can you put a baby duckling with older ducks and have the older ducks take care of it?
Question by Horses4LIFE!: can you put a baby duckling with older ducks and have the older ducks take care of it?
we have a bunch of ducks. one of them made a nest and laid a bunch of eggs, then kept leaving them. so, we decided to incubate them and see if anything happens. a couple are almost to hatching point. would it be possible to put them out with their momma? or would she not recognize them as her own? thanks!
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2 Responses to can you put a baby duckling with older ducks and have the older ducks take care of it?
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i don’t know if the mother will get back to them but i think it would be better to put them in with the others only when they deepened on themselves a little more, when they can eat all by themselves and are little older, but after that they will be fine with them. i had a duckling that was staying with two geese and a bunch of chickens, it would follow the geese everywhere and they would eat sleep and drink together.so if they can stay with geese why not it be better with their own kind?! but if it doesn’t work ut their only chance of survival is that you raise them 🙂
GOOD LUCK!
sea_angel
February 26, 2013 at 5:35 pm
Ducklings are precocial, they do not necessarily require the care of a parent. That being said, they will require a duck family to learn how to be a duck, and so they do not imprint to a human or any other animal.
I would suggest that you keep them away from the big ducks for a few weeks, the big ducks may not accept them immediately. Keep them in a pen, cage, with a way to stay warm. I’d recommend a heating pad UNDER 1/ 2 of the cage, give them a mirror, so they believe they belong in a flock. They will feel safe if they believe there is many of them. They can eat chick starter, mixed with water to porridge consistancy. They will also require greens, cut up small pieces of grass, clover, dandelions and mix with water in a shallow pan. They will drink an amazing amount of water. Provide a water fountain (available at feed stores) for them. They will not be water proof until they have the chance to get in and out of water, babies normally use the oil glands of their parents, without a parent, they must develop their own oil glands, this can only be acheived by getting wet, and then dry, wet and then dry. They will DROWN without a way to get out of the water. Give them a small water container (deep enough for them to swim), with a way to get in and out, rocks, wooden ramp etc. After a few weeks, introduce them slowly to the big ducks, put them out in the pen, behind a fence, some way that they can see each other, but the big ducks can not get to the little ducks. It will not take too long for the big ducks to get accustomed to them. They will eventuallyt form a family group.
Good luck! Enjoy!
madmother15
February 26, 2013 at 5:41 pm