Hi, we're currently looking after some wild ducks, we got them yesterday and they have since slept in our garage and we intend to keep them for around 2 more days while the ice in the lake thaws out, to avoid foxes getting them as they are clipped.

We want to avoid them getting domesticated as we do not want them as pets, how long does it take for them to get domesticated, roughly?
They are mandarin ducks

thanks

Why are wild ducks clipped?

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....and why would you ask how long it takes them to become domesticated if you didnt want that?

Hiya, good idea to protect them while the lake is frozen. They wont get domesticated, it takes 100's of years to domesticate a species, so a few weeks isn't going to harm them at all. Just don't hand feed them and keep out of their way as much as possible as your presence will really stress them out.

RE the previous comment, they are probably clipped as technically they are a non native species and it's against the law to raise non native species and allow them to become wild, so technically they have to be clipped, although many people don't and as such have become part o the UK's 'native' population of ducks.

Zo
x

Thanks for the info Zoe, we intend to release them into the wild again either this week or the next I believe they are relatively safe as it is a closed off residential area.

I believe they were originally meant to be pets but have been released, they've been living around here for about 7 weeks.

Have you got a license from DEFRA to release them? The best thing you can do is contact the RSPB or RSPCA.
The relevant parts in bold

WILDLIFE AND COUNTRYSIDE ACT 1981:
Section 14 provides the (prohibitive) regulatory control:-
14 Introduction of new species etc.
(1) [Subject to the provisions of this Part, if any person releases or allows to escape into the wild any animal which—
(a) is of a kind which is not ordinarily resident in and is not a regular visitor to Great Britain in a wild state; or
(b) is included in Part I of Schedule 9,
he shall be guilty of an offence.

Schedule 9 Part 1

Part 1: Animals which are established in the wild
Common name Scientific name
Bass, Large-mouthed Black Micropterus salmoides
Bass, Rock Ambloplites rupestris
Bitterling Rhodeus sericeus
Budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus (removed in 2010)
Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus
Coypu Myocastor coypus (removed in 2010)
Crayfish, Noble Astacus astacus
Crayfish, Signal Pacifastacus leniusculus
Crayfish, Turkish Astacus leptodactylus
Deer, Muntjac Muntiacus reevesi
Deer, Sika Cervus nippon
Deer, any hybrid one of whose parents or other lineal ancestor was a Sika Deer Any hybrid of Cervus nippon
Dormouse, Fat Glis glis
Duck, Carolina Wood Aix sponsa
Duck, Mandarin Aix galericulata
Duck, Ruddy Oxyura jamaicensis
Eagle, White-tailed Haliaetus albicilla
Flatworm, New Zealand Artiposthia triangulata
Frog, Edible Rana esculenta
Frog, European Tree (otherwise known as Common tree frog) Hyla arborea
Frog, Marsh Rana ridibunda
Gerbil, Mongolian Meriones unguiculatus (removed in 2010)
Goose, Canada Branta canadensis
Goose, Egyptian Alopochen aegyptiacus
Heron, Night Nycticorax nycticorax
Lizard, Common Wall Podarcis muralis
Marmot, Prairie (otherwise known as Prairie dog) Cynomys
Mink, American Mustela vison
Newt, Alpine Triturus alpestris
Newt, Italian Crested Triturus carnifex
Owl, Barn Tyto alba
Parakeet, Ring-necked Psittacula krameri
Partridge, Chukar Alectoris chukar
Partridge, Rock Alectoris graeca
Pheasant, Golden Chrysolophus pictus
Pheasant, Lady Amherst’s Chrysolophus amherstiae
Pheasant, Reeves’ Syrmaticus reevesii
Pheasant, Silver Lophura nycthemera
Porcupine, Crested Hystrix cristata (removed in 2010)
Porcupine, Himalayan Hystrix hodgsonii (removed in 2010)
Pumpkinseed (otherwise known as Sun-fish or Pond-perch) Lepomis gibbosus
Quail, Bobwhite Colinus virginianus (removed in 2010)
Rat, Black Rattus rattus
Snake, Aesculapian Elaphe longissima
Squirrel, Grey Sciurus carolinensis
Terrapin, European Pond Emys orbicularis
Toad, African Clawed Xenopus laevis
Toad, Midwife Alytes obstetricans
Toad, Yellow-bellied Bombina variegata
Wallaby, Red-necked Macropus rufogriseus
Wels (otherwise known as European catfish) Silurus glanis
Zander Stizostedion lucioperca

The following animals were added to Schedule 9 by The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (Variation of Schedule 9) (England and Wales) Order 2010:
Common name Scientific name
Boar, Wild Sus scrofa
Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax
Corncrake Crex crex
Crab, Chinese Mitten Eriocheir sinensis
Crane, Common Grus grus
Crayfish, Red Swamp Procambarus clarkii
Crayfish, Spiny-cheek Orconectes limosus
Deer, Chinese Water Hydropotes inermis
Flatworm Kontikia andersoni
Flatworm Kontikia ventrolineata
Flatworm, Australian Australoplana sanguinea
Goose, Bar-headed Anser indicus
Goose, Barnacle Branta leucopsis
Goose, Emperor Anser canagicus
Goose, Snow Anser caerulescens
Goshawk Accipiter gentilis
Kite, Red Milvus milvus
Limpet, Slipper Crepidula fornicata
Owl, Eagle Bubo bubo
Oyster Drill, American Urosalpinx cinerea
Parakeet, Monk Myiopsitta monachus
Pochard, Red-crested Netta rufina
Shelduck, Ruddy Tadorna ferruginea
Swan, Black Cygnus atratus.

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Mandarin ducks are not native to this country and have to be pinioned once born to stop them flying.. these ducks sound like someone had them as pets and release them in the wild which shouldnt have been.

I have mandarin ducks mine were pinioned when young plus they are in a cage in aswell to stop foxs etc getting in.

as for them being domesticated you got no chance with that breed mine still jump about and run off from me and ive had mine ages

mitch

Wasn't pinioning ducks banned along with tail docking?

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no, unfortunately you can still pinion certain breeds under certain conditions.
See here: http://www.poultryclub.org/img/Welfa...lines_2010.pdf
zo