- May 11, 2010
- 36,283
- 42,157
- 1,207
Hey, don't feel bad about having one duckling. I raised one chick who was given to me when I was 12. I buried her when I was 22. Yes, I kept one chicken as a house pet for 10 years. My dad made her a 4x4 pen which I kept in my bedroom at the window. I lived in a city where chickens weren't allowed but city officials could do nothing about a single house chicken. When she grew up, I taught her how to walk on a leash and became the local legend. She didn't see another one of her kind until she was six years old and I moved to South Carolina. She had no idea what that rooster was! Cluck was a good pet and taught me much about responsibility. I changed her cage 4-5 x a day. I had to scout the neighbors for extra paper! Since I had already had a bedroom full of various varmits, Cluck was not alone when I went to school. Yes, she was in a cage, but she was able to see other animals.
While keeping ducks as a single pet is not the norm, it can be done. Do your research and see what you can do to keep your duckling happy. There are many things you can do to enrich your duck's home. You'll have to make a pool for her. You'll have to keep her safe from predators, while making sure she can't fly out of the yard. Give her a mirror as company, and think of inventive ways to mimic her natural foraging behavior. She'll like to use her beak to fish out food from her water. Yes, she'll make a lot of poop which you can turn into fertilizer. You can eat her eggs.
Keeping her as a pet will be a learning experience for you, but if the responsibility becomes to much, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are many folks who would love to add her to their flock. I kept Cluck until she died at 10 years of age. Keeping her as a pet was not easy, but I learned much from her. She started me on my career with animals, and maybe this duckling will start you on yours.
Good luck and think outside the box!
While keeping ducks as a single pet is not the norm, it can be done. Do your research and see what you can do to keep your duckling happy. There are many things you can do to enrich your duck's home. You'll have to make a pool for her. You'll have to keep her safe from predators, while making sure she can't fly out of the yard. Give her a mirror as company, and think of inventive ways to mimic her natural foraging behavior. She'll like to use her beak to fish out food from her water. Yes, she'll make a lot of poop which you can turn into fertilizer. You can eat her eggs.
Keeping her as a pet will be a learning experience for you, but if the responsibility becomes to much, don't be afraid to ask for help. There are many folks who would love to add her to their flock. I kept Cluck until she died at 10 years of age. Keeping her as a pet was not easy, but I learned much from her. She started me on my career with animals, and maybe this duckling will start you on yours.
Good luck and think outside the box!
