Imprinting on wrong duck

[telandra2]

The first duckling of the brood has hatched but has somehow managed to imprint on the wrong hen. Will it switch to the proper mama when the rest hatch and false mom abandons it or am I stuck with one very unhappy for life duckling? Poor baby is chasing false mommy all over the night pen as she and the rest of her flockmates flee.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

When ducklings hatch they immediately look for the first moving breathing thing to cling to whether that is another duckling, mama duck, chicken, human etc. Ducks are VERY social so when your duckling hatched and there were no other ducklings it ran to the other hen because she was there and it didn't want to be alone. If you don't want your duckling with the other hen you will have to separate when the others hatch and put it with whatever hen you choose. However, if the others are running from it I would separate or put it in a brooder immediately otherwise there is a very high chance of it being trampled before the others even hatch.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Or section off mama duck whose still sitting so the lil ducklings hasn't a choice but to go to the right mama. Just make sure mama duck will accept it back. I make a section of the coop fenced off with lattice and plastic poultry fencing attached to it so any ducks that are sitting on eggs has her own space. That way when ducklings begin hatching they stay with mama, I do this with my chickens too.

 

[telandra2]

After a noisy 2am ring around the rosey, this morning baby was sleeping in broody duck #2's nest. I put it back with mom and this evening it was super-cute sleeping on mom's back. I have no idea what was going on with the 3 musical moms but it looks sorted now. It distress peeped for the first time as well when mom shifted to hiss at me, which I consider a good sign.

I'm lucky both sitting ducks were happy to take the baby and the rest of the flock is curious with no aggression signs. Due to the NW heatwave which made all the hens go broody and 40 days of 90s the clutches seem to be hatching in laying order so siblings and cousins are going to be spread out.

 

[Newbie6789]

LOL - I had 2 hens sitting on 1 nest. One muscovy hatched and it is imprinted on the Pekin Mom. Poor, poor confused duckling. It thinks it needs to quack loudly, spend lotsa time in the pond