Wild duckling food stuck in throat

[Bekah93]

So I am hoping I don't find a dead duckling tomorrow morning. I was a bit late in feeding my 3 week old wild ducklings in our creek and they chugged it down too quickly. I am feeding game bird crumble dry because it seemed like wetting it made it more trouble to eat. One looked like it had food stuck in its throat and it was taking water to try wash it down. I monitored for about 5 to 10 minutes but seemed to still be struggling. I had to head back home. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have been able to catch it as they are very fast swimmers in the creek and would likely have traumatized it, let alone try to actually massage its neck while trying not to hold it too tightly. I guess I'm just looking for some hope here! The other threads seem to have people saying to do this and that, and others say they seem to work it out themselves...whereas others say it could die from the trauma of it all, whether this is a theory or actually happened to their ducklings I don't know! Thoughts?

 

[Miss Lydia]

They look like domestic ducks? are they yours? Have you checked on the duckling this morning? Most of the time if they have water available they can clear it themselves.

 

[BelovedBirds]

They look like domestic ducks? are they yours? Have you checked on the duckling this morning? Most of the time if they have water available they can clear it themselves.

Theyre wild, apparently. But I agree with you, they do look domestic, perhaps swedish? the babies could be crossed with mallard maybe?

@Bekah93 Could you get a better photo of the mama duck? You mentioned in the other thread that the mama is injured, didnt you? thats why you wanted to help the babies get food?

 

[Bekah93]

They look like domestic ducks? are they yours? Have you checked on the duckling this morning? Most of the time if they have water available they can clear it themselves.

Yep they cleared it! Was so relieved to count all 5 this morning. They are mallard hybrids I presume, all wild

 

[Bekah93]

Theyre wild, apparently. But I agree with you, they do look domestic, perhaps swedish? the babies could be crossed with mallard maybe?

@Bekah93 Could you get a better photo of the mama duck? You mentioned in the other thread that the mama is injured, didnt you? thats why you wanted to help the babies get food?

 

[Bekah93]

There are a number of black ducks in our bay like this with the white chests, male and female, and ofcourse mallards too

 

[Bekah93]

Mum (called Paddles) is missing one foot, most likely attacked by an eel which is apparently a common way that this happens

 

[Bekah93]

I'm so proud of how big and happy they are haha

 

[BelovedBirds]

There are a number of black ducks in our bay like this with the white chests, male and female, and ofcourse mallards too

How many of them? She really looks domestic, I'm wondering if perhaps they were dumped there.
Have you ever seen them fly?

 

[Bekah93]

How many of them? She really looks domestic, I'm wondering if perhaps they were dumped there.
Have you ever seen them fly?

I think around 3 - 5 of them, at least 2 females and a male or 2. They all fly. We have known Paddles for a while, always used to come for food at the warf before settling in the creek with her babies. The black males you can see a faint green hue over their heads, as if they are mallards blackened with soot. Almost all the duckling families in the bay recently have a few black babies with yellow chests so I'm guess the black ducks here are pretty promiscuous! Would be interesting if they have originated from domestic lines, they aren't particularly tame, probably more on the shy side to be honest