Do I get Pickles a friend?

[cheezenkwackers]

Ok my wise friends, I need your advice. As some of you know, I had a bad hatch which resulted in a lone Hookbill duckling hatching. We named him/her Pickles. Pickles is 12 days old today and doing well. I started searching for another Hookbill duckling right after he hatched with little success. I finally may have found one. A lady has a dozen or so eggs due to hatch today or tomorrow. That will make them two almost weeks apart in age. It is a 1 1/2 hour drive to get the duckling. Is it a good idea?

 

[Chicks in VA]

Ok my wise friends, I need your advice. As some of you know, I had a bad hatch which resulted in a lone Hookbill duckling hatching. We named him/her Pickles. Pickles is 12 days old today and doing well. I started searching for another Hookbill duckling right after he hatched with little success. I finally may have found one. A lady has a dozen or so eggs due to hatch today or tomorrow. That will make them two weeks apart in age. It is a 1 1/2 hour drive to get the duckling. Is it a good idea?

I would get him a friend, but they need to be about the same size , it doesn't really matter what breed the duckling friend is !

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I would get him a friend, but they need to be about the same size , it doesn't really matter what breed the duckling friend is !

I am on a duck limit and already have four adult females of other breeds. I don’t want another type, I want to help the Hookbills. Thank you, but that is not what I am asking. What I want to know is if it could work? Otherwise, I will just raise this one and try to hatch more eggs at the start of the school year.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Get the duckling and just fix the brooder so they can be together but Pickles can’t over whelm the new one. As we know it won’t take long for the newbie to get big enough to where they can be together. I had 2 week old Runners in the same brooder with new hatches and just had a piece of hardware cloth separating them in a week the littles were sleeping on top of the older two. They shared a heat lamp .

 

[MROO]

I totally agree with @Miss Lydia. Get the new duckling! A piece of hardware cloth in the brooder will let the two get close and acquainted. They can even snuggle some, if it's under or near the heat source. Ducklings (and chicks ... and children) just seem to do better with friends. It won't just help now, but should make integration into the flock smoother. It's much easier to face a scary situation with a buddy!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Well is Pickles going to get a buddy? We’re all waiting.lol

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I hope so. I am still waiting to hear back from the breeder.

 

[MROO]

I hope so. I am still waiting to hear back from the breeder.

... and another thought. Since Pickles (I LOVE the name!) is a bit older, now. I wonder if the breeder could give you a clue whether Pickles is a she or a he? S/he may need to join you on your little road trip!

 

[cheezenkwackers]

... and another thought. Since Pickles (I LOVE the name!) is a bit older, now. I wonder if the breeder could give you a clue whether Pickles is a she or a he? S/he may need to join you on your little road trip!

I just watched another sexing video and tried again. I am pretty sure Pickles is a drake. The lady who I am getting the duckling from only sells straight run.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Pickles finally has a friend. I picked up another Hookbill duckling in St.Louis this morning. Meet Noodles. Noodles is only one week old where Pickles is now 3 1/2 weeks and a giant by comparison. They are in a 75 gallon aquarium with window screening between them.

They already seem very happy with each other. My only issue, I am pretty sure they are both boys. But, the kind breeder also gave me 5 duckbill hatching eggs. So, I will keep trying.