Are all ducklings like this?

[LilDucky85]

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This is exactly what happened for me. I had 8 and they only needed eachother. 1 hatched a day before the others, and only wanted me or he would cry. Once his brother and sisters came he didnt care. Its harder to manage all 8 and become close to them. They never want to be separated and I cant really hold all 8 at once. With the 3 I can hold them more often and keep track of them at the same time. Mine have been with me since hatching though so I dont know how store bought ones work.

My first 8 would follow me around and cry if I was out of sight so they were still attached to me. When I took my mallards out the day after they were born they kinda just jumped around and werent as scared as the pekins were. They actually chased my pekins and the pekins ran away! lol I got a video of it.

 

[Wifezilla]

I raised a solo hatch for a week (JJ) and then managed to find her a friend at Big R (Bungie). While JJ bonded to me, Bungie totally bonded to JJ. When JJ died, Uno had just hatched and her hatchmate had died. We slowly introduced Uno to Bungie over a series of 2 weeks. Uno is totally bonded to me, but again, Bungie bonded to the other duck. I can pick up Uno, or pet her feathers and she "talks" to me all the time. Bungie will eat of my hand but NO TOUCHING!

When I got the three Welsh Harlequins, I kind of expected them to be like Bungie since they were hatchery ducks like him. Instead, I became mom, and they are even friendlier than Uno. I think in their case, it is more the breed than anything. Welsh Harlequins are known to be friendly ducks.

 

[tdkmom]

Thank you to all for your replies. They definitely like their mates. I just keep picking them up and holding them and hopefully they'll warm to me. They'll be in the brooder for quite some time so maybe I'll get them to like me. I'm a duck person at heart though so I'd like them to like me but then I'm a "not too close" person so I guess that's why I like them. Haha!

 

[newchic]

Just got 2 mallards today with 4 chics. The ducks are 2 weeks old and chics approx 5 days old. The Mallords are very skiddish and quack a whole lot. one of the chics tends to follow the ducks around and acts as if it were a duck the other 3 chics are very social and walk into my hand. I'm scarred my chics will learn to be flighty as my mallards and not be very social. Any words of wisdom.

 

[Mikanik]

I've only had my ducklings for two days. At first they were skittish (like the first 4 hours) after that...if they aren't with one of us they "cry" & now they will even walk into our hands and love being held and snuggled. Their fav place is right in my neck snuggled against my beard while I'm laying down , watching tv. LOL They'll sit there and "talk" to me and each other and groom one another and my beard until they finally fall asleep. I've learned to be pooped on...a little price to pay for a whole lotta love! <3 Hoping that adding #3 doesn't change that! What do you all think?