I had an issue like that a long time ago with Muscovy ducks and their babies. The neighborhood children would all show up to throw rocks at them. Usually it was enough to go out and give the kids the evil eye and tell them to go away, but one day there was one kid who just wouldn't stop. I went out there and gave him a lecture about how would he like it if someone started throwing rocks at him. I asked him how he would feel if he were completely defenseless against someone picking on him like that. After I finished the lecture, I told him to leave his bike there and go get his parents and bring them back so that I could tell them what he had been doing. He left his bike, but he didn't come back. His bike was gone the next morning and I never saw another kid out there. Word gets around, I guess. Unfortunately, some adults later started shooting all of the ducks from their apartment balcony with a bb gun and some of the ducks were poisoned. They were reported to the SPCA and I think given eviction notices. Eventually a duck farm came to take away the surviving ducks and gave them a good home. Some of the ducks those people killed were ones that I had handraised after the mother ducks had been killed by wild animals, and of course I had given them all names, so I felt a personal sense of loss. It's hard to sit helpless with ducks that are bleeding to death or writhing hideously from being poisoned. It was a horrible thing to experience and it's very important to straighten the kids out because cruelty starts out small and doesn't always stop at animals. Many states have statutes making animal abuse a punishable offense. Tell your neighbors about what you've seen and make posters to hang around to let other people know that they are being watched and will be reported.

Lucky Ducky may indeed be extra lucky. LOTS of people enjoy ducks as pets and a pet duck has a much longer lifespan with less hardship than a wild one. If your duck has any physical deformity not only will it's mother not take it back now, but even if she did, your duck would be the first to get picked off by a predator. Lots of hobby farm owners are getting back into small flocks of poultry for natural pest control. Place an add on craigslist (farm/garden section) or at your local feed store and I bet you can find him a new home in a jiffy. Lindsay (who has a stock tank full of 1 week old mallard ducklings in the garage!)

I agree with lazygardens. If you can toss a sheet over her you'll save yourself from being bitten and beaten with her wings. She's going to put up one heck of a fight.

I agree with eibren. After our accidental duck came to live with us, I went right to the Net to find out about Avian Flu. I think it may be closer than we think it is. I for one am being extremely careful. After holding the ducks and chickens I wash my hands with hot water and soap and even put a tiny amount of bleach on my hands and work it up under my fingernails. It's well worth at least being aware of the problem and have ANY symptom that fits checked out immediately and NOT by the Quick Med place! It was close by and I didn't have the energy to drive into Boise to my regular guy. But it was him, my regular doctor, who knew what was wrong and treated me correctly. When I went to the doc (my hubby drove) and mentioned Avian Flu he had no idea what the heck I was talking about since it wasn't HERE yet. He'd heard of it... Anyway, I was okay after I had a liter and a half of saline and other goodies pumped into my arm. I was alarmingly dehydrated! I had no idea. I was just working along like I always do and then I was sick, sick, sick and having the most colorful waking dreams. (Hallucinations) When I began to tell my husband about the beautiful shapes and colors I was seeing...Well...We are 1960's CA Bay Area survivors! He knew right away that I was hallucinating. I thought it was very pleasant and I kind of hated to give it up! LOL So, seriously, everybody who works outside, please remember what I forgot to do: Drink LOTS of water.