Is this a good enough feed for a baby duckling?

[ruthhope]

Oh I didn't realise they would get depressed! There's someone in the house all day every day, and since it's holidays for me I'm also going to be here pretty much 24/7 for a month so the duckling would never be alone, but I'll definitely try getting a duckling closer in age! The only issue is there are only three rehab centers and they're a bit far from where I live so I don't know if I'll get any luck but I'll try calling around and see if the have a duckling available - if not, I'll see if my friend has a much more recent hatch. Would a couple of day's difference still be fine?

By the way your duckling is adorable!

My duckling is now a big soft lump!! He lives in the coop with his ducky friends, but thinks he should live in the house and so hangs out by my patio doors. He's in like a shot if the doors are left ajar by mistake. He likes to sit on my lap each morning and be petted; but he also likes to preen one of the other muscovies and sit with his neck rested along the other ducks back or across its shoulders

 

[ruthhope]

Well there was a really sad incident that happened a couple of months back where a crow dropped a what looked to be a day old duckling outside my window - it survived that and was running around crying but it was on the station roof and my window doesn't open completely for safety reasons so I had no way of reaching it. I spoke to the station staff and they said they'd contact pest control because they weren't allowed to go onto the roof (should've probably called the fire brigade but I can't talk on the phone because of major anxiety issues and just hoped for the best). I'd spent a couple of hours at the window with the duckling outside and grew attached for the simple reason that it ran over when it heard my voice, and then in the end the crow that dropped it took it again. So I knew I'd hatch a duckling at some point to override that guilt I still have - maybe not the best reason to do something like this. And then I started volunteering at a farm, got some eggs and since I had an incubator on hand (kinda bought it in advance for the day I'm able to hatch eggs ), I just thought why not without really thinking it'd work, and now here I am with a duckling progressed really far along. I've got a transparent (those c&c kind of ones but clear plastic without grids) enclosure set up in my room as a brooder with a heat lamp, and a shallow water bowl and of course the feed. I also have a tub they can swim in (haven't placed it in since the duckling can't use it yet because it'll drown) and way more than enough duckweed (have an explosion of them in my storage tank - and I remember seeing someone raising ducklings put them in a sink with duckweeds and other things where he gave it a swim time every day)

The ducking wouldn't be on the balcony, it'll be inside for most of winter (it won't get warmer until I think around February in the UK if it follows previous weather) and I don't think ducklings aren't supposed to be outside for the first 5-6 weeks? Unless it's short periods in good weather but we've had nothing but wind and rain the last few days and cold weather so I was planning to raise it in the warmth of the house for the first couple of weeks until it's of age and stronger to withstand the outdoor environment and it's less harsh - at which point it'll go onto the farm where it'll slowly introduced to a flock, if that's ok? Or would a duckling need an outside environment from the beginning?

I'll also try the mirror, and I'll definitely give the duckling a stuffed animal.

And thank you! I honestly can't believe a whole month passed since I started incubating the egg, it went by far too quickly

I didn't realise that you are in the UK when I mentioned contacting the ASPCA. You might contact the RSPCA or even PDSA -- they may not have animals for adoption like the ASPCA does, but they might be able to tell you where there is a wildlife rehabber near you.

If not, use social media -- Facebook Market, Craig's list and Nextdoor for example -- to advertise. By 8 weeks you should have an idea of the sex of your duckling. If its male you can adopt other male ducks [my three amigos are all drakes]. If yours is female, you are better to adopt another female as drakes need more than one female as they are frankly sex mad. There are fewer females up for adoption so it might take longer to find a suitable female.

 

[Cocelean]

My duckling is now a big soft lump!! He lives in the coop with his ducky friends, but thinks he should live in the house and so hangs out by my patio doors. He's in like a shot if the doors are left ajar by mistake. He likes to sit on my lap each morning and be petted; but he also likes to preen one of the other muscovies and sit with his neck rested along the other ducks back or across its shoulders

I didn't realise that you are in the UK when I mentioned contacting the ASPCA. You might contact the RSPCA or even PDSA -- they may not have animals for adoption like the ASPCA does, but they might be able to tell you where there is a wildlife rehabber near you.

If not, use social media -- Facebook Market, Craig's list and Nextdoor for example -- to advertise. By 8 weeks you should have an idea of the sex of your duckling. If its male you can adopt other male ducks [my three amigos are all drakes]. If yours is female, you are better to adopt another female as drakes need more than one female as they are frankly sex mad. There are fewer females up for adoption so it might take longer to find a suitable female.

Aww that's just adorable! I hope my little duckling also enjoys sitting in my lap and pets!

They do have an RSPCA and PDSA so I'll try contacting them! If I'm only able to tell the sex by 8 weeks though, would it be fine if I got a duckling at a younger stage without knowing if they're both female and male?

 

[ruthhope]

Aww that's just adorable! I hope my little duckling also enjoys sitting in my lap and pets!

They do have an RSPCA and PDSA so I'll try contacting them! If I'm only able to tell the sex by 8 weeks though, would it be fine if I got a duckling at a younger stage without knowing if they're both female and male?

If you get another one duckling before you know its sex, just be aware that next year when your ducks are sexually mature, you might have to get another one or two females if you have one male and one female. I have a female muscovy that I need to rehome as my tres amigos -- including the big soft lump -- are male. My son has one drake and two female pekins: they have done surprisingly well together without the females being "overworked". We are going to start introducing my female muscovy to the pekins after Christmas. Theoretically that should go OK, but Pekins and Muscovies speak different languages. However, my tres amigos include a pekin drake, so my female muscovy is used to listening to a bossy pekin drake and understands some of the commands ["come here now" "follow me now!" "danger danger" "Its my right to be first to eat/drink/bathe"]. I hope we can integrate her with the pekins where she will be a lot safer. With luck you would have a good chance of having two ducks of the same sex!

 

[Cocelean]

If you get another one duckling before you know its sex, just be aware that next year when your ducks are sexually mature, you might have to get another one or two females if you have one male and one female. I have a female muscovy that I need to rehome as my tres amigos -- including the big soft lump -- are male. My son has one drake and two female pekins: they have done surprisingly well together without the females being "overworked". We are going to start introducing my female muscovy to the pekins after Christmas. Theoretically that should go OK, but Pekins and Muscovies speak different languages. However, my tres amigos include a pekin drake, so my female muscovy is used to listening to a bossy pekin drake and understands some of the commands ["come here now" "follow me now!" "danger danger" "Its my right to be first to eat/drink/bathe"]. I hope we can integrate her with the pekins where she will be a lot safer. With luck you would have a good chance of having two ducks of the same sex!

Thank you! I hope I get lucky , and I hope the integration goes smoothly for you !