Releasing Mallard Ducks

[dzros]

I live in Ohio I have a nice little stream that is heavily wooded off you think 5 mallard ducklings when they get to a certain age would be just fine to survive if I just let them go down there. There is many minos (that seem big enough to provide the nutrition a duck would need in the wild) crayfish and bugs.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Are they wild or from a hatchery?

 

[dzros]

Are they wild or from a hatchery?

They are from Metzer Farms

Of course I will give them the proper heat and care and housing they need before they are grown and are all feathered and capable enough of finding their own food and all that and my house is literally 25 feet from the stream so they can go back up if they feel they are endanger of anything I just dont think I can keep 10 full grown ducks in the house. It is called a stream but it is wide and big enough to be a river also and I have seen ducks float down it before in the past. Should I build them a feeder or something if I do put them down there when they are older or should I not release them in there at all and advise. thank you

 

[EverythingDucks]

Well, people don't release domesticated ducks. Since they have been bred by humans for so many years, and these ducklings have been raised by you they have no survival skills.
You could still free range them during the day but they should have a duck house to sleep in, that way they'll be safe from predators at night. Though they'll be able to find some food on their own they'll still need to be primarily fed by you.
Most people build their own duck houses but you can DIY something into one. You can also purchase building plans if you'd like, though I like to design things so you could do that as well.

 

[dzros]

Well, people don't release domesticated ducks. Since they have been bred by humans for so many years, and these ducklings have been raised by you they have no survival skills.
You could still free range them during the day but they should have a duck house to sleep in, that way they'll be safe from predators at night. Though they'll be able to find some food on their own they'll still need to be primarily fed by you.
Most people build their own duck houses but you can DIY something into one. You can also purchase building plans if you'd like, though I like to design things so you could do that as well.

Thanks for the advise I will build a little duck pen for them to stay in by the river and a feeder and heaters. As long as I do not leave them totally helpless they will be okay it seems to me is what you are saying. I will build them a pen to stay in or something.

 

[EverythingDucks]

Here's a smaller duck house.
You'll need to be sure they's enough space though. If you haven't already you may need to re-home some drakes to insure a good ratio, so you may not need one quite so big.

Here's a larger one with a run

 

[cheezenkwackers]

You will need to put them in the duck house at night and let them out in the morning. I toss meal worms in and everyone runs in. Even then, spending the day alone in the creek they may not last long. Imagine them as fat, cute, cheeseburgers floating alone without any means of defense. Predators could easily get them.

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

any duck born in the wild, belongs in the wild. unless it is incapable of surviving in the wild of course. and any duck that wasn’t born in the wild, doesn’t belong in the wild.

 

[WhatTheDuckingDuck]

Correct me if I’m wrong
You bought 10 ducks, want to keep 5 in your house and release 5 behind your house? Ducks need to be outside or else they will be unhappy. You bought those ducks and they depend on you for their well being. You can’t just raise them until they are done being cute and release them. It’s unfair.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

They will all be dead within a couple weeks if left out in a predator rich environment like described, we weren’t able to go more than a day out in our ended garden ”free ranging” without predator attack. It isn’t right to order domestic animals and turn them loose. Put them up on Craigslist if you don’t want them all.