- Feb 20, 2013
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I rescued a mallard duckling last year, she was only a few days old when she was found by some neighbors who did searched everywhere possible, but the mother was no where to be found nor was ever previously seen. She had an infected cut on her leg that I cleaned and took care of but it permanently damaged tissue, causing her to have a limp.
Looking at her bond to her call duck sibling and humans along with her limp, it was easy to see why she did not migrate last fall. She had a batch of 9 ducklings of her own to my surprise in early summer, now the ducklings are almost fully feathered and she has left them to fend for themselves as she goes off with her call duck friends.
One duckling got killed about a 5 days ago, but that night when I counted the ducklings they were all there.... A closer look and there was a fully feathered young female mallard about 2-3 weeks older than mine that had walked into the barn and into bed with them! She has stuck around for a few days. in this time another young female has joined her! I mean I can see them sticking around outside for food, company and the pond. but these actually walked into the barn, into a completely closed pen with no fits or attempts to escape, walking right by us with nothing but a watching eye, a small distance between us and a timid .
A few large flocks came threw yesterday and they both stayed, and I think they attracted the huge flock to land at the pond with them. But even when they left the 2 girls stayed!
Has this happened to anyone else???????? Random wild mallard ducks joining their domestic flock??
I could understand one young one who got lost from it's family or flock. but for there to be 2, both coming a few days apart, and to stay when an opportunity to fly away with not only a few flocks flying by but a huge flock that landed with them! Isn't that a bit weird??
Both females were here this morning but one female was no where to be seen tonight, but the other one still stayed. she didn't come in tonight and is on the pond with my young male mallard coloured call duck(young grey drake) and a few other larger ducks. It doesn't worry me for her to be out, she will be fine, but I wish she would have gone with her new female friend and not stayed! Sighhh! She is welcome come and go as she pleases, I just hope she goes eventually, she is meant to be free and is too gorgeous to stay here cooped up in a pen! I feel bad enough owning my one who I rescued, but at least she was raised domestically!
Let me know if this has happened to anyone else!
Looking at her bond to her call duck sibling and humans along with her limp, it was easy to see why she did not migrate last fall. She had a batch of 9 ducklings of her own to my surprise in early summer, now the ducklings are almost fully feathered and she has left them to fend for themselves as she goes off with her call duck friends.
One duckling got killed about a 5 days ago, but that night when I counted the ducklings they were all there.... A closer look and there was a fully feathered young female mallard about 2-3 weeks older than mine that had walked into the barn and into bed with them! She has stuck around for a few days. in this time another young female has joined her! I mean I can see them sticking around outside for food, company and the pond. but these actually walked into the barn, into a completely closed pen with no fits or attempts to escape, walking right by us with nothing but a watching eye, a small distance between us and a timid .
A few large flocks came threw yesterday and they both stayed, and I think they attracted the huge flock to land at the pond with them. But even when they left the 2 girls stayed!
Has this happened to anyone else???????? Random wild mallard ducks joining their domestic flock??
I could understand one young one who got lost from it's family or flock. but for there to be 2, both coming a few days apart, and to stay when an opportunity to fly away with not only a few flocks flying by but a huge flock that landed with them! Isn't that a bit weird??
Both females were here this morning but one female was no where to be seen tonight, but the other one still stayed. she didn't come in tonight and is on the pond with my young male mallard coloured call duck(young grey drake) and a few other larger ducks. It doesn't worry me for her to be out, she will be fine, but I wish she would have gone with her new female friend and not stayed! Sighhh! She is welcome come and go as she pleases, I just hope she goes eventually, she is meant to be free and is too gorgeous to stay here cooped up in a pen! I feel bad enough owning my one who I rescued, but at least she was raised domestically!
Let me know if this has happened to anyone else!
