Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Post title pretty much explains it. I found a baby duck in the swimming pool alone, so i took it inside and set it up in a cage with some bread and water. What i need to know is what to feed it (bread?), how to set up a cage, what some of the stuff it does means, how to sex it, etc. All pretty much newbie stuff. Any help at all would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hey,

Firstly i would suggest that you try and find the ducklings family, if you can then release it back with them. Otherwise you are going to have to do certain things...

Make sure that the duckling doesn't get wet. Many ducklings can die if they get a chill through being wet if they don't have their mothers to keep them warm. Adding a heat lamp to the cage will benefit the duckling. But be careful not to go to the other extreme and over heat it. Give the duckling a shallow water bowl the depth of its head (so that it can keep it's nostrils and eyes clean).

As for food, it depends on the ducklings age. If it's still got it's down/fluff then it's generally under 4 weeks old and you can feed it chickcrumb as this is a good nutritional food for ducklings. Otherwise if it's starting to, or has got it's feathers then feed it a diet of mixed corn.

Other foods that you could feed it, but not too often is lettuce, bread, grass, insects (snails, worms), weetabix and dandelions. Most of these foods are a ducks natural diet anyway.

Give the duckling plenty of space and a chance to exercise (preferably outside in good weather), but always keep an eye on it. Ducks are social birds and benefit greatly from company of their own kind, if you want to keep it then it may be best to buy it a friend. Or, you could release back into the wild when it's older.
If it's not possible for you to look after it then you could try asking for help reguaring rehoming from Veterinary Surgeries, Poultry clubs/organisations and zoo's/parks.

If you plan on keeping it then there are many good books available on duck care such as...

* Ducks and Geese - A guide to management. By Tom Bartlett
ISBN 1 85223 650 7

* The Domestic Duck. By Chris and Mike Ashton
ISBN 1 86126 402 X

Both of these books covers everything that you would need to know.

I hope this has helped abit, if you need anymore help then just ask

Mel X

Hi, i forgot to answer you question about sexing ducklings

A duckling can be easier to sex the older it is. It can be done by examining the vent, but it's only easy to do this when you have pictures to help guide you. Other ways which can be used when the duckling is about 1-2 months old are,

* Only females have a loud 'quack quack' call, males have a softer gentle voice.
* Males weigh more than females.
* Males have larger/wider feet.
* Males (except Muscovys) have curly tail feathers when they get their full set of feathers.

Hope this helps,

Mel X

Well, how big of pen do i need? Would a bar dog kennel thing work? Its probably 5x6 feet. Also what would be a good temperature to have in the area. I also keep snakes in the house, 2 dogs, and 2 snakes. One of the snakes would go for the chick now, but once the duck gets bigger the snake wouldnt go for it. I know not to mix them (duh). Also can u explain to me what chickcrumb is and where to get it.And about how old the duck is... its yellowy and on his rear area there are feathers starting to form kinda, black feather looking things not like the rest of his body. He/she has started following me around which is pretty cool... Thanks again, any help is appreciated.

Hey,

The temperature that ducklings need is dependant on the age of the duckling, if your duckling has just started to get it's feathers then it's roughly between 4 - 6 weeks old. In this case you will only need a temperature of 10-12.7 C. At this age i would recommend that you feed the duckling on mixed corn.

(Chickcrumb is a very good starter food for young poultry, it looks like breadcrumbs but a grey sort of colour, and it can be fed either dry to the birds or soaked in warm water. It can be brought from any good pet shops or maybe from any bird breeders local to you).

As for your enclosure, make it as large as possible. As long as it gets a good chance to run around and exercise then it'll be ok, the dog kennel sounds fine for now, although it may have to be built abit larger when the duck is fully grown.

As your duckling is older than i thought, in a couple of weeks, when it has a few more feathers, a good idea for a larger water bowl is a clean cat's litter tray. As these are a good depth and being plastic they are easy to empty and clean out.

Don't worry about having snakes, as long as they don't go together then that should be fine. But, be careful with your dogs.. introduce them slowly and certainly don't leave them together alone.

Ducklings do get attached very easily and quickly to people, other animals or even an object. Although this is sweet at first it may become a tie latter, especially if you want to release it back into the wild, or if you have to leave it for long periods. Thats why i suggested that you buy another duck if your going to keep this one, as it will then develop a bond with the other duck.

Mel X

If this is a wild duckling is should go into wildlife rehab asap and not kept as a pet (need permits). It should be raised around others of its own kind, fed and housed properly and most importantly kept wild so it survives.

Your post did not say where you are from, but it is very late for any wild babies to be hatching, but not unheard of. Maybe it is a domestic someone lost?

Here is a link to find a rehabber.......they may also be able to help identify it and/or fill in gaps on how to care for it.

Good luck

How to Locate a Wildlife Rehabilitator

Hey,

Yeah, i personnally agree that the duckling should be released back into the wild with it's family, or taken to a rehabilitation centre.
I've had experiance and had my own ducks for 11 years now and in that time have looked after nearly a dozen wild ducklings - all of which have been successfully released.

Mel X

Well... I live in houston and its pretty much hot here all the time. Im hesitant about releasing it back into the wild because in the lake there are water mocasins, alligators, flying golf balls, kids, water remote control boats, all stuff that seems hazardous to a baby duck. Over the last few weeks, the baby duck population has gone from a dozen or so to one. I just feel like releasing him would be comdeming him to die.

The duckling will not be ready to release until it it 10 or so weeks of age when it is capable of full flight. If human contact is minimal and it is kept with others of its own kind, it will keep its instincts and stay wild so release back into the wild is possible. As you noted, not every duckling makes it, so it is important that this one becomes a member of the breeding population. Just because there are dangers in the natural world doesn't mean this little one doesn't deserve a chance at being wild someday.......when it is ready : ).

Contact your local rehab organization.....they are always looking for volunteers. They also may know of another singleton who needs a buddy. A call to your wildlife officer may also be in order if you plan on keeping it as a pet. He can get paperwork started now while it is young.

Were you able to find the correct food? It is very important it has the right diet and housing while growing. Sunlight is a very important factor in developement, one often overlooked.

Mel, glad to hear you have had good luck at raising and releasing the few which you have encountered. We need more people like you helping these orphans out.

If the duck is following you around its probably already non-releasable. Ducks can not be imprinted or habituated to humans and then released. You should never consider releasing it yourself. If he is put in with other wild ducks while he is still young the process can be reversed. It is illegal to posess migratory birds anywhere in the US as its a federal law. If you have a wild migratory duck you need to contact a wildife center ot rehabilitator in your area. If you need help finding one I can help you.

The duck you have could quite possible be a domestic breed and would make a nice pet. If you want to post a picture we can help you identify him/her. Please dont feed him bread, he must have the chick start or else his bones will not grow correctly and you will end up with a crippled and/or deformed duck. Look for Purina start and grow or Mazuri feeds. Any feed store in your area should carry waterfowl feeds. Depending on the age it might be time to switch to pelletts since the wings will develop incorrectly if you dont switch from baby to adult food at the right stage.