Will a wild mallard join our flock of ducks??

[Fisherlmiranda]

We now have 45 ducks...
We have a little bit of everything it seems like lol

That looks like a duck paradise! Beautiful!

 

[Bettyboop7499]

We now have 45 ducks...
We have a little bit of everything it seems like lol

So beautiful!

Since you have so many..I have a question...probably a silly question...but, do they clip all duck wings? I just bought my first ducklings about two weeks ago from a feed store, they said they couldn't fly away because their wings are clipped? You couldn't tell at first but now that they are bigger they look so sad and awkward with their little bitty wings. My chicks flutter around, they run as fast as they can and flutter about but the ducks just walk awkwardly with their stubby wings. I feel sad for them now-because of me their wings were cut!poor critters!

Sniff, sniff...also one duckling seems to have more bowed out legs than the others will this correct itself or should we do something now? She seems to be more unstable than the others...can't fly or walk

Is there a solution to the possibility of them flying away other than clipping the wings?

Thanks!

 

[Knighstar679]

So beautiful!

Since you have so many..I have a question...probably a silly question...but, do they clip all duck wings? I just bought my first ducklings about two weeks ago from a feed store, they said they couldn't fly away because their wings are clipped? You couldn't tell at first but now that they are bigger they look so sad and awkward with their little bitty wings. My chicks flutter around, they run as fast as they can and flutter about but the ducks just walk awkwardly with their stubby wings. I feel sad for them now-because of me their wings were cut!poor critters!

Sniff, sniff...also one duckling seems to have more bowed out legs than the others will this correct itself or should we do something now? She seems to be more unstable than the others...can't fly or walk

Is there a solution to the possibility of them flying away other than clipping the wings?

Thanks!

Most domestic breeds don’t really fly. Mallard, Muscovy and calls are the exception to this. That being said most end up being able to get a few feet off the ground if they really try. But depending on their age they may not have their flight feathers in yet which would explain the stubby sad wings.

To figure out a solution for your duck with bowed legs, what breed is it? How old? And what are you feeding now?

Many problems can be fixed with extra niacin in ducks specially leg things. I like the cattle stuff from tractor supply as it is a concentrated B complex and only requires 1 ml to get into my duckling instead of three.

 

[Bettyboop7499]

Most domestic breeds don’t really fly. Mallard, Muscovy and calls are the exception to this. That being said most end up being able to get a few feet off the ground if they really try. But depending on their age they may not have their flight feathers in yet which would explain the stubby sad wings.

To figure out a solution for your duck with bowed legs, what breed is it? How old? And what are you feeding now?

Many problems can be fixed with extra niacin in ducks specially leg things. I like the cattle stuff from tractor supply as it is a concentrated B complex and only requires 1 ml to get into my duckling instead of three.

Oh yeah-sorry! I totally forgot to say that they are three week old Pekin ducklings. I feed them the Chick starter/grower 20% fed from Tractor Supply. I did read last night about adding niacin for ducks, and a BYC member said it's safe for chicks so no worries with mixing it into the feed because I do have the chicks and ducks in a brooder together.

I also noticed unlike the chicks the ducks wings are almost featherless, just fuss. I see what you mean by not having their wing feathers yet.

I'm going to get the Niacin today and start giving it to them if that is the issue do you know how long it should take. To give some idea the bowing isn't extreme they can walk but it is definitely noticeable. I don't have any pics and it's pouring rain!

 

[Knighstar679]

Oh yeah-sorry! I totally forgot to say that they are three week old Pekin ducklings. I feed them the Chick starter/grower 20% fed from Tractor Supply. I did read last night about adding niacin for ducks, and a BYC member said it's safe for chicks so no worries with mixing it into the feed because I do have the chicks and ducks in a brooder together.

I also noticed unlike the chicks the ducks wings are almost featherless, just fuss. I see what you mean by not having their wing feathers yet.

I'm going to get the Niacin today and start giving it to them if that is the issue do you know how long it should take. To give some idea the bowing isn't extreme they can walk but it is definitely noticeable. I don't have any pics and it's pouring rain!

I noticed a difference in three days with my shaking leg duckling. But I was giving that duckling extra niacin by itself

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can't imagine TSC clipping tiny Pekin wings you have to wait till their wing feathers have grown in before clipping so your ducklings wings aren't clipped they are just at the duklet stage. Take a pic of your Pekins so we can see them. Pekins can't fly so no need to even clip their wings.

 

[cymbaline]

I had a wild female mallard come visit a couple winters ago during a snowy cold snap. She was hanging around my duck pen so I set a bowl of peas and corn out. Once she decided it wasn't scary, she ate it all, lol. I opened the door later and she walked right on in and helped herself to some crumbles and nice heated water. I didn't want to force her to stay, so most days I opened the door and left it for a while in case she wanted to leave... occasionally she would walk out for a bit but she'd come right back. Then one day a couple weeks later it warmed up and all the snow was gone and off she flew! I was just glad to have helped her for a little while <3 my girly-ducks just adored her.
I do clip my mallards' wings now, ever since one flew into the road and was hit but the other ducks can glide for a few feet, at best, so it's not necessary. Clipping isn't hard - every time they molt, I sit them in my lap and spread one wing out, then snip about half way up the feather on a couple that are a few in from the outer ones (that way they still look pretty just walking around, lol). Just those couple pieces missing from one side makes them unable to fly more than a few feet.

 

[CayugaJana]

I wouldn’t feel too bad about clipping wings. And I also have never heard of TSC doing it to ducklings. I would guess the employee was mistaken. Clipping the wings is the equivalent of trimming your fingernails. It’s dead cells and doesn’t hurt them as long as you don’t cut too short like the quick of your nail. But you probably won’t need to clip Pekins wings. Mine are too fat and can only get a few feet off the ground for a second or two.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

I have a few wild (I'm assuming) mallards that live in the same area as my ducks. They have now learned to come up to eat; they aren't terribly afraid of me. Just today I was out there feeding them and one came within a foot distance of me.

One is a mama duck and her two babies--it was so sad when they were ducklings (her babies are now full grown) and we watched her clutch go from seven...to five...to two...