Random ducks visiting me

[CheekiBreekiChick]

Me too.

I was able to bring these guys home yes all 3 drakes and I found homes for them. They were sweet boys and sure deserved more than being dumped in the river.

I'm so glad you found homes for them! I hate hearing about animals being dumped. It's so easy for people to do that around here because it's very rural. Our property line stops a few yards from a small retention pond which actually belongs to the neighbors behind us. I noticed these 2 like to hang out by that pond a lot, and the ducks that visited last year did too. There's never enough water in it to swim though. I originally thought they belonged to that property but they don't ever go up near their house or outbuildings. I've been giving them fresh water and Dumor all flock pellets when I see them in my yard. I'm just going to keep befriending them and see what happens!

 

[ruthhope]

I'm thinking they might be Muscovy/Mallard hybrids. Florida is full of these, as well as the purebred ones.

Really, @Canadian Wind? I have never seen hybrids in the wild (strictly never seen any feral). I know duck keepers that have muscovy-pekin crosses. I have never seen a wild/feral muscovy mallard cross in my little patch of NE Florida.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Really, @Canadian Wind? I have never seen hybrids in the wild (strictly never seen any feral). I know duck keepers that have muscovy-pekin crosses. I have never seen a wild/feral muscovy mallard cross in my little patch of NE Florida.

Actually saw it online. Public ponds where there are both Mallards and Muscovy, and a team was hired to remove them. Perhaps it's not as common as they made it out to be?

 

[ruthhope]

Actually saw it online. Public ponds where there are both Mallards and Muscovy, and a team was hired to remove them. Perhaps it's not as common as they made it out to be?

There are always excuses to remove muscovy -- and its cruel: they come after dark and club the muscovy. It's not the muscovy that breed with wild mallards. It is wild mallards that breed with our endangered mottled ducks. And even that might be "bending the truth". Wild mallards migrate and do not breed with our mottled ducks. It's domestic mallards that have been dumped in the wild [or escaped, but too many are dumped] that do not migrate and do breed with our mottled ducks. It is doubtful that there are any pure mottled ducks left. We don't have them in St Johns County but there just may be some in Duval county to the north of us. If a muscovy mated with a mallrd that would be a good thing as their offspring would not be fertile.