Rescued an injured domestic mallard and need advice

[Tammi2lee]

I am thankful there is a forum on which I can ask advice. I grew up on a beef farm, and we also raised crops; but I know little about taking on a rescued blind domestic mallard.

He was part of a flock of four owned by my housemate, but three were killed when a racoon got into their enclosure at night. This enclosure was built as part of a raise and release program for pheasant and quail for our state conservation league, and was not built to house anything permanently. My housemate intended to raise them to release in the pond in the back yard, but the three died before they even got all their feathers.

As a result of losing the three, my housemate is no longer committed to caring for the blind one so I took him to the vet. I say him only because I am guessing. I am told the males of this breed are smaller than the hens, and he was the smallest of the four.

Anyway, my housemate has also told me we are not getting anymore ducks, and since I am renting from him, I have little say in the matter. I am very concerned he will be too lonely by himself. I am also concerned the shelter will not be adequate come winter when it gets down to 40 below here. Eventually I will be looking to move to a farmette and take him with where I can provide him with companions. I could use some advice for how to best care for him in the meantime. He has gotten very attached to me since he relys on me to hand feed and hand water him since he can't seem to find his dishes. And he is still recovering from his wounds...

Please let me know where I might find some good resources that would help me solve some of these problems.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

If you could find another duckling for company it may help it. It will need some protection in the winter. I've had blind chickens but never a duck.

 

[Texag87]

Stuffed animal and a mirror for now will help

 

[Serin]

I dont think you need a mirror if he is blind...

 

[Texag87]

Good point

 

[Miss Lydia]

Moving so you can get him a friend or two sounds like the solution. That's is why he is so attached to you he needs your help and he knows he can trust you. If you can post a pic if he is old enough we maybe able to sex the duck. Your so sweet to take this on. It's a big commitment. Other than what your doing the only thing I can think of is placing food and water in the same spot each day and keeping him in a small enough enclosure that he can find his way to the feed and water on his own with some training.

 

[Tammi2lee]

Stuffed animal and a mirror for now will help

Thanks but she didn’t like the stuffed snimal much.Her coloring has come in so she is female. The stuffed animal I got her was a mallard who even quacked, but she wouldn’t go near it and didn’t even respond to the quacking. Funny thing is when she hears me coming she quacks even before I say anything. She quacks at me when her bedding is too wet or she needs more pellets, or she got turned around and can’t find the food/water. Then when I talk to her she quacks back. Her quack is raspy and quiet though, as the racoon must have damaged her vocal chords too.

 

[Tammi2lee]

Moving so you can get him a friend or two sounds like the solution. That's is why he is so attached to you he needs your help and he knows he can trust you. If you can post a pic if he is old enough we maybe able to sex the duck. Your so sweet to take this on. It's a big commitment. Other than what your doing the only thing I can think of is placing food and water in the same spot each day and keeping him in a small enough enclosure that he can find his way to the feed and water on his own with some training.

Moving so you can get him a friend or two sounds like the solution. That's is why he is so attached to you he needs your help and he knows he can trust you. If you can post a pic if he is old enough we maybe able to sex the duck. Your so sweet to take this on. It's a big commitment. Other than what your doing the only thing I can think of is placing food and water in the same spot each day and keeping him in a small enough enclosure that he can find his way to the feed and water on his own with some training.

Here is a picture of the four before the attack. I will upload a photo of her tomorrow. Pretty sure she's a female Rouen.

 

[Tammi2lee]

 

[Tammi2lee]

In that photo she's the one on the left.