Duckling biting me!?

[nanaluvsgps]

My little duckling Margo is constantly biting me and it actually does hurt a little bit. It's not nibbling and i'm not sure why, except he is alone and he seems really frusrated all the time. When we take him out he allways runs to the big girls and thinks their his mumma and try to get under but they gently shoo him away. any ideas?

 

[Miss Lydia]

My little duckling Margo is constantly biting me and it actually does hurt a little bit. It's not nibbling and i'm not sure why, except he is alone and he seems really frusrated all the time. When we take him out he allways runs to the big girls and thinks their his mumma and try to get under but they gently shoo him away. any ideas?

Margo really needs one of her own. she is lonely thats why she is running to the big girls. The biting is normal if she had a buddy they would be biting and nibbling on each other.

 

[nanaluvsgps]

She will be put with the big girls when we grow up and we think it might be a drake, so if we were to get another duckling and it turned out to be drake, we wouldn't know what to do. Will his personalitty be affected growing up alone when he is full grown?

 

[jdywntr]

She will be put with the big girls when we grow up and we think it might be a drake, so if we were to get another duckling and it turned out to be drake, we wouldn't know what to do. Will his personalitty be affected growing up alone when he is full grown?

Sorry to say but yes, it's personality will be affected as it will be more bonded to humans than to ducks. Ducklings require SO much attention to be well adjusted. I, personally, do not have the time or patience to deal with a lone duckling. Adding another would be the easiest thing and I understand your reluctance since you don't know the sex of this young one.
You did not state the ages of the ducks that you have. If they are "gently shooing him away" it may be possible for the duckling to stay with the adults but this will depend on many things.

 

[nanaluvsgps]

The two girls are about 1 and a half years old. They don't hurt him but they certainly don't like him their either! but he still tries to go underneath them. If he does turn out to be a drake would I need more than two girls with him?

 

[Mum]

How old is your duckling?

 

[Miss Lydia]

We had a lone duckling in our home for 3 months he slept inside our home and spent much of his time with us, he had a flock but was too young to be left unattended. His mama tried to kill him when he hatched. He was the most precious thing, then we went and got 3 girls just for him, yep he turned out to be a drake, well he was too young to notice them but boy did he notice me, it got to the point where i couldn't turn my back on him he would jump me. He was totally confused as to what he was and what I was to him. I thought for sure we were going to have to put him down. He was very assertive towards me, just like the drakes treat their girls. Then I got some very good advise on this forum as to how to deal with him, We had him outside alot during the daytime when we could be with him, and got to watch first hand how ducks act towards hormonal drakes that are young enough to be put in their place. So i started acting like that, I would flattren him out and hold him down till he relaxed when he would come after me, also I would pick him up and lay him on his back, telling him NO BITE. Another thing that worked was pushing him away with my foot. coming up under his chest so as not to hit him but push him. He is 1yr 4 months old now and madly in love with his 3 ladies but it took a while to convince him I wasn't going to be one of them. LOL. He knows now that his place in the flock and can still come up to get petted but as soon as hard biting starts thats it we're finished. When my one duck was weening so to speak her duckling this summer [also a drake] she would actually chase him away from her to let him know it was time to be on his own. If your duckling is feathered and can be outside for any length of time you may want to put up temp fencing so it can begin to get accustomed to the rest of the flock and begin to bond with them, honestly drakes don't make good house ducks especially when they become sexually mature. And let your duckling learn from the others where his/her place is in the flock as long as they aren't attacking him it is part of being in the family.

 

[nanaluvsgps]

Very helpful thanks! and he is approx 3-4 weeks