Wood Ducks For Sale

Water fowl, such as wood ducks, can be interesting observational pets. It’s fun to watch their antics, but don’t expect a lot of one-on-one cuddling sessions. Your duck may become tame enough to pet but will offer little interaction. That doesn’t mean they can’t be educational family pets. To begin with, you don’t have to worry about hurrying home to put your duck outside to relieve itself. That’s one less daily task for you. Rest assured, your feathered friend takes care of that job with or without you.

Next, if you’re looking for a beautiful-to-look-at pet, wood ducks are the gold standard. Their brilliant colors and body patterns make them one of the most stunning of all water fowl. The male’s feathers are chestnut and green. Additionally, their body feathers display decorative patterns. A delicate white pattern around the eyes are the female’s distinguishing feature.

Finally, you won’t incur any expenses for grooming or yearly inoculations. They are not emotionally dependent pets. So, they won’t suffer separation anxiety if you take off for a weekend or an extended vacation. Overall, there are many benefits but few negatives to owning one of these aesthetically appealing birds. But, here’s a few facts to ponder before you make an impulse buy you might regret.

Legal Issues

Investigate the legality of owning a wood duck. If you need licenses or special permits, include those in your cost calculations. Beware, you can incur expensive fines if you don’t find out about all the rules and regulations for your area. Additionally, if your locality believes your pet is illegal, they could confiscate it.

You’ll also need to check with your local health department. They may consider your duck a health hazard.

Finally, wood ducks (Aix sponsa) are protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Thus, there are a few governmental bodies you should contact such as your state’s department of agriculture or the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Prior research could save you from making a heartbreaking mistake.

Real Cost of Ownership

The sale price is the starting point. First, find out what wood ducks typically cost. Next, estimate housing, feeding, and breeding expenses. Don’t forget to factor in funds for health and wellness, which also contribute to the overall cost. Here’s a general overview of some things you might need to help your pet make a comfortable transition to a new home.

General Housing Tips

Wood ducks need water access and adequate protection from excessive sunlight or extreme weather. Their preference is a wooded area with swamps, streams, or wet areas.

What if your property doesn’t include a natural water source? Then you must furnish a pool or access to enough water to allow for swimming, bathing, and exercising. Manufactured duck pond should have water filters for sanitation.

Feeding Facts

Wood ducks forage for naturally occurring foods such as vegetation or aquatic arthropods. (Think spiders, worms, insects and so on). But, they may need supplementation with vitamins or minerals to stay healthy. An avian veterinarian can create the proper dietary plan for your feathered companion.

Breeding Wood Ducks

The seller can tell you the sex of your duck. If you decide to buy a breeding pair, here’s some tips on what to do in breeding season. Females prefer natural cavities but will use nesting boxes. If you have more than one pair of ducks, leave ample space between the boxes. Closely placed boxes encourages a notorious wood duck behavior. The females lay their eggs in another female’s next. The unsuspecting mother becomes a surrogate mother to the resulting hatchlings.

They pair in winter and breed in spring. Interestingly, they produce two broods per year, while all other North American ducks produce one brood. They lay 7 – 15 eggs, which incubate for around 28 – 32 days. All eggs hatch within 24 hours, and the ducklings can eat unassisted. Okay, breeding, feeding, and housing your pet are easy, modest maintenance tasks. Unfortunately, here’s the scoop on the poop (pardon the pun).

Sanitation Tips

Ducks are, well, messy pets. When it’s time to go, they can’t hold it. So, you’ll spend lots of time scooping up poop. Frequent elimination means frequent cleaning of drinking, bathing, and swimming areas. (Hence the need for a water filter).

They also molt, which means they shed their old feathers to make way for new ones. You’ll have plenty of feathers to contend with, especially if you own more than one duck.

Where to Buy Wood Ducks

Water fowl hatcheries or farms and specialty breeders are useful sources. They can draw on their experience to offer you valuable tips for caring for your new friend. Additionally, you can learn how to help your new pet adapt to an unfamiliar environment.

You can also research the internet or ask your local pet store or birding club for suggestions. Once you start your search, you’ll uncover many alternative ways of finding your future pet. Don’t rush the process. Take it slowly and enjoy the search. You are looking for a healthy, well-fed, and alert duckling. Most sellers should have a suitable range of choices from which you can chose.

To sum it up, other than some unpleasant sanitation chores, a wood duck could be the perfect pet for you. In other ways a minimal maintenance pet, these beautiful birds are well worth the clean-up duty.