How far will a mallard be able to take her brood she hatched where it is not near water?

A mallard, a type of duck, will attempt to take her brood to the nearest body of water, regardless of the distance. Mallard ducklings are precocial, meaning they are able to leave the nest and follow their mother shortly after hatching. They are instinctively drawn to water, and their mother will lead them to the nearest source, even if it means traveling a considerable distance. Female mallards that have hatched their eggs in areas that are far from water may make multiple journeys between their starting location and the water source, carrying one duckling at a time until the whole brood is safely moved. They may also seek out temporary bodies of water such as puddles, or stay close to the nest site until heavy rainfall creates puddles for the ducklings to swim in. The ducklings' survival largely depends on their mother's ability to lead them to water soon after they hatch, as their health and development heavily rely on access to water for food, temperature regulation, and predator avoidance.