Is it normal for a duck to lay eggs in backyards in LA?Can you keep them as pets? (Anaheim: zoning, backyard)

[BVitamin]

Balut tastes great, just a little salt and you're good to go.

[animalcrazy]

I raised two baby Mallards that were left behind by their mother because of one of the neighborhood kids. They stayed in the garden when they were big enough and flew away as nature intended in the fall. One came back a year later and was sitting on the roof of our house eying my fish pond. They were fun to raise but they were not pets.

[animalcrazy]

Originally Posted by BVitamin

Balut tastes great, just a little salt and you're good to go.

Horrifying concept.

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

Horrifying concept.

I ate it when I was a kid -- not in the US, obviously. Yep, salt and pepper it up!

[Bunjee]

Ducks imprint pretty quickly, on people and places. But you probably don't want them setting up house in your backyard. They're messy creatures. They turn lawns into mud padding about. They filthy up open water. There's no nutrition in a backyard pool anyway.

If those eggs just happen to hatch, go ahead and keep them protected from cats. There's duck feed. But they grow fast and they grow LOUD. Take them to a nearby duck pond. You'd have one nearby since ducks wouldn't have landed in your backyard if not.

You can visit them anytime. Since they imprint, they'll recognize you and come to you.

[animalcrazy]

I was lucky mine had already imprinted on their mother. I kept them wild and handled them very little. Their beaks were as small as my pinky fingernail when I got them but they did grow fast. They were larger than their wild counterparts due to the duck feed. It was a fun experience raising them but I liked my silky roosters better.

[animalcrazy]

Originally Posted by jaypee

I ate it when I was a kid -- not in the US, obviously. Yep, salt and pepper it up!

Don't make me come over there!!!

[Ponypenny]

I would be surprised if the eggs hatched unless there was a male mallard duck around too. Usually you see them in pairs.

[BVitamin]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

Horrifying concept.

Not sure how or where you draw the line for what's acceptable to eat but somehow a non fertilized egg is okay and a butchered developed chicken or duck is okay, just not anything in-between? Sure does sound arbitrary.

[Fontucky]

As long as we're asking questions about fowl, do chickens have large talons?