Hi there,
I am new to this forum and am after some much needed advice. Here is our situation thus far:
Myself and a few people from my street found 8 ducklings running around, one was immediately caught by a cat and unfortunately another jumped into a small nearby river and we were unable to get that one back.
Anyway once saved I realised they were around 2/3days old, the nearest wild ducks are a fair way away and it was
Odd for such young babies to be roaming a street, no mother duck could be found/heared so I decided to take the remaining 6 down to my mums place as she has a heat lamp and small pen (for her tortoise who no longer uses it)
We lost two weak ones that night but the other four have since come on brilliantly, they eat duckling crumb, sleep in the heated pen and have a paddling pool in the garden for swimming, they have bugs from the garden daily which they swim and dive to catch, they are now around 3weeks and very spoilt!
Our concern is now what happens when they are fully grown? Will they be unable to go back in the wild after so much care from humans? Will they want to stay at my mums garden? Will they try and fly with wild ducks but fail? Our main goal is for them to be happy and safe, whatever happens we arent prepared to let them go if they will almost certainly die, however if they can go back with wild ducks with no problems then that would be great.
Or would keeping them and having their wings clipped be safest for them?
Any help and advice on this matter would be greatly appriciated.
Thanks in advance
Stacey
I am new to this forum and am after some much needed advice. Here is our situation thus far:
Myself and a few people from my street found 8 ducklings running around, one was immediately caught by a cat and unfortunately another jumped into a small nearby river and we were unable to get that one back.
Anyway once saved I realised they were around 2/3days old, the nearest wild ducks are a fair way away and it was
Odd for such young babies to be roaming a street, no mother duck could be found/heared so I decided to take the remaining 6 down to my mums place as she has a heat lamp and small pen (for her tortoise who no longer uses it)
We lost two weak ones that night but the other four have since come on brilliantly, they eat duckling crumb, sleep in the heated pen and have a paddling pool in the garden for swimming, they have bugs from the garden daily which they swim and dive to catch, they are now around 3weeks and very spoilt!
Our concern is now what happens when they are fully grown? Will they be unable to go back in the wild after so much care from humans? Will they want to stay at my mums garden? Will they try and fly with wild ducks but fail? Our main goal is for them to be happy and safe, whatever happens we arent prepared to let them go if they will almost certainly die, however if they can go back with wild ducks with no problems then that would be great.
Or would keeping them and having their wings clipped be safest for them?
Any help and advice on this matter would be greatly appriciated.
Thanks in advance
Stacey
