You need a warm place for it to renovate your health; a plastic or cardboard box will do fine with a clean, warm towel in the underside (folded so it’s flat not furrowed) in a nice silent place. it will need a small container of water that is shallow enough so that it can’t walk into it and try to swim or drown and not high lipped so as it can get to it to drink easily – a shallow cat bowl or the like filled with clean pebbles or marbles will do just fine. You’ll need to feed it too so get to your nearest pet food shop and grab a bag of chick crumbs or if you can crumble up some bread and boiled egg nice and small and add some warm water to it to make a mash so that it’s simpler for it to eat. It shouldn’t eat this for too long though. Grab a desk lamp and place it over the box to keep the small duck warm but make sure there are areas away from the light in case it gets too hot. If it seems cold you can place on a thick warm jumper and cuddle it gently so that your body heat warms it up. Be aware that they have no control over their sphincter though so it can’t stop itself pooing.

Make sure that the box is cleaned with a new towel, water and food at least twice a day and keep an eye on the small duck. Because you’ve handled it and it’s seen you (possibly) it may imprint on you and reckon that you are it’s mother, if this does happen make sure that you keep watch over it and are careful when walking nearly as it will follow you. Try to leave it in the box for small periods of time without you there to get it used to not having someone there all the time and increase the increments over the next few days.

If it appears to go floppy or has discharge from it’s eyes, nostrils or mouth call your local vet and question them if they are trained in waterfowl or if they can direct you to a vet that is and get it there promptly.

I reckon that’s about it, keep it warm and make sure it can eat and drink happily. Hopefully it’ll soon be stomping about merrily causing disorder for you. Oh and one other thing DO NOT RELEASE IT BACK TO THE WILD – because it is a baby that doesn’t have it’s mother it cannot make the oils it needs to stay waterproof and therefore will soak up all the water and drown in the wild, you can give it small baths and let it swim after a couple of days if it is strong enough but make sure it dries off promptly and doesn’t get too cold. Once it has had a moult and it’s about 4 months ancient it may possibly be re released or better to take it to a wildlife shelter so that they can release it safely and keep an eye on it. It will doubtless like you forever though so it may be best to keep it if you have a garden or space for it – of course speak to your local wildlife shelter if you want to know more about your options.