Well, since I was first here with our duck questions, we've bought four other ducks (1 Wh Pekin, 1 mostly black with yellow on chest, black bill/feet, and two brownish green with black feet/bills (These last two--look like Pekin, but don't know). We've also got the ten Cornish (looking tasty), and bought 17 "brown layers" --I am fairly sure 8 are Australorps, the others are a nice cinnamon brown, and a few white/grey.

So my wife wakes me up at noon (I have a music studio/internet radio station, so often am up until 8am) to tell me we have a dozen or so baby ducks in the garage (I left the door open, and it is where the 2400/1600/corn scratch is). I asked her where, and why she bought them--she said she didn't! SO out to the garage I go, trying to wake up after 4 hours of sleep, and there they are, 10 cute-as-heck, what I am presuming to be Mallards--the kind we shoot at in the fall. I'd describe them, but it/s so much easier to put up a 20 second video clip I made with the digicam ( http://darkmare.pittsburgh.pa.us/ducks2.html ) OK, there is an actual question buried in here! Where in the world did these come from? And where's there mother? We've got them in sort of a brooder for now--not sure if we can/should keep them. I'm guessing a few days old, and possibly attracted by the 5 week old Pekins we have. If we do keep them, it means building a much bigger brooder (4 ducks and 17 chickens in the one already). Well, at least they are gonna be well fed :) I also thought there might be laws about raising game birds if these are the mallards I am thinking of.

Any comments are welcome! Brendan

-- Brendan K Callahan (sleeping@netins.net), May 12, 2001

Answers

I'd take it as a message from God that He doesn't want you shooting ducks in the fall anymore. JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!!!

-- Shannon at Grateful Acres Animal Sanctuary (gratacres@aol.com), May 13, 2001.

I have some chickens and Pekin ducks that have the run of the propert. They check out the big bird feeder throughout the day. I glanced out one day and was shocked to see a pr. of Mallard ducks under the birdfeeder with the chickens. They have returned once or twice a day. I think they are nesting at the river, about 1/2 mile away, so am hoping of of these days they will fly in with some little ducks. I toss scratch out for them twice a day, which has also attracted a flock of pigeons. The more the merrier! I, too, think they were originally attracked by the squacking of the Pekins.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), May 24, 2001.

I have some chickens and Pekin ducks that have the run of the property. They check out the big bird feeder throughout the day. I glanced out one day and was shocked to see a pr. of Mallard ducks under the birdfeeder with the chickens. They have returned once or twice a day. I think they are nesting at the river, about 1/2 mile away, so am hoping one of these days they will fly in with some little ducks. I toss scratch out for them twice a day, which has also attracted a flock of pigeons. The more the merrier! I, too, think they were originally attracked by the squaking of the Pekins.

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), May 24, 2001.