New Duckling! Please help:)

[kenhen]

Hello everyone! So.. long story short a friend of mine got a duck while living in a dorm and her RA obviously told her to get rid of it. I'm known as an animal lover, and she asked me to take her until summer break. So I just have a few basic questions I could really use the communities help with.

- How do I identify my ducks age? I’ll attach a picture if possible.
- Since she is alone ( more ducks are NOT an option!! ) are there things I can do to keep her from getting bored? I go to school 7 hours a day and she’s in a different room while I sleep, so she’s alone a lot.
- She chews on EVERYTHING! Well, pecks is a better word haha. Are there things I can give for her to SAFELY peck at ? It seems to keep her entertained.

That’s all for now! If anyone can think of some basic tips for me I would really appreciate it this community has been immensely helpful. Thank you all for your knowledge.

*** EDIT**
OKAY yes after talking with some helpful users, I will make every effort to talk my friend in to rehoming this duck somewhere where she won’t be lonely and will be well taken care of. Consider me doing all I can, and unless you know of a location I can take a duck in Ohio, I’ll have to figure it out. IN THE MEAN TIME, because that can’t happen overnight, I could really use help for the above questions

 

[Pyxis]

If you really can't get another duck, and you go to school and she's alone 7 hours a day, please consider rehoming her to a place that can have more ducklings with her. Keeping her alone is just not fair to her. She is a flock animal and she needs the company of other ducks.

It's the best for her that you give her up to a home that can meet all her needs, and more ducks is a need for her.

 

[kenhen]

Hi! Thanks! But like I said, she’s not my duck, so it isn’t my decision to give her away to someone else.

 

[casportpony]

Welcome to BYC! You and your friend need to consider the quality of life this ducking has living alone. Please talk to your friend and find a way to provide a proper home for this duckling. Consider finding someone to foster until summer.

 

[Pyxis]

I'm just also gonna put my reply from on my profile here too to keep everything in one place

Hi! Thanks for replying to my forum. If I were to consider another duckling to keep mine company, how should I go about it? I could try my best to talk my landlord into allowing 2 (although 1 took a lot of begging haha), but should I just get another from tractor supply and purchase one? And would that 2nd one be okay if I looked for a farm to rehome it to after I’m done duck-sitting, will it be okay?

Tractor Supply has a minimum and won't let you purchase less than six, or shouldn't at least. I would find out where your friend got this one from and go there to get another. If it was Tractor Supply don't count on them selling you just one more because they shouldn't have sold a single one in the first place.

You could rehome the one you buy when you're done as long as you find a farm with other ducks to take it, but then the one you're sitting will be very very lonely. You should either talk your friend into keeping them both, or rehoming the one you have. The one you have is a 15 year commitment. What is your friend going to do when she goes back to school again?

To add onto that, I think you and your friend should have a conversation and you should tell her that the responsible thing to do is to allow you to find a new home for this duckling. Maybe someday when she is no longer in school, has a stable living situation, and can keep more than one duckling, she can try again and start a flock. To be frank, it was irresponsible of her to buy this duckling knowing she was not allowed to have it.

I know this is not your fault and you got dragged into this.

 

[kenhen]

Welcome to BYC! You and your friend need to consider the quality of life this ducking has living alone. Please talk to your friend and find a way to provide a proper home for this duckling. Consider finding someone to foster until summer.

Yes I’m going to talk to her. Obviously rehoming her in a better place will take time if that’s what ends up happening (hopefully!). Do you have any tips to my above questions for the mean time.

 

[Ravynscroft]

In the mean time, get her an unbreakable mirror and a stuffed animal to snuggle... one that doesn't have long fuzzy type hair that she can chew off and eat...

 

[kenhen]

In the mean time, get her an unbreakable mirror and a stuffed animal to snuggle... one that doesn't have long fuzzy type hair that she can chew off and eat...

Thank you!!

 

[Raenh]

Mine liked the squeaky stuffed animals - and the extra small rubber balls with spikes on them - fancy, my drake would play soccer with it. Speedy, my female even now as she's nesting still likes her squeaky lambchop.

 

[Raenh]

For chewy - they like the foil like cat balls, cause they like the crinkle sound and feel. Those have to be replaced often though cause they lose color when dunked in water.