is it okay to raise a single duck if you hatch it yourself?

[sunnyslip]

so this question isn’t for me. i have 7 ducks all together, who are happy and healthily bonded with each other. it’s actually about something i see on social media a LOT. i want to know if it’s cruel or not.

so if you get a single duck egg, hatch the duckling, and raise it alone so it doesn’t know of other ducks or flocks or anything… is that still cruel? will it still be stressed?

 

[Isadora]

Cruel is a hard word because it is so severe. It's not natural for a duck to live alone so I would never do it or recommend someone do it. Even if the duck has constant human company the whole time, it's not the same as having a whole duck flock for itself.
So while I think cruel might be too strong of a word, it's definitely not ideal for the duck.

 

[sunnyslip]

Cruel is a hard word because it is so severe. It's not natural for a duck to live alone so I would never do it or recommend someone do it. Even if the duck has constant human company the whole time, it's not the same as having a whole duck flock for itself.
So while I think cruel might be too strong of a word, it's definitely not ideal for the duck.

yeah, that’s what i was thinking. sorry for the poor word choice!

 

[Isadora]

yeah, that’s what i was thinking. sorry for the poor word choice!

Oh, don't worry about it, you're fine. I'm sure there's other people that would agree that it is actually cruel.

 

[fatty and friends]

ducks always need atleast one other duck, no matter what. my ducks are imprinted to me and still need each other