Ok-- a little help needed here

[BowCHICKIEWowWow]

DH was asking me about what to do with him earlier and I already told him that if his wing is seriously not right and he cannot fly, that he's gotta stay with us, we can't just turn him loose.

 

[Goat_Walker]

Ducks cant fly till they are about 3 - 4 months old.

 

[BowCHICKIEWowWow]

Lol-- ok. All I know are chickens and I know they usually start flying out of our mini box at 3-4 weeks.

 

[heatherindeskies]

i'm a bit unsure of this oil thing, but I've heard that ducks cannot make thier own waterproof oil until 3+ months of age...ducklings get this from rubbing against mother....
so, since you are uncertain if this duckling has had this chance to be under mom, and is no longer under mom, be careful about not letting him swim too much or in cold water, since the water will now absorb against his skin instead of being repelled away. he could get cold and sick.

 

[Goat_Walker]

Quote:
Ducks secrete their own oil from a glad located at the base of the tail, When they are young they might have to get some off of mama at first but when they preen and rub their heads on their butts ( lol ) they are getting the oils off and spreading it over the feathers. The fluff wont be water proof - but one they start getting their feathers in the oil will work on the adult plumage. Trust me - if you pick up a 1 - 2 month old wet duckling, you know their are oils, lol, because the oils get ALL OVER your heands and make them all slick and soft lol.

Ducklings should NEVER swim unsupervised till they are about 2 months old. Without all the big kid feathers they can easily drown. Ducklings ages 1 - 4 weeks i reccomend washing in room temperature or warm water if young. NEVER use soap. Just let them splash in the water. ( added the soap part because i ahd someone do that recently >.< ) DUcklings ( 1 - 4 weeks ) should not be allowed to play in water deeper than their knees unless supervised at all times. If a duckling cant easily get out of the bowl or tub they can get tired and drown

 

[1lpoock]

He is probably a mallard, or could be a wood duck...pics would definetly help! However, he probably isn't a mandarin because they are raised in captivity, they aren't in the wild.

 

[BowCHICKIEWowWow]

A long overdue update:

Well-- he is a she. Thats the start. And she is a Muscovy. Beautiful brown one at that. She flies now, but has no interest in leaving the property. We have her a little pen set up with food and water, but she spends most of her days on the roof of our house (poop all over the roof too-- ugh).

At what point do ducks start laying eggs? She's about 4 months old now, give or take a couple weeks.

 

[desertdarlene]

Oh wow, I was wondering what kind of duck this was, I didn't realize this thread was from back in June. Her wings must have been OK if she's flying now.

I know wild mallards usually start laying at about 5 months old or older. I'm not sure about Muscovies. My main experience with them is with drakes.