Im new with a single duckling

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Hello and welcome to BackYard Chickens! :jumpy Glad you joined.
Everyone here is very kind and helpful :)

Could we get a picture of your brooder setup? As other have said, she has imprinted in you.
If she is wild it would be best to release her once she's grown but that will be difficult since she has already imprinted on you.
Unless you live in Florida, you won't need a permit to keep a wild duckling though.
I suggest getting a few more ducklings around her age. Most TSC have ducklings right now.

If she hadn't already imprinted in you I would suggest taking her to a wildlife rescue.


What are you currently feeding her?
 
Hi and welcome to BYC! This is a great community of poultry lovers! Feel free to ask any questions you may have!
:welcome
 
Welcome to BYC. I too have a lone duck. I, like you, had zero experience with ducks. At 2-3 weeks old, it's going to need a brooder type set up, because it still needs heat. I use a large tote, with a heat lamp on one end. Get a cheap Little Giant thermometer, and tape it on the side, down at the bottom of the tote. I'd adjust the lamp, so that it's around 85 degrees on the warm end. It will go between the warm end, and the cool end. It should be happiest somewhere in the middle. Watch it for a day. If it avoids the warm end entirely, raise the lamp to lower the temp on the warm end by 5 degrees. Once you get the temp correct, each week, you will raise the lamp, lowering the temp by 5 degrees.

I used Rubbermaid shelf liner (waffled type) in the bottom of the tote. Cut it to fit. You can get more than one piece from a roll. This gives them traction, to help with their feet, and legs. It also helps keep them a bit dryer. You might want to consider getting 2 rolls. That way you can roll up the soiled piece in the tote, and replace it with a clean one as needed. Rinse the soiled one, and toss it in when you wash towels.

Even with washing the liners, you will want to clean the tote with soap, and water occasionally. Especially when the duck gets a bit bigger. Ducks are MESSY. Don't expect the tote to look clean 10 minutes after you've totally cleaned it up.

Get a couple smallish stuffed animals, that can be laundered. Put one in towards the middle. In a couple days, (yes it will be soiled), toss it in the wash, and put the second one in. That way you can rotate them, and have a semi-clean one in with your duckling at all times. Don't worry if it doesn't take to it at first. Give it a day, or two, and it will start snuggling up to the stuffed animal.

Ducks need a water bowl that's shallow enough to stand in, but deep enough they can submerge their head. They submerge their heads to keep their nostrils, and eyes clean. If they can't submerge their head, they can get sick. I started with a ceramic pet bowl. They're heavy, and can't be tipped over. When it got a bit bigger, I switched to a pyrex (glass) loaf pan. As an adult, I use a large glass casserole dish for it.

Swimming is best described as an exercise program, and they have to build up their swim time abilities. I cleaned my bathtub, and put in some tepid water. To begin with, make sure it's shallow enough the duckling can stand up, if it gets tired, but deep enough it can pull it's legs up to swim. Start with about 15 minutes, and take your cues from there. Dry it with a towel, and put it back in it's tote, when done.

As to feed....I tried duck feed. As a duckling mine wouldn't touch it. A friend of mine, that raises ducks, assured me that layer feed would be fine. Chick starter feed is too high in protein. Layer feed is a bit high in calcium, but not enough to impair the duckling, especially if you give it a treat, now and again. Strawberries, blueberries, grapes, etc. Don't overdo it on the treats. They can only eat so much, and need the balanced nutrition provided from their feed. The one thing you will have to add, if yours won't eat duck feed, is NIACIN. Ducks need more niacin than chickens. Go to Walmart, a healthfood store, pharmacy, or online for it. I got tablets, and would crush them between 2 large spoons. Take a little pinch of the pulverized niacin, and sprinkle it around, over the feed. Repeat each time you add feed. When mine got grown, I switched it to duck feed. It didn't eat for a day, but then began eating the duck food.

Flock animals tend to need family. My duck didn't have a family, so we became it's family. When mine feathered out, I bought a huge dog crate, and an extra bottom tray for it. I put hay on one end, it's food and water on the other. I have a screened in patio, but a porch, or any shaded area that you USE. Since you've become it's family, you can't abandon it. Choose an area outside that you visit often, or spend a lot of time in, that's shaded. We use our patio a lot, so when someone goes out there, they let the duck out, then put it back up when no one is out there.

You can get it a kiddie pool, when it's bigger, let it out daily to spend time with it, and let it swim, or I use a large cement mixing type container, from Lowes. They come in several sizes, and are not very expensive. I increased the size, as the duck grew. It's easier for me to dump and put clean water daily.

They go through a few phases of friendliness/skittishness as they grow, but ultimately, they grow into a very friendly, caring animal.

I got great advice from someone that raises mostly ducks. His ducks are gorgeous, healthy, and live long lives. Following that advice, my duck has done just fine.
 
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