Wild Mallards?

[sweetie54]

yes raven storm: Dont forget to enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[RavenStorm]

Ok, so first off I'm sorry that I have broken the number one cardinal sin of this site: I have not taken a single picture of these babies to post since I got them two and a half weeks ago! I apologize and I will fix that asap!

Secondly: I think the story the woman who gave my the ducklings told me is a crock. She claimed to have taken these ducklings from the wild and only had them for a few days before she gave them to me. She said that since she is pregnant and has a young toddler that she had little contact with them because she didn't want to get a disease. Yet when I got there to pick them up, I could hear a female duck quacking nearby, and it was loud enough to have been coming form the back yard. She looked a little embarrassed (to my eyes anyway) each time we were interrupted by a quack, but never changed her story. I checked on the babies before I left, and when I got them home I inspected them carefully. They had no fear of me at all, in fact they ran up to my hand nibbling like my adult ducks do when looking for treats. They were pretty hefty for very young, "wild" ducklings.

At this point I think she hatched and raised these guys herself. I have no idea why she would tell me a tall tale, but I can assure you guys that these babies behave like they have been completely domesticated. The toes have not been marked, and now I'm thinking that there is no way I can't let them loose in the future because of how they act now (I have been having little contact with them just in case but they still call for me like I'm momma). I'm thinking that I better mark them, and they can't be more than 3-4 weeks old. Is that still young enough to cut off a hind toe? I've never done it before, how do I go about doing it?

 

[DuckLady]

There is usually a good samaritan time where if you rescue wild animals, you have time to contact a Wildlife Rehabber and arrange to take it to them.

If you go to www.duckrescue.org, you can find a rehabber near you.

I had a wild mallard for a few days until I could get it to a Wildlife center. I kept it in a tote with a heat lamp and feed and water and a mirror and a stuffed penguin for company. (The ducking would snuggle under the penguin's flippers). I handled it hardly at all, just to change bedding, etc.

I had an email a few months later that the duck was released successfully.

Remember, if you do take the ducklings to a rehabber (and I hope you do) consider leaving a donation or taking them some all purpose feed to help out.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Quote:
No, it's not too late if you decide to go that route. Just take very sharp scissors to snip off the right hind toe. At that age, there may be a little bit of blood but only a drop or two.

 

[CityChicker]

My experience with Mallards raised from ducklings is that you cannot hardly chase them away. Your home will become their "home" no matter how much attention you do or do not give them. Even my birds that have been fully flighted *always* return home. I have never had one leave for more than a day or two at a time.

 

[Duck Keeper]

Seems to me you got a couple 'dud' mallards!

She 'rescued' them my foot!
LIAR.

Shame on her.

 

[RavenStorm]

Quote:
I know, right? What is the point? I would have adopted them no matter what their origins were, or at least figured out how to help them. I've never bred any of my birds or shown them, but I figure that even if she was a breeder and these ones didn't turn out how she wanted there are plenty of people in this area selling mutt breeds, why make up a story to try to get someone to take them for free?

I'm not sure I can clip their toes though. I got ready to try to do it today but my hand started to shake and I got too nervous. Same thing happens to me when I'm at school and have to give a pig/cow/goat/sheep/horse/whatever a shot or some other painful procedure. I know it will be quick and they'll forget about it fast, but I get so nervous anyway. I need to grow a pair lol.

 

[Mrs MIA]

Seriously, it's not bad at all, and the sooner you do it the better. It really is just like clipping a toenail...

 

[DuckLady]

Quote:
Before clipping the hind toes of protected species, maybe you should check into the legality of it.

An untrained and unlicensed person clipping the hind toes of a federally protected migratory waterfowl doesn't make the duck a domestic species. It is like clipping a wild salmon after you caught it to make it look like a hacthery fish so you could keep it.

If you decide to do it anyway, be careful who you talk about it to.
Thousands here know about it already because you posted your intent here.

I really must caution against that course of action.

 

[Duck Keeper]

My last mallard duckling (that Tractor Supply pawned off as a 'rouen') doesn't have any marks.

I need to punch his foot of something, since the lady there said they came from Mt. Healthy. But now he's so /old/...
Lol, he's like six weeks old or something.

Is a leg band something I could look into? Like a zip tie, since I have one on another duck, with no problems yet. I'm going to clip his feathers and keep him grounded, but I have no idea why a hatchery would sell unmarked mallards. Grr!

I'm going to try and find Mt. Healthy's website, to see if they even sell mallards/rouens, but the flyer I got from TSC to 'special order' poultry/fowl said they did, so who knows.







Edit:
Okay, so they sell Pekin, Khakis, Mallards and Blue Swedish. NO IDEA why they wouldn't mark them though...