Lonely duckling

[Heatherschicks1]

So I have ducks... I have been very successful at hatching my chickens so I though I would try ducks... For me not so easy... I had a few failed attempts and this last round I had over a dozen in the incubator.... But... Only one hatched... ... It's very healthy but I know it 1. To small to go with the older ducks obviously and 2. Hasn't seemed to like the baby chickens. It is only about a week old... Since it's heading into winter I have thought of maybe doing a duck diaper once it's to big for the box and to wait until it should be big enough to go into my duck area... But anyways it is a nice duck follows us around will jump up on your lap... But man it bites a lot... Nibbles if that's what you want to call it... It's cuddly will come up on your neck but will bite what ever it can... Any advice of what to do with this lonely ducky and and advice on the biting?? Also the baby as far as the breed is a toss up between my pekin or it's a Muscovy ... My Muscovy ducks are all white so I think (not 100%) the babies will look kinda like my Pekin ducks.. Any advice on any of it?

 

[IceAngel]

It seems the duckling has imprinted on you. That means it sees you as its mommy and it doesn't see itself as a duck. You shouldn't raise it in the house unless you want a permanent house guest.

Now your job is to make it realize it's a duck and not a human, lol and the sooner you start the more likely you will be successful. Is there a way you can put it in a cage near the bigger ducks where it can see them and yet be protected from them? If you only have a box maybe you can cut big windows in the box and cover them with chicken wire.

I don't think trying to raise it with the baby chicks is wise because it has very little in common with them. Try to keep it near the other ducks so it will start to think it is a duck. Google "Imprinting" ....you might come across some more ideas. Ducks are unique that way.

 

[Amiga]

An unbreakable mirror might help with that. You are right to consider the temperatures, and to take care not to risk the little one's health.

 

[Heatherschicks1]

The only thing that worries me is my ducks have houses. I haven't build my shed.,, most of my ducks I got at the end of last winter.. Because I only have pairs 1 boy one girl of each.. Each was a pair before being added to the flock... All of my birds answer to me and my call... But that's one thing I was worried about with it not being able to go with the flock... I have noticed myself the difference between my birds that were handled a lot ( for chickens and ducks) and the ones that were hatched and put in the brooder boxes. The handled ones are more clam and friendly... The others will come but don't really want to be bothered with... Also all my animals free range... I just worry about the fact that it is so cold and even with a lamp I worry about it in the brooder box outside alone in michigan weather... That is the only reason I considered to keep it in doors till it either big enough to transition into the flock or it was warm enough. My chicken coop is set up with my brooder boxes and I have two transition cages in my coop that are in the roosting room and all the birds can see each other... Then I let them integrate once they are big enough. But I just don't have that for the ducks.. Last year I did that with chickens that hatched in December but I was able to build the first transition cage in the coop by the time they were about 3 months old and had a heat lamp...

 

[Amiga]

I would keep the little inside this winter and introduce in the spring - I have a mini Cayuga who was by herself at least half of her first year, and she integrated quickly into the flock.

 

[Heatherschicks1]

Granted my back room did not smell the best with 7 3 month old chickens back there and I originally didn't have a lid on the brooder box (big mistake they made a mess lol) but with only one duck I've seen those silly little duck diapers and let my other ducks swim in the bath when they were little but the big ducks have there huge pond so... Would the duckling have a hard time going outside once warmer weather did hit... I also don't know if it's a boy or girl yet.. I've vent checked chicks but not a duck so I didn't try.

 

[Amiga]

Whatever you do, just do gradually. Rowena was an indoor duck for a year, now she hangs outside during the day with the rest.

 

[IceAngel]

You and @Amiga are right about temperature. I know that you have to keep temperatures in the 90s and reduce them by 5 degrees per week for chicks.....you will know if that holds true for ducklings as well. The mirror is a great idea. There are many ways of keeping the box warm though.....how about a heating pad. You don't have to put it on the floor you can hang it down the side of the box, so it doesn't get wet when the duckie starts to splash in its water dish. Somehow you have to get it to "see" other ducks or it will be bonded to you forever and maybe never mate.

 

[Amiga]

These may help you with some ideas to keep mess to a minimum.


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/641902/created-a-water-saver-for-my-duck-brooder

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/679433/water-water-everywhere/10

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/858161/feed-water-solution-for-brooder#post_12901321

http://frankiemakes.blogspot.ca/2012/06/watering-solution-for-ducks.html

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/259876/do-your-ducks-have-water-at-night/10#post_13568197

post number 8 from this
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/959603/ducklings-getting-stuck-on-their-backs#post_14939819

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/969751/help-baby-ducklings#post_15125952

 

[Heatherschicks1]

I defiantly learned my lesson the hard way with my Pekins about the mess... I thought ducks would be like chickens I was sadly mistaken they were a wreck made a mess big big mess... They went into a area as soon as it was warm and now they are fine but oh my goodness they always made everything. Wet lol.. I plan to take it out though wine. It gets bigger and bring I around the others