Duckling mental wellbeing?!

[Emmaschooks]

Hi all quick question with a bit of background...
I’ve ended up with a single Bali duckling due to a lot of failed eggs and mum rejecting the baby, I brought it in to my brooder and this duckling has chosen me as its parent...it seemed scared of its actual mum and wouldn’t call to her or follow her, as soon as I brought it in it fell asleep in my hand. Now it peeps for me and follows me around the house.
I was in this situation again last year and that duckling was my life, I cared for her nonstop for 5 weeks until she smelled too much to stay in the house as I couldn’t source any ducklings the same age to keep her company.
This year I have managed to find 2 ducklings just a few days older to keep mine company and I hope to put them all in a brooder in an outbuilding so they are not in the house (my neighbour works nights) obviously I will check them multiple times a day but I had hoped they would be able to occupy each other and not PEEPPEEPPEEP for my attention as soon as I go out of sight.
My question is can I put the ducklings in the brooder and leave to their own devices without any mental distress given how my duckling has already imprinted on me? I would worry about them charging around and injuring themselves and getting so upset they don’t eat or drink? Would they settle down quickly because I don’t want them peeping constantly for hours after I leave the room. Would it upset them too much or would they get used to it without any harm to them?
I want them to cope by themselves in the brooder but not if it is bad for their welfare.

thanks for any advice, I am just paranoid and fretting it will make them too upset to not have me right next to them. Them calling for me and me having to ignore them is really upsetting for me too.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

So, all ducklings will peep for their mother. If the first, large, moving thing they see is you at 24-48 hours of age, they will imprint on you. I have read that they imprint on a species not a particular person but they clearly recognize people. So, you are mom. I have 5, four day old ducklings, right now, they peep for me every few hours. It isn’t continuous, they just want attention, or they are out of food or water. I suspect that is what yours will do as well. I hang a feather duster in my brooder for them to sleep under. I figure it kind of looks like their real mother’s belly. They like it. Hope this helps.

 

[cheezenkwackers]