Will a duckling become less friendly if given a friend?

[Smartie_Pants]

I've never raised a single duckling, I always get them in groups, but only one hatched and I had to take it from under momma and hatch in in the bator after she crushed the egg while he was trying to hatch. Its only been a day but he's so friendly and attached to me. He runs right up and jumps in your hand. I can't be here 24/7, and he needs a friend so that when he grows up it'll be easier for him to join my adult group outside. I'm going on tuesday to the farmers market to look for some young ducklings. I don't want to buy anything over a week old so they'll be close in age. If he gets one or two friends, will he become less attached to me? I want to keep that bond, but not keep him lonley.

 

[Wifezilla]

I had a solo hatch and it took me a week to find it a friend. What happened was the purchased duck bonded to my hatched duck, but the hatched duck was still bonded to me.

 

[streemers]

i bet it will work out fine as long as you still spend a good amount of time with them

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Yes,,he will become less attached to you,happened to me but the best thing for the duck is too have friends they are were social and can become depressed..If you do get just 1 more spend alots of time with them it will help with keeping him connected to you...
I found that I like my ducks to be ducks I have much more fun watching them be ducks than trying to make them something they are not...

 

[Quack Shack]

Had a similar situation with our 'rescue' duck. He was the last from a feedstore and I couldn't leave him there with no water and an infected eye - well, you get the picture. I have 4 other ducks but this last crested has become very attached to my son. The imprint is strong. We keep him secured in the pen with the chickens at night and that helps I think. He's also learned to forage next to my laying girls. You'll probably always get your feet pecked until your little ducking is picked up but then you'll never not know what's going on around the pen thanks to your little feathered informer, right? I swear he alerted me to a sneaky fox the other night. My son says his feathered buddy, Avery, makes the chores go by faster.

 

[horsejody]

The vet gave me a rescued Pekin duckling. At first he was all lovey dovey and would run to people. I think that he was just used to being alone with his previous owner. Once he bonded with some young chickens, he became skittish. However, I believe he is happier with his bird friends than he was with humans. Now he is part of a flock 24/7 and always has companionship.