Wild duck nest, water isn't close.

[SunriseChickers]

So this morning my sister discovered a duck nest while she was out walking the dog. There are seven eggs so far, and we are fairly certain they are Mallards. Like the title suggests, there is no water within a half mile of our house. We live on a road out in the country so there aren't many houses or people, but nearly every one has a dog or two and they sometimes wander into our yard. To get to water they would have to walk a half mile down the windswept valley of farm fields to a shallow creek where they've been burning off the trees to clear its banks. Beyond that there is a river but it's a bit swift and seems like a very long walk for ducklings. In addition their nest is just a foot away from some trees my dad and I just planted. They are nothing more than twigs and need regular watering but I'm worried about disturbing the nest because of how close they are. I have no idea how we didn't notice them when planting. Since the water is so far, I'm wondering if there is anything we can do? My sister suggested digging a hole and putting plastic tubs filled with water in the ground, which we could do. But they are wild animals that should be equipped to deal with these things on their own, so is it just better to do nothing?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Listen mama Mallards have been doing this since the beginning of time,if you go on you tube you can see all the weird places they will make a nest and after hatch walk their duckling many miles to water. Why the nest In such out of the way places is beyond me but they are wild and protected so please leave them alone it’s actually a crime to even mess with them .

 

[TomCahalan]

Let natural selection take its course. If everyone helps every animal that makes a mistake, eventually wild animals will be unable to survive in the wild.

 

[SunriseChickers]

Listen mama Mallards have been doing this since the beginning of time,if you go on you tube you can see all the weird places they will make a nest and after hatch walk their duckling many miles to water. Why the nest In such out of the way places is beyond me but they are wild and protected so please leave them alone it’s actually a crime to even mess with them .

Let natural selection take its course. If everyone helps every animal that makes a mistake, eventually wild animals will be unable to survive in the wild.

Okay, so you've said to leave them alone, which I can do, but at the same time I can't. I must water the saplings everyday it doesn't rain or they will die. This takes about a half hour or more and many are close enough to scare momma away. Is this a problem? It's not really natural selection if they die because of my frequent proximity, is it? It's still human intervention, though not intentional.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[TomCahalan]

It's not really natural selection if they die because of my frequent proximity, is it? It's still human intervention, though not intentional.

Keep living your life. One possibility is that she abandons the nest and here genes are removed from the gene pool. Another possibility is that she actually gains some benefit from nesting near you (fewer predators) and she will be rewarded by a healthy brood, resulting in an increase in her genes in the gene pool. Either way, it is best to do nothing for her. Humans aren't going away anytime soon, so we are just a part of the environment that mallards need to evolve to deal with.

 

[SunriseChickers]

Keep living your life. One possibility is that she abandons the nest and here genes are removed from the gene pool. Another possibility is that she actually gains some benefit from nesting near you (fewer predators) and she will be rewarded by a healthy brood, resulting in an increase in her genes in the gene pool. Either way, it is best to do nothing for her. Humans aren't going away anytime soon, so we are just a part of the environment that mallards need to evolve to deal with.

Okay, thanks. I'll go about my day then.

 

[chickens really]

They will nest a distance from water and them walk the hatchlings a long ways to a pond. Just leave things alone and they will be fine.

 

[RichL]

My domestic ducks love it when I mist them with the hose and they will often just sit out in the rain, rather than go inside the nice dry hutch I made for them. So, try to stay 10-12 foot away if possible and water the saplings daily. If you happen to splash mama it won't hurt her or the eggs. If you are tempted to feed her, just because who can resist a duck. DON'T give her bread.

Frozen peas, corn and meal worms are great choices.

Ducks will play in a mud puddle and can walk miles as young as 2 days old. I would only put out a pool of water if you want to watch them playing. Any old pot or tub will do. Just make sure they can get out. Ducklings can and do drown. They don't have the oil in their feathers and will get waterlogged and sink.

Enjoy watching them hatch in 3 weeks or so.

 

[SunriseChickers]

My domestic ducks love it when I mist them with the hose and they will often just sit out in the rain, rather than go inside the nice dry hutch I made for them. So, try to stay 10-12 foot away if possible and water the saplings daily. If you happen to splash mama it won't hurt her or the eggs. If you are tempted to feed her, just because who can resist a duck. DON'T give her bread.

Frozen peas, corn and meal worms are great choices.

Ducks will play in a mud puddle and can walk miles as young as 2 days old. I would only put out a pool of water if you want to watch them playing. Any old pot or tub will do. Just make sure they can get out. Ducklings can and do drown. They don't have the oil in their feathers and will get waterlogged and sink.

Enjoy watching them hatch in 3 weeks or so.

Thanks, that's a great idea for the saplings, though the hose is too far away to reach the saplings. I'll just have to disturb them, unfortunately. I won't feed them because momma will probably attack me but thanks for the tips. They are very wild and momma flew the nest when I got within thirty feet. Oh well. Hope I don't get attacked when watering, I didn't think of that!

 

[Miss Lydia]

She’ll fly off most likely. Just admire from afar.