black-bellied whistling tree ducklings - advice please - Wild Texas Forums: Parks, Travel & Recreation

05-31-2005, 12:01 AM

We found two ducklings in the street near our house so we took them to raise, since we couldnt find their nest or mother. We've had them for a week and recently one of them got unexpectedly sick and died. The other seems to be perfectly healthy, but we dont know much about raising them. Right now he's in our unairconditioned pool house, but when will he be able to stand cooler temperatures and stay inside? Any advice at all about taking care of them would be greatly appreciated.
-Samantha

Shannon · 05-31-2005, 02:19 PM

You should let the duck go. Too many people rescue baby animals, especially birds, thinking the parents are nowhere to be found...but by taking the animals in, you're taking away any hope of the parents finding and caring for the animal. TPWD recommends not rescuing wildlife in this manner, or if you ever do, taking it immediately to a licensed, certified wildlife rehabilitation specialist.

Please read the following:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/expltx/jrnat/rehab.htm

06-08-2005, 09:40 PM

Well i also have the mother to these baby ducklings. so now what?

Shannon · 06-08-2005, 10:49 PM

Again, I'd say let them go. These are not pets. There are regulations against keeping native birds as pets, I believe. Read the link I mentioned earlier and contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitation expert. Birds are wild. They can survive in the wild. They are not pet store bought creatures. Nature provides for its own. Some young die, others survive. Let life take its course, or at least put it in the hands of someone who's trained to take care of sick, injured or malnourished animals.

dwalsdorf · 06-09-2005, 01:00 AM

OTOH, man has been capturing and domesticating animals for quite a few years. Growing up I had racoons and rabbits as pets, all by lawn baiting, and they all did quite well. It really depends on your level of commitment. It sounds like you really want to care for these birds. If so, my .02 is to ask a vet what should be expected in raising them. Ask around for one that knows about birds--ducks if you can find one. There should also be quite a bit of info on the net--FFA, etc...
p.s. just googled "ducks as pets" and voila: http://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~becke...n/As-Pets.html

Shannon · 06-09-2005, 10:29 AM

In my life, I've had rabbits (store-bought), hamsters, innumerable cats (3 currently, all indoor-only) and a few dogs, and the occasional turtle that was relocated from near a street to our backyard where it'd wander away in a few days seeking the pond in the greenbelt behind my parent's house.

Birds, I feed (bird seed and suet feeders), but don't keep or hassle other than to relocate a fallen nestling back into its nest before. I have a purple martin house up, and a half dozen bird feeders. I see squirrels daily, and raccoons or opossum or skunk a couple times a week (floodplain/greenbelt behind our yard -- they don't have far to wander from the 'wild'). Have seen babies of all types, and they move on. They make it through hailstorms, hot weather, you name it. Nature's tougher than humans give her credit for, usually.