We didn't find the duck! The duck found us!

[ninjawesome]

Hey all,
For all the duck lovers out there: There's a duck in my front yard. He/she just randomly came here and doesn't seem to have any inclination to leave. I figure she might be attracted to our chickens. She almost seems tame although she does back away when I come within about ten feet of her. Is she sick? Maybe she is lost? Wild? Who knows. Anyways, for those who know ducks: a few questions... 1. Gender? 2. Breed? 3. How old is it? (not hearing any quacking just little chirps...) 4. Does it look wild or domesticated? 5. Does it look healthy (I guess she could just be too weak to fly any further....)?
Thanks!

 

[Gabby2016]

Hey all,
For all the duck lovers out there: There's a duck in my front yard. He/she just randomly came here and doesn't seem to have any inclination to leave. I figure she might be attracted to our chickens. She almost seems tame although she does back away when I come within about ten feet of her. Is she sick? Maybe she is lost? Wild? Who knows. Anyways, for those who know ducks: a few questions... 1. Gender? 2. Breed? 3. How old is it? (not hearing any quacking just little chirps...) 4. Does it look wild or domesticated? 5. Does it look healthy (I guess she could just be too weak to fly any further....)?
Thanks!

Granted I am a newbie, but from the research I have been doing it looks like a female rouen. Probably didn't fly there. All you others more experiened can certaily correct me if I'm wrong. She's beautiful. Keep let her hang out, provide a source of water for her and maybe she will let you come closer as each day passes.

I had a Pekin show up in my front yard about a month and a half ago and now she follows me around the yard, runs to me when I get home from work and let's me know it's time to eat in the morning. She is such a dear we just ordered 12 more (4 Rouens, 4 Blue Swedish and 4 Goldens) from Metzer farms to be shipped 10/17. We are starting on the coop and brooder this weekend to get ready!

Good luck and let us know how she is doing.

 

[Ren2014]

Congratulations on being the chosen yard

How many eye stripes does she have? Generally, Mallards have one eye stripe and Rouens have two. Mallards are smaller and can fly. Rouens don't fly.

 

[lomine]

I think I see one eye stripe so that would make it a Mallard. Mallards and Rouens are very similar in appearance but the big difference is that Mallards are half the size. Mallards are great flyers.

It's hard to say if this is a wild or domestic Mallard. Usually domestic ones are marked in some way by hatcheries and breeders, like a hole in the webbing. You could try looking at the feet and legs to see if there's something. But it could also just have been raised in someone's backyard. It could be a wild bird that got seperated from the flock. Hard to know for sure.

Hard to say on gender. Normally I'd agree female. However, drakes lose their bright colors at the end of summer and don't get them back till they molt in fall. If this bird hasn't molted yet it could be a drake. No real way to tell the age.

 

[Spyderk117]

I belive that is a female mallard.
Picture comparison, does it look like this?