I raised the mallards also... they too eventually flew away. Chickens and turkeys are where it's at. Raised a bunch of meat birds for the freezer and several turkeys. The turkeys were the absolute best tasting bird I have had. I would talk the kids out of ducks and go for a few turkeys. I could let the turkeys free range around the farm on their own and they became quite tame... they would sit behind the trucks once in a while and refuse to move... I would have to literally pick them up and move them ... good times