Rescuing mallard duckling

[L_259]

Zazu has flown the coop

This evening a flock of mallards were flying overhead whilst we were outside. They eventually landed down the road and we could hear their quacks. Zazu quacked a couple of times and flew over the fence in their direction.

I went out to my mailbox to have a look and saw 5 ducks waddling away. So, Zazu has now become an adult and moved out with her friends.

We are absolutely heartbroken but at the same time glad that she has found a flock. Hopefully, she will pay us a visit soon.

Thank you to the awesome community here. Everyone has been lovely and helpful.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Now you experience “empty nest syndrome” hopefully Zazu will come back for a visit she may even decide to hatch some babies at her home she was raised in next spring. Be sure to let us know when she visits.

 

[L_259]

Now you experience “empty nest syndrome” hopefully Zazu will come back for a visit she may even decide to hatch some babies at her home she was raised in next spring. Be sure to let us know when she visits.

She came back this morning!

It was 6am when she waddled back into the driveway with a young drake. I was in the kitchen when I heard some peeping so I walked out and immediately Zazu ran over and into the house. The drake looked for a few seconds and then took off.

She came and nuzzled my hand and zoomed off straight to her food bowl.

Thankfully, she’s not hurt and she’s been chirping all morning. I’m sure she’s telling us all about her journey. Currently, she’s asleep in the living room.

We’ve left the front door and gates open for when she wants to leave. Our priority right now is building that outdoor enclosure for when Zazu and her friends decide to stay.

 

[L_259]

We left the doors open and she would go outside but come back in when she was done.

I took her to the front lawn this evening, hoping to find her flock. We saw them flying but they were quite far.

She flew a few laps around the neighbourhood but was chased by a drake. I waited by the mailbox just looking at her fly and once she landed she ran back to our place. It doesn’t seem like she’s fond of the drake.

Here is a pic of her (red) flying and the drake (blue) behind her

 

[Lin97588]

I love this story! Wishing Zazu all the best.

We just had our two mallard hens (5.5 months old) join a wild flock this week, and they all hang out in the corner of our lake. I’ve been dreading this day, but so happy to see them join other ducks and look forward to seeing them fly in morning and at dusk. They have yet to come visit me, but I’ve made myself available on the dock just in case they want to stop by to say hello and get some meal worm treats. Raised one since a baby and got her a friend a few weeks in and they are super bonded. I really miss taking care of them every day, but I know they are free visiting between our lake and the park lake nearby having the time of their lives.

 

[L_259]

I love this story! Wishing Zazu all the best.

We just had our two mallard hens (5.5 months old) join a wild flock this week, and they all hang out in the corner of our lake. I’ve been dreading this day, but so happy to see them join other ducks and look forward to seeing them fly in morning and at dusk. They have yet to come visit me, but I’ve made myself available on the dock just in case they want to stop by to say hello and get some meal worm treats. Raised one since a baby and got her a friend a few weeks in and they are super bonded. I really miss taking care of them every day, but I know they are free visiting between our lake and the park lake nearby having the time of their lives.

Aww I love this! They are absolutely adorable

I know how you feel! When Zazu left the first night, I bawled my eyes out. It’s such a bittersweet feeling.

I’m sure they are living their best lives and are killing it with the other ducks! It sounds like they had a great upbringing with so much love.

Please update us if they come for a visit

 

[TheDaringDucks]

This is such a great thread! Thank you for sharing! I definitely hope to hear more about Zazu! I love that she brought a boy home after her first night away LOL

I totally get the feeling of having a duck fly away and how heartbreaking that can be. I hope your Zazu keeps coming back to you (and maybe bringing hope a proper husband to make a family with at some point haha!)

 

[L_259]

She has definitely been exploring her options when it comes to drakes

Yesterday I let her out at 6:30am and she flew off. We didn’t see her till about 5:00pm when she flew overhead with another drake and quacked at us. We thought she’d be gone for the night but come 8:30pm she waddled through the front door and straight to her food station and then fell asleep.

This was the longest she had gone from home. The past few days she has flown away and come back after a couple of hours. We’ve gotten to know most of the neighbourhood residents since she’ll follow behind them when they go for their walks.
Poor girl came in last night with a few of her feathers missing, which I’m assuming is due to the drakes.

I let her out this morning and she didn’t want to fly away. She just foraged around the lawn and chilled in her swimming pool. We heard a flock of ducks this morning and she quacked and continued on swimming.

 

[Luv Ducks]

She has definitely been exploring her options when it comes to drakes

Yesterday I let her out at 6:30am and she flew off. We didn’t see her till about 5:00pm when she flew overhead with another drake and quacked at us. We thought she’d be gone for the night but come 8:30pm she waddled through the front door and straight to her food station and then fell asleep.

This was the longest she had gone from home. The past few days she has flown away and come back after a couple of hours. We’ve gotten to know most of the neighbourhood residents since she’ll follow behind them when they go for their walks.
Poor girl came in last night with a few of her feathers missing, which I’m assuming is due to the drakes.

I let her out this morning and she didn’t want to fly away. She just foraged around the lawn and chilled in her swimming pool. We heard a flock of ducks this morning and she quacked and continued on swimming.

She is absolutely beautiful. Drakes can be brutal on them to the point where they kill them. They gang up on them and drown them in the ponds and lakes. I rehomed all of my drakes because they were so hard on my Hens and now I only have three little Call Drakes that can't do as much harm since most of them are larger ducks. I really enjoyed your stories about your ducks and I hope you decide to keep her and she has a safer place living with you. Good luck with the two that left the other person and with yours also.

 

[L_259]

She is absolutely beautiful. Drakes can be brutal on them to the point where they kill them. They gang up on them and drown them in the ponds and lakes. I rehomed all of my drakes because they were so hard on my Hens and now I only have three little Call Drakes that can't do as much harm since most of them are larger ducks. I really enjoyed your stories about your ducks and I hope you decide to keep her and she has a safer place living with you. Good luck with the two that left the other person and with yours also.

It breaks my heart knowing that the other ducks could be harming her. Unfortunately, the only way I can protect her is when she’s home. If I could have it my way, she’d be home 24/7 but she’s a little free spirited one. I also don’t want to clip her wings considering she’s still a wild mallard.

We are planning on keeping her for as long as she’ll have us.

Her routine typically involves waking up, having breakfast, going for a swim, and then she’s off flying. She’s been going for full days and waddling back into the house at 8:30pm (just after sunset). I’m wondering if she thinks this is a hotel lol.

We tried the outdoor enclosure but when we put her in she was constantly quacking. I felt bad, and let her out and she ran into the house. So, we’re keeping her in the house overnight.

Here are a couple of pics of her in bed and on her morning walk today before she flew off.