DO NOT SLEEP WITH DUCKLINGS

[Amykins]

Poor Marbles...thank you for removing the original photo, I saw this last night and I wanted to express my sympathies but instead I just cried and cried and cried. It reminded me way too much of lil' Pancake, a duckling I lost to seizures at just 4 days old.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I know you meant well, but these things are tricky, and ducklings are just so delicate. How are you holding up? Are you gonna be okay? Are you giving your other ducks all the snorgles? I think that would have helped me. I'm lucky to have some amazing ducks I can squoosh to help me through the bad times. I hope you and your other feather babies are well.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

@Orca5094 I don't know what to do, I've been sobbing all day. the guilt and grief is eating me alive, I feel so so terrible.

I want to express my sympathy as well. I know you were so fascinated with her and were just trying to love her and keep her near you, and you had no way to know something like this would happen. We all make mistakes, especially when we're new to it. I'm not new to it, and I recently made a mistake that cost us our top show duck and a dear friend and companion. Please try to forgive yourself for what I know you thought was a kind and loving thing to do.

 

[enola]

I am going to admit something that no one knows about except me.....

I do not remember how I happened to end up with a single chick, but I had the chick nestled in a sock in a box by my bed. Sometime in the middle of the night, the chick started peeping. It would not stop. So, I decided to cuddle it with me. I guess sometime in the night, I rolled on the chick and killed it.

I never admitted it, Moma asked about the chick, and I just told her it died in the night. Moma tried to console me by telling me chicks sometimes just aren't healthy........

I was 8 or 9 years old, I was devastated!

So, I know exactly how you feel and exactly why you feel that way. I don't know anything to say to make you feel better. But as you grow up and the years pass, you will learn to come to terms with things that happen to you in your life. You will learn that despite your very best intentions, things will not always work or be the way you would prefer.
Sending you hugs....

 

[chickmomma03]

There isn't anything you can do about it now, but PLEASE take this as a lesson. They're cute, soft, fuzzy, and snuggly, but they are way too small and fragile to put in your bed. My aunt, who grew up around livestock and should have known better did it, and had the same result. It's never easy to lose one of our precious little ones. Try to allow yourself time to grieve without beating yourself up, and moving forward don't do it again!

 

[chickmomma03]

Also, if you really REALLY want your little one/little ones to be close to you consider a brooder in a SAFE location in your room (maybe on your dresser, somewhere appropriate that won't start a fire or be knocked over in the middle of the night by a stumble through the dark). I didn't ever want to be away from my chicks. I literally slept on the couch EVERY night they were in the house in the brooders. I wanted to be near them, but I didn't want to hurt them.

 

[Amykins]

Also, if you really REALLY want your little one/little ones to be close to you consider a brooder in a SAFE location in your room (maybe on your dresser, somewhere appropriate that won't start a fire or be knocked over in the middle of the night by a stumble through the dark). I didn't ever want to be away from my chicks. I literally slept on the couch EVERY night they were in the house in the brooders. I wanted to be near them, but I didn't want to hurt them.

That's where I kept mine, too. If Wobbles woke up peeping in the middle of the night I was right there to scoop him up and comfort him. Same with Pancake, Milkshake and lil' Bean! Both Wobs n' Bean like to sleep on my bed in the exact same spot their brooder was, so it must have left an impact on them.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Also, if you really REALLY want your little one/little ones to be close to you consider a brooder in a SAFE location in your room (maybe on your dresser, somewhere appropriate that won't start a fire or be knocked over in the middle of the night by a stumble through the dark). I didn't ever want to be away from my chicks. I literally slept on the couch EVERY night they were in the house in the brooders. I wanted to be near them, but I didn't want to hurt them.

I know some people on here put brooders and night pens in their bedrooms. I can't recommend anywhere off the floor since I've had ducklings clear the brooder fence far more quickly than I would have thought, but I suppose it would be okay if the brooder were enclosed, i.e., if it had a top they couldn't get out of / through.

I think @Amykins has her night pens, or at least one of them, in her bedroom. I could never do that myself because I'm a very light sleeper and would never sleep if I had ducks in my bedroom, but I don't see anything wrong with it if you don't mind the feather dust.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

That's where I kept mine, too. If Wobbles woke up peeping in the middle of the night I was right there to scoop him up and comfort him. Same with Pancake, Milkshake and lil' Bean! Both Wobs n' Bean like to sleep on my bed in the exact same spot their brooder was, so it must have left an impact on them.

LOL. You beat me to calling your attention to this one.

 

[chickmomma03]

Quote: I put a screen on top of mine so they couldn't jump out of it. Kept the air flowing enough but kept them safe. I probably should have mentioned that.

 

[JadeComputerGal]

I put a screen on top of mine so they couldn't jump out of it. Kept the air flowing enough but kept them safe. I probably should have mentioned that.

I never much worry about it during the day since I'm always here, but I don't want them roaming at night. It's usually not an issue, but we had one brood that was particularly hard to contain. One of the little girls started flapping very early on and cleared a 14 inch side. Once she did it, no stopping her. I'd scoop her up to put her back in, walk into the adjoining room, turn around and almost trip over her, and she'd just look up and say, "PEEEEP!" Sweet and funny until the others started trying and a couple of them sometimes succeed. She was a corrupting influence!

LOL. Nah. She was just being a duck, and she was what the hubby and I call the "grievance officer" of the group. Everybody else followed her lead, so we (the humans) had to adjust. @Amiga calls this the "spokesduck" of the group.