Rescue duck advice

[Kate_]

How is your little rescue duck doing?

She (I think) is doing good! She's now on a 20% protein meatbird crumble mixed with nutritional yeast, lots of mealworms and produce from the fridge. A lot more energetic from when I posted this! Spends a lot of time foraging in the backyard or swimming now. Not flying yet but she has started running and flapping her wings a lot but I am worried she's a little small compared to other posts. 8 and a half weeks old now. Photo doesn't do justice as Barred Rock is massive but here she is at 6am waiting to be let out!

 

[Sondraa]

That's great! I was worried when the thread went quiet. Any news on a potential webbed foot friend? Does she seem depressed at all being the only duck?

 

[Kate_]

That's great! I was worried when the thread went quiet. Any news on a potential webbed foot friend? Does she seem depressed at all being the only duck?

No friend unfortunately, but shes doing well. Forages and follows around our Silkies in the backyard, they don't mind her/care she's there, and I'm constantly home as well giving her lots of attention and treats. She has zoomies each morning when I let her out and she has made a decent mud pool under the hose she loves, as well as her pool she dives and splashes about, bullies the dog for her bed every night even though she has her own. If anything I would say she's very cheeky, very curious but I think she's doing okay. Eating well, drinking very well alert and quacky now she's found her voice

 

[L_259]

Hi, sorry if this is too late! I rescued a solo mallard a few months ago too. Also, living in NZ

I found that my duck had no interest in Topflite seeds. I started off with chicken feed crumble from Petstock and mixed it with nutritional yeast from the health store. She was on this for the first three weeks.

After this I integrated duck starter pellets from Sharpe (online NZ store). The only thing is the smallest size they had was 20kg. I would mix the crumble with the pellets until she was comfortable eating only the pellets.

The pellets was her main source of food but she was also out foraging and would get mealworms as treats.

All the best on your little one and hope to hear more about her journey!!

 

[Kate_]

Hi, sorry if this is too late! I rescued a solo mallard a few months ago too. Also, living in NZ

I found that my duck had no interest in Topflite seeds. I started off with chicken feed crumble from Petstock and mixed it with nutritional yeast from the health store. She was on this for the first three weeks.

After this I integrated duck starter pellets from Sharpe (online NZ store). The only thing is the smallest size they had was 20kg. I would mix the crumble with the pellets until she was comfortable eating only the pellets.

The pellets was her main source of food but she was also out foraging and would get mealworms as treats.

All the best on your little one and hope to hear more about her journey!!

Missed this comment sorry! The chooks ended up loving the seed mix instead and I ended up finding Gamebird Crumble from Farmlands which is 20% and a lot easier to source! Bought a 20kg bag as well and still going strong on it, she mostly forages now but I still offer the crumble and she beelines straight for the mealworms

Was your duckling a solo too? Do they come back? Mine has started flying over the fence but has no interest in leaving the ground otherwise

 

[L_259]

Missed this comment sorry! The chooks ended up loving the seed mix instead and I ended up finding Gamebird Crumble from Farmlands which is 20% and a lot easier to source! Bought a 20kg bag as well and still going strong on it, she mostly forages now but I still offer the crumble and she beelines straight for the mealworms

Was your duckling a solo too? Do they come back? Mine has started flying over the fence but has no interest in leaving the ground otherwise

Aww I’m glad she’s thriving!! Thats so cute that she zooms over to the mealworms!!

My duck was a solo and unfortunately I had no chickens to keep her company. So, she was with me 24/7.

She was with us for almost 2 months before she officially left the coop and joined a flock of mallards that live in the neighbourhood. She would fly off for short periods and return home. Eventually, she started staying out overnight and returning home in the early morning. But she’s now integrated back with the wild ducks. She still responds to her name but she doesn’t come over anymore

Our plan was always to rescue her and let her leave if she wanted/was ready.

Your little one might leave the coop one day to join a flock but in the meantime enjoy every moment with her! Take as many pics as you can

 

[Kate_]

Aww I’m glad she’s thriving!! Thats so cute that she zooms over to the mealworms!!

My duck was a solo and unfortunately I had no chickens to keep her company. So, she was with me 24/7.

She was with us for almost 2 months before she officially left the coop and joined a flock of mallards that live in the neighbourhood. She would fly off for short periods and return home. Eventually, she started staying out overnight and returning home in the early morning. But she’s now integrated back with the wild ducks. She still responds to her name but she doesn’t come over anymore

Our plan was always to rescue her and let her leave if she wanted/was ready.

Your little one might leave the coop one day to join a flock but in the meantime enjoy every moment with her! Take as many pics as you can

Aww that's good news, I was hoping that's what my duckling would do so she had some duck friends also but she hasn't left the ground properly, she's 11 weeks now unsure if I should be worried if she can't fly or if she just doesn't want to yet. She will stand still and flap her wings a lot but no take-off.

I purchased a small dog kennel for her since she's still around and stopped wanting to come in at night but after one night outside she started coming in again and back to stealing the dog bed.

She's still just very content otherwise in wondering around the place, taking naps in the sun, foraging and swimming. She's pretty independent now, no longer follows me around and just does her own thing most the time, comes back to the house a couple times a day then wonders off again.

Lots of photos being taken too, she's a funny wee thing so much cheeky personality