Wild Mallards...Story with a question

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Well, i posted alittle while back saying my dad rescued 4 wild mallard eggs. With out him getting them, they were a gonner. Well, all 4 hatched, and 2 died. I have not the slightest clue why, but the other 2 are thriving. I think i have a hen and a drake. One kind of squeals and the other quacks. Well when they first hatched they were very wild. My human contact on them did nothing to imprint on them. However, since i put them with my turkey poults, they are almost as tame to let me pet them! Ive made awesome progress.


Now, my questions are---
-When can they fly?
-Can the ducks EVER eat medicated feed like 7 weeks 8 weeks or never?
-When do drakes get the drake feathers?

 

[Denninmi]

Um:

They will be able to fly at roughly 8 to 10 weeks old, I believe. But don't take that as fact, because it was 10 years ago when I raised a rescued batch.

No, NEVER give them medicated feed - the drug used to combat cocci in chickens, turkeys, and gamebirds is toxic to ducks.

In domestic Rouens, the drake feathers show up at 6 to 8 weeks. Not sure about the mallards, but I would think you would see subtle clues about the gender by that point -- males might have lighter beaks, greener heads, hints of drake feathers, different voice/call than females. Just guessing, though.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

OK they are 6 weeks and 2 days. They were sprinting down my hill trying to follow the turkeys and one fell completely on its face lol. The other was flapping its wings the whole time. I really want a pair so i can breed them!

 

[xke4]

If the medication in the feed is amprolium, it is NOT toxic to ducks.

 

[Denninmi]

Quote:
But, aren't they siblings? They would be sort of inbred that way, would they not?

Maybe not an issue for the first generation, but if it continued ....

 

[Denninmi]

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This is why my little bit of knowledge about these things is dangerous.

 

[KOTurkeyRanch]

Quote:
But, aren't they siblings? They would be sort of inbred that way, would they not?

Maybe not an issue for the first generation, but if it continued ....

Good suggestion. It is how some people get desired traits. Its known as linebreeding. With turkeys this is done alot. It doesnt really matter as long as you rotate genes in and out every 3 years or so.