I need input ... to duck or not to duck?

[mamabigbird]

My niece emailed me this morning with pictures of the cutest little baby boy duckling.
It needs a home. The other ducks have been trying to drown him and pick on him.
The owner thought the egg was a dud so threw it in the trash only to hear peeping later.
She pulled the little guy out and apparently he has bonded with her because she was the first thing he saw.
She needs to rehome him.
Will he eventually bond with me? Or will his little heart be broken?
I have a plastic kiddie pool and a fenced off section of the chicken run with a dog house in it
that I used as a brooder pen last year.
I can keep him in my yard in a smaller pen for now because he's just a baby.
What should I feed him? Would he be okay as an only duck/pet?
Do you think he would eventually hang out with the chickens?
This is all new to us but so were chickens until we learned.
We are stay at home retirees so can dote on him.
What'ya think? Can we do this?

 

[Wifezilla]

He will do much better with a friend. He will bond to you, but he really should have at least one duck friend.

 

[mamabigbird]

Thanks for the input, but if his own fellow hatchlings have rejected him how can he bond with a strange duck?
Or should I wait until he's older and then find a friend to introduce him to?
His picture looks like he's very young, still fuzzy and his bill is oversized.
I'll find out more later when I talk to his owner about his age and breed.

 

[animalpro24]

I would say get him a friend duck. He will be very needy as a lone duck. He would also get very lonely when you leave at times.
Glad he lived.

Get another duck at the younger ages. They will most likely like each other if they have known each other since they were babies.

Hope this helps.

 

[Wifezilla]

I would get him a friend a little younger. Should solve the picking issue. 2 ducks are going to have a vastly different relationship that a who pile of them.

One thing to think of, this little guy may have something wrong with him. If there is a duckling with a developmental problem, the others in a clutch may attack it. Sometimes these "special" ducks die. Other times they do end up fine, just need a little help at the beginning. Just keep a close eye on the little guy.

 

[mamabigbird]

Thanks folks.
A couple of cups of coffee and a little time to think about it, maybe it's more than I should get into right now.
The email this morning caught me off guard and I'm a real soft touch for cute little baby critters, but reality
sets in pretty quick. It may be the responsible thing to let some one else step up.
If I want to get into ducks I should be better prepared first.
Again, thanks for your input.