to bring the laptop out onto the patio and enjoy what's left of this nice weather. If the duck got independent enough to come and go I wouldn't mind keeping food on hand, have a little yard duck that comes and goes, or maybe mostly stays, I guess I'm negotiable. I do worry that it's just the one duck though. I got some non medicated chick feed overnighted, and I read up on basic care with the deep water and such.. pretty sure he's doing fine in the short term. Probably the fattest chick on the block. I'm just kinda worrying about the long term. I can't leave him outside by himself for 5 seconds without doing that loud desperate cry they do when they're lost, and I haven't left him alone long enough to see if he'll stop. Am I wasting my time attempting to socialize it outside with other ducks? I've noticed the local adults seem really, really interested, especially females, so I've tried to get them to inspect each other, but the chick won't leave me, and the adults won't come near, so it's a stalemate. Is it worth pursuing though? They have kind of a morning routine, and they don't come close, but they're comfortable 6-8 feet away or so. Could I sit in a lawn chair or something during their morning lawn rounds, and maybe they'll eventually get close enough to check out the duckling? I'd prefer I didn't have to feed them or anything to break their wildness, but I don't mind bending the rules a little if there's a chance to socialize them. Some of the ducks around here are clearly less shy than others already, so I wouldn't be the first to feed them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This duckling is imprinted on you so your going to have to do introducing slowly like you said by sitting out in the morning and just letting the duckling get use to the other ducks an vise versa, maybe by 6 weeks it will be comfortable being around all the others. But at the age it is now it will be subject to predators I wouldn’t leave it outside by itself. So give it time. Where are you keeping it inside?

 

[SureIsSweetTho]

I have a 30 gallon plastic tote I've been using so far, pretty big and easy to clean, but he's big enough to jump out now, so I'm not sure what to do. Out of desperation last night I cut a bunch of fairly big holes in it with the hole saw and put him in with the lid on just long enough for me to get some sleep, but it was still like I suspected, pretty steamy in the morning, so I don't want to use lid again if I can avoid it. At least a chicken wire lid, but I don't have any. I have a role of vinyl screen left over from doing the patio screens that might make an ok top until I can make something better, but I dunno. Even screen doesn't really flow air well unless there's a breeze. Outside on the patio would be ideal where he can have mostly free reign. If that worked I could cut doors in this tote and make more of a house out of it, not have to put food inside, etc..

 

[Jpat]

if you have some cardboard you could make the sides higher

 

[Miss Lydia]

Great idea for a brooder. My Muscovy ducklings have been great escape artists!

 

[SureIsSweetTho]

Wow, nice setup. I definitely don't have that much cardboard, but that's a pretty good idea that I'll keep in mind. That hay or shavings or whatever they're in looks nice too. I need some of that.