Who has had mallard ducklings?

[Keleka]

OK, so I got a call last night from a lady who knows we keep chickens. Apparently there is a wild mallard duck who has been coming to her house for the past 4 years to nest, and raise her babies until they are old enough to leave. Well, this year she laid 12 eggs, and only 5 hatched. Mother was with babies until yesterday when a hawk decided to come pluck a few off. Mother tried to protect her babies, but the hawk got her also. So now there were 3 little helpless ducklings. Of course I said we'd take them and the plan is to raise them until they can fly, then release them back to the wild. They are very skittish right now, and pretty quick too. How long does it take for them to fly? They seem to get along ok with the chickens, but I didn't leave them together unsupervised. They are seperated right now. Any thoughts/comments on these babies? I think they are about 3 weeks old.

 

[Bantymama]

Last year i hatched out 6. We feed them game starter. When they were about 5 weeks old we put them in a pen with a small swimming pool and a box to go into at night. they loved the pool. At about 3 months old we put them in the lake and they hung around for a couple of weeks and they they left.

 

[DuckLady]

Wild mallards are hard to raise. They pretty much stay skittish, if they live.
If you don't have a license to rehab federally protected migratory waterfowl, you are legally obligated to call your local fish and game department and ask for the name and location of a licensed rehabilitator who will raise them with minimal human interference and release at the right time.

If you check the link in my sig line, you can contact a rescuer near you and also be referred. We have several Federally Licensed Wildlife Rehabilitators on staff in various locations throughout the US.

 

[apbgv]

Last year I raised a single mallard duckling, I took him down to the river when he was about 3 1/2 4 mos old ( I was ready to get rid of him my poor fish pond) We have alot of ducks in town so I knew he wouldn't be lonely. Plus he was bonding with my chickens and I did NOT want a duck in my pond. I fed him chick feed, plus the occasional treat of fish food and when he was older mostly all my pond plants were fair game. Very cute babies. If I lived in the country I would have a duck pond.

 

[nightshade]

Quote:
The only warning I have about this is that I know if you call our local game commision requesting that info they will not give it to you. Instead they will insist that they come get them, and they normaly distroy the "saved" animals before they ever leave your property. I would look the contact info up online for your local rescuer instead of contacting the game commision.

 

[DuckLady]

My fish and wildlife gave me several rehabbers to choose from, so I can only offer what I experience as you are. They did follow up and make sure I took the duckling to the rehab place.

The audobon society will take migratory waterfowl, but if you take them a domestic goose or duck, they will euthanize it on the spot, so I never recommend taking any other than a wild animal to them.

 

[ozark hen]

Terrie, I have a question for you...I purchased four mallard ducklings from a poultry swap meet and they look just these in the photo...does this mean they were wild? Or is there a domesticated mallard that looks like this? thanks

 

[dixierose992]

I got 4 mallard baby ducks from the feed store and that is what they looked like. I think they all look the same. I hope.

 

[ozark hen]

thanks dixie rose, had me worried there for a minute!!

 

[dixierose992]

These are my mallard babies at alittle over a month.

When they were littler they looked like yours.