One Duck with Three Chicks?

[Ravie]

Hi all,

I'm going to be purchasing three chicks and have really, really been wanting a duck. I know all about the dangers of keeping a lone duckling, or keeping many ducks with a lone chick.

I can't find info on whether or not a lone duckling can be HAPPY with chicks. Have any of you done this?

 

[Mom 2em All]

trust me you want TWO ducklings.

The duckling will quickly outgrow your chicks, and will splash water all over the place and make your chicks wet and miserable. They poop much much more than chicks, as well.
The duckling will be much happier with a duckling buddy (spoken with a duckling tucked in my shirt- and Im unable to go to bed because its lonely)....

 

[debilorrah]

I disagree with Mom, only because we wound up with one duckling and 6 chicks completely by accident, and they all got along just fine. Chuck (duck that thinks hes a chicken) hung out with the chickens, never with the ducks when we got more and he was a happy, happy bird til he died. We loved Chuck, and so did the hens.

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
Ok what I DO agree with here is that the brooder will need to be changed AT LEAST daily to keep the chicks dry.

 

[Mom 2em All]

lol.
I may have given a different answer yesterday before I had to stay up all night and hold a baby duckling. Too scared to fall asleep because my cats would love me to do just that.

Then I also thought of the duck, once grown, not having a swimming buddy. I am feeling ultra-sensitive to little duckie feelings tonight. (very hard not to do that with muscovy duckling eyes peeping out from under my shirt..lol)

 

[debilorrah]

Quote:
I just read that other thread from you!!!! You have your work cut out for you, however I suggest getting another duckling or a chick. Ducks imprint WAY worse than chicks do and unless you want a constant shadow, you need to get something else to live with that thing!!!!

ETA: Even having multiple ducklings, they all imprinted on me from day one. Just the sound of my voice sends them running to me.

 

[Mom 2em All]

Im picking up two black east indies ducklings tomorrow for it. AND that better work- I dont think there is room inside my shirt for three ducklings!

 

[Ravie]

Thanks guys.

I realize there are some special challenges if I choose to raise a lone duckling with three chicks. I am hoping to mitigate some of those by keeping a pretty large brooder, by checking on the birds MANY times daily (I'm a stay-at-home mom), cleaning their brooder as often as several times daily and making sure there is ample room for the duckling to move away from the heat lamp if he needs to. If I have to separate the duckling because he's splashing water on the chicks, I will do so and buy another duckling.

It seems like the duck can live happily if he has another living thing to share his life with. I obviously don't want his significant other to be me, though I do hope he likes me! If he grows up thinking he's a chicken, I can live with that.

My ultimate goal would be to introduce the (mostly grown) chicks and (mostly grown) duck to the rest of free-ranging chicken flock. I think having only one duck in the chicken flock will probably be easier on the chickens.

If it goes well, AWESOME. If it doesn't, I can give the duck his own temporary living quarters until I get more ducks and a coop, I can eat the duck, of I can give the duck to my neighbor who is also raising ducks.

 

[Mom 2em All]

One thing I didnt mention before-actually just thought of- if the duckling ends up being a drake- he will mate with your chickens. He can also hurt your hens if he does that.

Good luck.

I slept sitting up with a duckling tucked in my shirt all night and now have a stiff neck, but a happy duckling.