i am going to raise mallard ducklings. i know not to feed them bread and not to let them swim alone. HELP!!!!!

Question

i know some people who raise mallard ducklings, and they said it it very fun. we live near a bayou and further down it is a city park, with some muscovy ducks and some mallards that migrate back and forth. after the ducks i plan to raise get older, i will let them into this pond and see them once or twice a week and feed them. in louisiana it is LEGAL to raise ducks. before i let them loose, i plan to keep them in a big cage. after that, they can live in a pen with my dog (dont worry, he is friendly) and i will put a kiddy pool and let them swim. it seems fun to have these furry little animals as a pet, so i am going to investigate this and see how it works out.

Answer 1

You can get them chick feed from a local feed store. I'm from Missouri so I don't know the laws in Louisiana. My family also raised Mallards, but, we lived on a river. We fed them cracked corn daily, and they always migrated back with more mallards. When we started we did use a big cage and also a kiddie pool.

If you plan to release and visit only once or twice a week they will go back to their wild state of life. As we fed our mallards they knew us and would come up to the house even after returning from migration. Those that we didn't raise but returned with those we raised shighed away for about 2 weeks then they began to warm up to us.

When they began to lay eggs and sit on them, they stayed close to the house for protection.

Answer 2

It is not advisable to raise ducks for release. They become dependant on human help for survival and lack the necessary skills to survive in the wild. They will be easy prey for predators, and without a food bowl they will have difficulty feeding themselves.



Yes, it's fun to raise cute little fuzzy duckies. But you are commiting yourself to the responsibility of adult ducks who will need life long care.



If you are going to do this anyways, get some duck feed (not chicken feed as it has additives which can killl ducks). Get some hay for them to sleep in. They need heat, starting at ninety five degrees and going down five degrees per week. A two week old duck should be kept at eighty five degrees... They will also need shade, so put a box in the cage with one side cut out so that they can go in and out.

Answer 3

ive raised ring neck ducks and other ducks that have been orpahned or will my lad was swim kind of did his dog thing to there mother if you know what i mean but they the babies follow him around and he truies to keep my other dog away from them thers something wrong with him but if one dies and there are just two of them the other will die from stress hope it all works out for you it really a great exprience

Answer 4

I definetly would not reccomend this. Even though the law allows it they are a wild animal! Leave them be. By handling them you are getting them use to human interaction meaning they are more vulnarable to danger. I highly disscourage this. NO MATTER HOW MUCH FUN IT SOUNDS LIKE! They are wild animals leave them be!