Ducking Imprinting

[JennyPatty1984]

Hi Everyone!

I hope you can offer me some insight with my brand new ducklings. Over the past three days I have hatched 7 Rouen ducklings in a incubator. First of all....super cute! This is my first hatch and I have done a lot of research, but one thing has me confused. All my reading tells me that ducklings will imprint right away on humans. My seven appear to be much more interested in each other than myself or my boyfriend. They even scurry away from us when we put our hand in the brooding box or have them out to run around. Once caught they will calm down and lie, but overall definitely do not appear to have imprinted at all. Does it take time? Any advice would be really helpful!
Thanks so much.

 

[Amiga]

When ducklings have each other, they don't seem to get as confused about their identity (human imprinting). That is one reason I wanted to have several ducklings - so that they would not become distressed when I cannot be with them 24/7.

They like me, and a few let me hold them, but they seem to be fine with each other.

 

[loopy12]

I find imprinting varies between breeds and also depends on how many other ducklings they are with. My Cayugas showed the strongest tendency to imprint on me - even as adults they would waddle so fast across the garden to get to me that they'd trip over each other, then would climb in my lap to eat peas from my hand. My Pekins, who were raised with the same amount of love and attention had little interest in me as ducklings or as adults.

Ideally, the best compromise is to have them imprint on each other as siblings so they aren't lonely but to recognize and imprint on you as a parent. That way they won't cry for you every time you leave the room but will still come running when they see you.

At three days they are just getting past the optimum time for imprinting, but they can still do so for up to a week after hatching, so if you want them to imprint on you a bit try taking them out one at a time for ten minute or so sessions, feed them crumbs from your hand, talk to them softly. If it starts peeping in a distressed way it has probably already imprinted on its siblings so put it back and just go back to letting them get comfortable with your hand in the brooder etc. It may work, it may not...

 

[flynntheduck]

I have noticed with my two ducklings that one seems attached to me and one seems attached to the other duckling. I got my Rouen last Saturday at about 4 days old. He is the one attached to me. I got the Runner on Monday from the same store/brooder and she is attached to the Runner. But when I got her she was about 6 days old. My Rouen will sit in my lap and hang out for a long time. The Runner peeps a lot and tries to get away. She will settle down but it takes a while.

 

[Amiga]

Awwwww

I started with eleven runners, have lost two (egg yolk peritonitis and unknown but similar symptoms). Anyway, each runner is unique. I have huggers, teases, and shy babies. But they all are sweet and pretty friendly. Some have special relationships.