# Mallard Nest



## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

I was doing a little yardwork this past weekend & discovered that a hen mallard (I'm assuming mallard... not really a duck guy) has made a nest in my backyard. I have a little used sideyard where I usually pile up branches and things over the fall & winter in anticipation of spring clean-up. Well I went to get rid of the pile of branches and the hen flew out from underneath the pile when I got too close. I discovered then nest of 12 eggs and decided that getting rid of the pile of branches can wait. The hen has returned and has been on the nest since I disturbed her.
We're nowhere near a lake or pond so I was a little concerned about what they would do once they hatch, so I made a quick call to the DWR this morning. The officer I talked to seemed pretty casual about it and said that the ducklings would be there for a little while then they'd move on. My kids are super excited to see the baby ducks.


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## RandomElk16 (Sep 17, 2013)

derekp1999 said:


> I was doing a little yardwork this past weekend & discovered that a hen mallard (I'm assuming mallard... not really a duck guy) has made a nest in my backyard. I have a little used sideyard where I usually pile up branches and things over the fall & winter in anticipation of spring clean-up. Well I went to get rid of the pile of branches and the hen flew out from underneath the pile when I got too close. I discovered then nest of 12 eggs and decided that getting rid of the pile of branches can wait. The hen has returned and has been on the nest since I disturbed her.
> We're nowhere near a lake or pond so I was a little concerned about what they would do once they hatch, so I made a quick call to the DWR this morning. The officer I talked to seemed pretty casual about it and said that the ducklings would be there for a little while then they'd move on. My kids are super excited to see the baby ducks.


Way cool! Glad it was your yard, some people are not so nice to nests. Keep us updated when they hatch.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

As a kid we raised ducks. Had a nice little flock of mallards that we raised in a pen. What you can do if you want is to dig a hole about a foot or so deep and 2-3 feet in diameter. Then put down some plastic to cover the bottom and sides of the hole and fill it will water. It will make a nice little artificial pond for them and give them a watering place. It may or may not hold them there. Ours had their wings clipped so the couldn't fly so they used it daily.


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## Nambaster (Nov 15, 2007)

Wow 12 eggs!!! I bet that hen was relieved when she popped those suckers out. How could she even fly with those things in her?


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Thats awesome!! Let us know when they hatch and what happens.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

LostLouisianian said:


> What you can do if you want is to dig a hole about a foot or so deep and 2-3 feet in diameter. Then put down some plastic to cover the bottom and sides of the hole and fill it with water. It will make a nice little artificial pond for them and give them a watering place.


We have one of those little plastic sandboxes that looks like a turtle, I had thought of setting that up nearby and filling it with a little bit of water. I may have to give it a try.



Nambaster said:


> Wow 12 eggs!!! I bet that hen was relieved when she popped those suckers out. How could she even fly with those things in her?


My wife said that she looked "quite plump." For one female to say that about another female says a lot. 
The hen was out walking around our backyard on Friday night (before I knew about the nest) & I noticed that she had a bit of a limp... after dropping 12 eggs like that I'd be limping, too! Ducks Unlimited's website says that hens lay an average of 9 eggs, so Sheila (that's what my wife has named her) is an overachiever.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Cool!8) 
It's funny where those mallards will choose to nest. Hopefully the cats will leave her alone.


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## Sawbillslayer (Oct 24, 2013)

Fowlmouth said:


> Cool!8)
> It's funny where those mallards will choose to nest. Hopefully the cats will leave her alone.


Might need to do some cat removal. Make sure you don't do it with an arrow with a practice tip or you will be all over ksl.


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## 2full (Apr 8, 2010)

I sell a bunch of the kiddie swimming pools for baby ducks and geese that I sell at my store. They work really well for them to play in.


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

I use to raise ducks, quail and phesants. She'll be quite tolerant to a point. You could check on her every day if you stay your distance. It'll be cool for your kids to watch as the days go by. Mark 28 days on your calender and start watching her from a distance. She'll show a little irritation at your presence on the last couple of days. Ducks are percocial [sic?] which means the ducklings fluff up and off they go into their new world to look for bugs and such. They won't be there long so you won't have much time to watch them.
Post some pictures!!!


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## longbow (Mar 31, 2009)

Don't tell Bax* about them. He has cats!:mrgreen:


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## spencerD (Jan 14, 2014)

This is definitely one of the cooler things I've seen! 

Only cool animals in my yard was way back when Santaquin had that huge fire. A bunch of baby rattlesnakes ended up in my yard a the next morning. Needless to say, I wasn't keen on keeping them as pets!


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

Nine baby ducks this morning out swimming in the little pool I had made & my kids got a little overly excited to see them. Momma duck called them back to the nest for protection & my wife was too slow with the camera... I'll post some pictures as soon as I can take some.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

longbow said:


> Don't tell Bax* about them. He has cats!:mrgreen:


Ha ha he lives in Clinton and I'm in Murray.

Did I tell you that I got rid of the cat? The next day my wife went back to the Humane Society and picked her up. Said she felt bad about getting rid of her.

I don't get it. She will kill a spider with little regard, but she won't give a pet away.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

derekp1999 said:


> Nine baby ducks this morning out swimming in the little pool I had made & my kids got a little overly excited to see them. Momma duck called them back to the nest for protection & my wife was too slow with the camera... I'll post some pictures as soon as I can take some.


That's really fun. I bet your kids will talk about this for years


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

longbow said:


> Don't tell Bax* about them. He has cats!:mrgreen:


I've been on a secret mission to remove all felines from my neighborhood since we moved there 6 years ago.


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

And as quickly as they hatch & we notice them... they're gone. My oldest got home from school at about 3:30 yesterday afternoon and got to see them, but by the time he left at 5:00 for his baseball practice they had disappeared. My wife was able to get a couple pictures.
My wife & the kids are kind of sad, they were hoping to have them around for at least a couple days to be able to watch them. I've had to calm my smaller children down and explain to them that those ducks are wild animals, they will be just fine, and were never going to be our pets... it was of no consolation to them.
All well, now I can clean up the brush pile that she had nested in.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

What happened to them


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

swbuckmaster said:


> What happened to them


I'm assuming the hen mallard rounded them up & walked off.


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## swbuckmaster (Sep 14, 2007)

If you dont have a pond or water source near your yard why would they leave that pool you placed for them? My guess is something bad happend maybe a **** or skunk ate them. Thats what happens to our chickens all the time


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## derekp1999 (Nov 17, 2011)

swbuckmaster said:


> If you dont have a pond or water source near your yard why would they leave that pool you placed for them? My guess is something bad happend maybe a **** or skunk ate them. Thats what happens to our chickens all the time


There is a little path thru the tall grass & we can tell that is where they went under the fence. I thought they would stick around a bit too, but maybe all the commotion my little kids made when they first saw them was enough for the hen to feel threatened.
Hopefully everything is ok and they are doing fine, I did as much I could for them (although it sure would have been a lot of fun to be able to do more).


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