Wild Duckling Found

[Lacey1988]

My cousin saved this wild duckling earlier from her dog. She doesn't know where it came from and couldn't see a mama duck anywhere at the pond behind her house. So she's bringing it to me this afternoon. Any idea of the breed?

 

[Kevin565]

Looks like it could be a mallard but wild waterfowl aren't my specialty.

People in the ornamental fowl section might have more insight for you.

 

[Chickies2020]

Make sure you've got a heat lamp for it - it's not very old

 

[The Duck Ladie]

Could be a mallard or wood duck

 

[Lacey1988]

It's very aggressive for a two or three day old duckling; bites and hisses. Also I'm having a hard time getting it to eat. It does drink though.
I'm leaning toward wood duck....

 

[Ravynscroft]

Definitely not a mallard... does look like a wood duck to me, but I'm not very familiar with them... maybe @attimus could shed some light on the subject?

 

[attimus]

Looks like qbert when she was little. Sounds like her too. Doesn't look to be more than a few days old. Took some encouragement to get her to eat at first too. Try putting some nutridrench in its water to help it along. And keep showing it where the food is. I spent alot of time whistling to her when she was little as well.

She also spent most of her adolescence on my shoulder

Attimus

 

[buff goose guy]

A good idea is to get a mallard or call duckling ( a breed that will stay small) to go with her , because mallard derived breeds eat easily and they will show the little wood duckling that it is okay to eat and drink the food and water given to it. This is what a lot of people do to help the baby wood ducks survive if it is alone.

 

[lomine]

I think it is wonderful that you are trying to help this little one but you should be aware that you can't just take a wild duck in and raise it like you would a domestic breed. Doing so violates federal laws. I suggest you contact a wildlife rehabilitation center/person to take the duckling. They should be able to raise it so that it can be released back into the wild when it's old enough.

 

[attimus]

I think it is wonderful that you are trying to help this little one but you should be aware that you can't just take a wild duck in and raise it like you would a domestic breed. Doing so violates federal laws. I suggest you contact a wildlife rehabilitation center/person to take the duckling. They should be able to raise it so that it can be released back into the wild when it's old enough.

the wild life rehabilitation I called about my duck told me to put it back where I got it from.....
Abandoned in the middle of a busy city street. I wasn't amused.