Controlled wild Release of Muscovy Ducck/long

[Wise12]

I found a single abandoned duck egg just outside my door lying next to our golf course lake. I waited and none of the nearby water fowl /ducks came back and predators were nearby. I chose to save the egg from certain loss to predators and hatch it. 38 days later after careful incubation and some careful assistance out came our baby duckling. We have provided all the proper care we have read about from food to water heat and safe space. The duck is likely imprinted after now 5 days of daily handling. My question is when or if we can reintroduce this duck into the lake steps from our door where her egg was found? We can and will provide safe housing and proper food nearby on our nearby pool deck for the duck to return to to feed and stay safe whenever it wants. I assume the duck will always come back home after a day in the lake with all the other wildlife (mostly Trop birds and other ducks likely it’s family. ) giving this duck it’s freedom to swim and interact with the wild but have a safe place very close to sleep and eat is my goal. However I do not want to subject it to any unsafe conditions it can’t flee from back to its home. We are on a very nice golf course with no one being mean to ducks and the water is right next to our home within direct view of our living room. We are in south Florida and our lake is one one several on the course and it is a
Literal bird sanctuary full of other egrets coots cranes storks Muscovy and Florida ducks ... is this possible or unsafe when it is big enough to fly fend off other ducks and come back to its safe place ? I know how agressive the males are during mating so I worth this could be something we can’t control or will kill our new family member.

Thank you

 

[dorsetduckowner]

Hi!! What a lovely post! Thank you for sharing! It sounds like you have done a wonderful job! All ducks are different and will behave differently when it comes to leaving home, and a it will depend upon what other ducks it interacts with as it grows up and if its male or female. you may well find it may never want to leave you and I think you just have to leave the whole process up to duck. I expect it will want to come in every night and when its older it may visit the pond if you go with it. You are likely to have your new family member for many years! Very lucky it will be too! If its a male, it may well become sexually aggressive with you when it reaches 18 months old and you will have to deal with that if and when it happens! Lets hope not Pictures would be fab!