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!)

Just wanted to update this post: Our 9 ducklings are 55 days old. What an adventure this has been! We have had so much fun watching them grow, and my son has been journaling almost daily (had to sort of bribe him for that, but once he started, he kind of got into it - and someday I think his notes may be useful...) Sample entries: 5/11/11 Today the ducklings did a new morning exercise. This morning exersize was flapping their very tiny wings and running up the concrete by the pool. 5/17/11 I was watching the ducklings up close today and when I stood up, as usual the ducklings ran away except for one. That duckling fell on it's back and tried to get up. It couldn't because its legs and wings didn't help. So the duckling started peeping very loudly. Then it finally rolled over and ran away. 5/27/11 Today I got home from Outdoor Ed. I can see a big difference in the ducklings. When you look at one, you almost think you are looking at the mama since they're sooo big. ------------------------------- For the last several weeks, we've been treated to 2 daily water shows, one in mid-morning and one in mid-afternoon. During these shows, they all simultaneously go into rapid-swim mode where they actually walk on water, then switch to rapid-dive mode where they swim straight to the bottom of the pool and hover around down there for a 5-10 seconds before surfacing w/ a plop. To see all 9 do this at once is hysterical. They are practicing flying several times a day and it's so cute. They will flap their wings while sort of galloping along. Some are getting about an inch of air, but they have to really work for it. Mama still leaves a few times each day, and as always, they don't like it. They quack (and they're much louder than they used to be, unfortunately) when she's gone...but she always comes back within a few minutes of leaving. It has been, and is, a LOT of work. I don't ever want to do this again! That said, I'm not sorry they chose our home because it's been such a learning experience - I just don't want to go through it again. If I see any of them in our yard once this group has migrated, I will NOT encourage them to hang around (whereas before I just let them visit since it was always a short visit). I am reducing their food now, in an effort to have them forage more...which they are doing. I have almost no flowers left in my backyard and there is MUD where there never was before! We also haven't been able to use our pool since they were born, so we are really looking forward to their departure (as much as we will miss those daily shows). Once I know they can fly, I will not put food out for them, but for now, I feel the ducklings still need some since they can't fly. I'm hopeful though that if there is less and less, they will fly sooner. Does anyone have any experience with mallard ducklings learning to fly? I had thought they could fly between 50-60 days, but they don't look like they'll be taking off within the next few days, so mine may be here longer. I'm really ready for them to see the world though, so any advice is appreciated. A few pictures of the last 8 weeks: How they slept the first night: A family outing: They liked to hang out on the wall between the jacuzzi and cool dip: You can see how they're growing: Today, they're all the same size!

Goodness! I guess all these strong feelings about your ducklings means that you all care for them a great deal. That's a good thing! :) I'm always learning something new here and I love all the input. I have played the "mama" part with my first and only 2 babies. My mallard is about a month old and his playmate is a little over a week old now, and is a Blue Swedish. I've offered them chick starter and they seem okay with that. They also have some greens everyday. I've also offered them tepid water in a shallow pan, but I didn't know about them needing to get their entire heads into the water. I will remember that from now on. I've been letting them play in about 2 inches of warmish water in the bathtub with food in the bottom. I did already know about them needing to be warmed up quickly after getting wet. They seem cold when they're through playing in the water. I remove them and wrap them in a warm towel. Then I lay down on the floor beside them and let them get under my shirt. I breath warm air on them and rub them lightly with the towel while they preen and fall asleep. I have never put them back in their pen while they are wet, though. I know they'd get mighty sick mighty quick. While they are so young I keep a couple of fleece throws for them to cuddle up in while they are penned and in their box. The pen and box have been moved to the garage now and I use a heat lamp for them. My mother raised chickens, so I knew a little bit about birds and used some of what she taught me to help me with these little ducklings. No breeze or wind is a very important point. Thanks for teaching me about the depth of water so they can clean their bills, nostrils and eyes. Aren't they just the cutest little creatures you've ever seen? I just love ducks! I'm so glad one of them found me. :) Maggie chickenmama1