Duckling help?

[msshalom]

Hello! So I’m a pretty new duck mom, right now, raising my second handful of ducklings. The first couple (3) I had, I bought three from a local store here, bonded with me really quickly, and always followed me around. Unfortunately, I lost two of them when they were around 5 weeks old to a bobcat, and ever since then, the third one has been understandably skittish. I kept her/him with some chicken chicks that were a couple weeks older until I was able to get some more duck siblings for her, but now all four of my new ducklings (just over a week old now) don’t want to bond to me, and have instead bonded with each other, and her. I have tried holding them once every other hour or so, but I feel bad separating them because they get scared, and don’t stop peeping until they are all together again. I believe my older duckling may be a female, and took over the mother role for them, as they follow her around, but I’m not quite sure because she also looks like she might be turning a bit greenish in some lights. (Mallard btw). My concern is that if she is a he, he may turn aggressive as they get older, and not have enough of a bond with me to trust me either. I know this is a lot in one post, but if anyone has any advice, it would be super helpful! I’m not sure how likely it is for them to imprint on me, or for my oldest to reimprint, if that’s a thing. My best shot so far is holding them in pairs, so I think that might be my only option! Again, thanks for reading this massive question/story thing!

 

[CoriM]

I think you should be very pleased that your lone duck has bonded with the new babies and vice versa. I think it's most natural for the ducklings to bond with each other - they're going to be the main support family for each other. I got 6 ducklings last spring and really wanted them to be bonded to me. I held and handled them a lot. They are mostly bonded to each other, which I find to be natural now. I always give them treats and talk sweetly to them and they still get very excited to see me coming out to the run and come right away when they think I have something to give them. Most of them are calm and tame when I need to soak for bumblefoot. I know they don't mind my company, and I think that's the most I can ask from them. I hope you have figured out what to do to protect the new ducks from wild animals. I live in the woods and have bobcats, coyotes, bears, and birds of prey. I have to supervise them very closely when they're "free-ranging" or in my yard. Most of the time they are safely in their run behind 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Don't worry, even if they don't "imprint" on you, you will still love them and have so much fun with them!

 

[msshalom]

Edit: The little ones are almost two weeks, not one!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think you should be very pleased that your lone duck has bonded with the new babies and vice versa. I think it's most natural for the ducklings to bond with each other - they're going to be the main support family for each other. I got 6 ducklings last spring and really wanted them to be bonded to me. I held and handled them a lot. They are mostly bonded to each other, which I find to be natural now. I always give them treats and talk sweetly to them and they still get very excited to see me coming out to the run and come right away when they think I have something to give them. Most of them are calm and tame when I need to soak for bumblefoot. I know they don't mind my company, and I think that's the most I can ask from them. I hope you have figured out what to do to protect the new ducks from wild animals. I live in the woods and have bobcats, coyotes, bears, and birds of prey. I have to supervise them very closely when they're "free-ranging" or in my yard. Most of the time they are safely in their run behind 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Don't worry, even if they don't "imprint" on you, you will still love them and have so much fun with them!