I rescued fourMuscovy ducktoday and want to release them on our community lake, which already has a number ofother ducks. Will there be behavioral problems? — Ali
Ali , thank you for deliver the duck — that was very kind of you ! I hope you regain a expert home for them because it ’s a very bad idea to bring out them in a public place like your community of interests lake . Nearly every state has police force prohibiting the release of domestic birds and beast into the wild or in public shoes . In California , where you live , it ’s considered abandonment , a misdemeanor covered by California Penal Code , surgical incision 597s .
domesticated bird and animals that live in the wild are called savage birds and creature . In March of 2010 , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service introducednew regulationsto reduce the bedcover of ferine Muscovy duck’s egg populations . This is because Muscovy ducks start in South America from dissimilar antecedent than wild North American ducks . When feral Muscovy duck mate with wild ducks they make infertile intercrossed young . When this chance on a large scale , aboriginal idle duck’s egg populations can be endanger because a clump of loan-blend contend for food source without reproduce and bestow to the gene pocket billiards .
The new laws make it illegal to keep Muscovies in public place , like your residential area lake , and if found there , the duck could be catch and put down . Although the regulations have beenrevised to some level , it would be very unwise to release your Muscovy ducks .
Another reasonableness wildlife specialists do n’t want wild species exposed to domestic ducks is because domesticated ducks sometimes introduce domesticated diseases to their wild first cousin with very tragical results .
Even if this were not the case , free domestic duck’s egg are neither physically nor instinctively equipped to be in the wild . They rely on people to feed them and do n’t know how to thrive on wild food source . They make pests of themselves in public places , mobbing mankind for goodies , and often endanger themselves by cross roadway in search of people solid food . Even when visitor supply them with food , most mass feed them bread and other item that are n’t nutrient enough to sustain serious wellness .
compare to wild ducks , domestic ducks have heavy physical structure and weak wings . raving mad duck can take flight away when risk peril , but domesticated ducks can not , nor can they transmigrate in tumble with their wild companions , so they suffer terribly in frigid climate if they lack appropriate tax shelter and visitors stop bringing them food .
It would be estimable to find out your rescued Muscovy ducks a abode . Try contactingfarm beast rescuesin your area . Barring that , call animal control or yourcooperative annexe agentand ask for advice . Muscovy ducksmake hunky-dory farmyard pets . Place a observation at Craigslist , offering the duck as a positron emission tomography to a home , or pin notices to bulletin boards at veterinary practices . Your ducks will be happier and safer in a happy farmyard stage setting than struggling to survive in the wilderness .
