PLEASE HELP!! Found 3 day old duckling!

[GertiesMommy]

So my husband came home last night with a 4 day old duckling. I ask him where he got the baby, well come to find out my husband kidnapped the poor baby from the mother, I could have honestly killed my husband for doing that, so this morning I went and brought the baby back to the pond where I know the mother lives. After searching everywhere i couldn't find the mommy but reluctantly i put the baby down on the ground to see if it knew where to go, of course the baby took off into the water and went under some bushes, all the baby did was cry out for its mommy, so i went and tried catching the baby again because i didn't want it out there by itself with out its mommy. Well after 30 min of trying to catch the baby, i lost sight of it and could no longer find the baby. When i was walking back to my car I saw a mommy duck and her babies, which im pretty sure is the mother of the duckling, but they were swimming in a stream a few feet away from the pond where the baby was at. So i guess my question is, will the mommy duck go find the baby if she hears it crying? and will she take the baby back in even though i had the duckling over night??? I am so beyond stressed out and devastated over the whole thing :-( I am so ****** off at my husband for what he did. But PLEASE HELP!!!!

 

[nchls school]

So my husband came home last night with a 4 day old duckling. I ask him where he got the baby, well come to find out my husband kidnapped the poor baby from the mother, I could have honestly killed my husband for doing that, so this morning I went and brought the baby back to the pond where I know the mother lives. After searching everywhere i couldn't find the mommy but reluctantly i put the baby down on the ground to see if it knew where to go, of course the baby took off into the water and went under some bushes, all the baby did was cry out for its mommy, so i went and tried catching the baby again because i didn't want it out there by itself with out its mommy. Well after 30 min of trying to catch the baby, i lost sight of it and could no longer find the baby. When i was walking back to my car I saw a mommy duck and her babies, which im pretty sure is the mother of the duckling, but they were swimming in a stream a few feet away from the pond where the baby was at. So i guess my question is, will the mommy duck go find the baby if she hears it crying? and will she take the baby back in even though i had the duckling over night??? I am so beyond stressed out and devastated over the whole thing :-( I am so ****** off at my husband for what he did. But PLEASE HELP!!!!

In all likelihood the mother will hear the cries and call the duckling to her. Having the duckling overnight will not matter to the hen. If the duckling goes to her she will most likely accept it. It seems to take a few days before hens actually recognize their own babies. I doubt your husband truly realized what his actions would cause. Maybe his thought was to surprise you? Forgive and forget.

 

[taz0812]

I also believe the mom will call the duckling to her. They are not like birds when the baby falls out of the nest and someone touches them. Ducks communicate by their quacks and I'm sure the baby will be fine. It has a better chance than if you tried keeping it cause I had one about the same age wander to my house and I brought it in and fed and kept it warm but it still died the same night. You made the right decision!!