Personally, when mom's hatch out ducklings, I like to have them raise them up. I figure they did the hard work of incubation, so let them enjoy their babies. Many duck moms are devoted.
Ducks are a flock animal, hence happiest and most secure when in a group. If you just want to hand rear them I suggest at least 6, in a group. Ducks in the wild are one of the few species that actually have a chance of survival, even if they lose mom at an early age. Their flocking and natural instincts serve them well. They do not require "teaching" in order to survive. When they get cool, they will huddle together. Too hot, spread out. They quickly learn thru dibbling what is good to eat and what isn't. They do not even need to be taught to fly, it's natural instinct.
Either way, if you hand rear them or allow mom to raise them, the more time you spend with and around them allows them to see you as a "flock mate" or family. You can sit by them and provide them with snacks so they have positive experiences interacting with you. Getting down in the grass, on their level, associates you with them and not a large predator towering over them, which is what their natural instincts tell them.
Talk to them, so they get to know your voice. Since ducks are so social, many tend to be chatty. Ours have food and water 24 x 7, but as soon as we exit the house, they start talking and with many call ducks it's LOUD! We walk over to each pen/paddock, greeting them & then they are quieter and relaxed, they just wanted to say hello and have their human interaction. They will soon be able to associate your tone of voice--happy, nervous, relaxed, excited, danger & etc. Eventually even a few words, if you are consistent in conditioning them. Many people have special words for feeding, water and penning. I.e. din-dins, snackies, swim-swim, bath, bedtime and etc.
A duckling’s environment should be 90 degrees the first week and then one may drop it 5 degrees every week. At 6-8 weeks, when they are well feathered, they can stand temperatures down to 50 degrees so long as the temperature doesn’t drastically fluctuate. They need to have a pen large enough, that the heat source is located on one half. Make sure they have enough room to move away from the heat, so they don't overheat &/or dehydrate. Water is a key part of waterfowl. Many ducklings perish from well meaning humans due to over heating and dehydration. Many people say not to allow ducklings to have access to swimming/bathing water, as it will kill them. We've raised about 120 breeds and varieties of domestic and exotic waterfowl for almost 30 years and we practice "wet brooding" where our ducklings have access to swimming/bathing water from day one and have raised thousands of waterfowl. It can and is done responsibly by knowledgeable breeders. One must remember that ducks are ducks. We, as humans, shouldn't be trying to make them into little humans, dogs or believe that they "think" like people. They are ducks and have thousands of years of natural instincts that have served them well. Let's appreciate them for what they are.
Hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy your ducks.
