RainMD
In the Brooder
- May 13, 2015
- 25
- 10
- 26
Hi, I'm Michelle. My husband joined this site a looong time ago, when we first got into raising chickens. Now, by a twist of fate, we find ourselves fast becoming duck foster parents. My mother has lived by a pond for the last millenia and between her cats and the large amount of predator birds that like to hunt these little guys, they can get picked off fairly quick. Sometimes one is resued from the cats and, less often, one falls from the sky, presumably from an other bird above. In the past, we've taken these ducklings to the wildlife rehab ladies, but they were very appathetic about recieving them last year and I cannot find thier number this year. This leaves me to raise them untill the end of summer and then take them to my mother back yard to see if they will choose wild or domestic. I don't know what else to do about it.
We started with a mallard the saturday before Mother's day and, after making some phone calls, aquired two mascovy ducklings of the same age (between 1-3 days old). These ducklings were rescued from an inexperienced and stubborn mama who insisted on keeping her nest and hachling in a goat barn. Unfortunately, these two babes were the only survivors. Last night, my husband called from my mother's house (he's remodeling her kitchen) saying he and my son were bringing me an other duckling. The cats had gotten this one too and it had some scratches. I really didn't expect it to last the night, but it did and it has been very well recieved by the other three. From what I can tell, this last one is a wood duck, also under a week old. I'm hoping no more come my way. I'm already wondering how this is going to be managed. I may be trading ducks for chickens.
We started with a mallard the saturday before Mother's day and, after making some phone calls, aquired two mascovy ducklings of the same age (between 1-3 days old). These ducklings were rescued from an inexperienced and stubborn mama who insisted on keeping her nest and hachling in a goat barn. Unfortunately, these two babes were the only survivors. Last night, my husband called from my mother's house (he's remodeling her kitchen) saying he and my son were bringing me an other duckling. The cats had gotten this one too and it had some scratches. I really didn't expect it to last the night, but it did and it has been very well recieved by the other three. From what I can tell, this last one is a wood duck, also under a week old. I'm hoping no more come my way. I'm already wondering how this is going to be managed. I may be trading ducks for chickens.
I have never raised ducks either, but I have a feeling that wood ducks have different needs then the normal ducks like mallards. It is great that you can give the ducklings a second chance 
