Mallard Ducks
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Started by metmike - June 5, 2019, 12:42 a.m.

My 31 year old son, Quinn and his wife discovered they have some interesting wild life company on Sunday.

While Carrie was pulling weeds in the front landscaping, a mallard duck was acting very aggressive towards her. .....so they figured something was up.

Inside one of their bushes in front of the house, is a nest with 9 eggs. This is awesome!


You may recall my experience earlier this year with the cardinals and their 3 babies.

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/28017/


Now we get to learn about mallard ducks!


There are 9 eggs in momma's nest. The eggs look similar to the picture below.

mImage result for mallard ducks nesting eggs  picture image of eggs

Image result for mallard ducks nesting eggs  picture image of eggs


There is no water nearby in this case. I read that ducks like to nest near water.  It takes around 28 days for the female to incubate the eggs. The males, after mating don't play a big role in the child rearing......unlike the cardinals, where daddy was providing as much food as mommy after they hatched.


Unlike baby cardinals that are useless little furry blobs with big, open mouths for a couple of days after they hatch, baby ducks can get up and walk pretty quickly after they hatch. 



Mallard Duck Information

https://forum.americanexpedition.us/mallard-duck-information-facts-photos-and-artwork


"Mallards choose new mating partners each fall, staying together throughout the winter and into the spring mating season. Once mating season has ended, the male mallard moves away from the female. A female will build a nest out of breast feathers and twigs near a body of water. It will then lay a clutch of as many as 13 eggs and incubates them for a month. Once the ducklings hatch, they are immediately taken to water for safety. Mallard ducklings are precocial, meaning they know how swim and feed right after they are hatched. The ducklings will follow their mother for the next 50 to 60 days, maturing and developing their ability to fly. Male mallards have no involvement in caring for their offspring."

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By metmike - June 5, 2019, 12:56 a.m.
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What Do Mallards Eat?

A mallard’s diet consists of aquatic vegetation, insects, worms, and grain crops like wheat and corn. A duck can dip its head under the water and forage for plants on the bottom. This is the feeding technique it prefers and executes most often.


By metmike - June 5, 2019, 12:56 a.m.
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Mallard Duck Facts

  • A common nickname for the male mallard is “greenhead.” A common nickname for the female mallard is “Suzy.”
  • Mallard ducks will usually form pairs in October and November, and will stay in pairs until the end of breeding season, which occurs in early March and extends into late May.
  • Female ducks have a tendency to breed near the place where they were hatched.
  • After mating season, males move away from female ducks to join other males for molting, leaving females to care for the offspring.
  • Female mallards may lay up to half their body weight in eggs.
  • A group of ducklings is called a “brood.”
  • Mallards will store up fat before beginning migrations. They may lose between 20 and 50 percent of their body weight during a migration.
  • During migrations, mallards will often stop for rest in locations they have visited before.
  • It is estimated that there are currently around 10 million mallard ducks of breeding age in North America. There are more mallard ducks in North America than on any other content.
  • Ducks have webbed feet, which they use for paddling beneath the water. Their feet have no nerves or blood vessels, which mean that they won't feel chill from swimming in icy water.
  • The mallard is considered the ancestor of most domesticated ducks.
  • Mallards frequently interbreed with ducks in the genus Anas, and also with distantly related ducks like the Northern Pintail.
  • During an eight hour flight, migrating mallards are capable of traveling up to 800 miles.
  • Mallards usually fly at an altitude of 400 to 2,000 feet, but have been found at much greater heights.


  • During the lead up to migration season, a mallard will put on weight to store up energy for the journey ahead.
  • Mallard ducks are omnivorous.
  • Male mallards do not quack, but instead make a noise that sounds like “kreep.” 
By carlberky - June 5, 2019, 11:31 a.m.
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https://www.fws.gov/birds/get-involved/duck-stamp.php

One of the easiest ways that anyone can support bird habitat conservation is by buying Federal Duck Stamps - among the most successful conservation tools ever created to protect habitat for birds and other wildlife. 

Federal Duck Stamps are conservation revenue stamps; 98 percent of the purchase price goes directly to help acquire and protect wetland habitat and purchase conservation easements for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Wetlands acquired with Duck Stamp dollars help purify water, aid in flood control, reduce soil erosion and sedimentation, and enhance outdoor recreation opportunities

By mcfarmer - June 5, 2019, 12:34 p.m.
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We still raise a few mallards for the freezer. When I was young my grandfather raised probably a hundred a year for butchering.

Last summer one hen hatched 17 and raised 13 of those. We gave most of them to neighbors with the stipulation they give me one dressed mallard for each four they took. Win/win.


Same for our turkeys. A big home raised tom makes for a fine thanksgiving.

Tony Soprano
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By pj - June 5, 2019, 3:44 p.m.
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Hope they don't have the same reaction as Tony Soprano, when the ducklings grow up and fly away. https://tinyurl.com/y6nxhea3