What is it like having a single duckling or chick? - Why would I have only one duckling or chick? How do I look after it for the first two months? What do I need to do?
Hi there! This post has turned out to be a lot longer than I thought, so I have divided into two parts.
First of all, I will explain how we have ended up with only one duckling from a clutch of 5. It's quite possible that the same thing could happen to you if you are incubating a small amount of eggs, or have a high disease risk.
Our duck eggs were given to us by a good friend who also owns a farm. We believe both parents are crested ducks, which is a tuft of soft feathers on their head caused by a gene in the parent ducks (I recommend reading this wikipedia article). Unfortunately, both parents having the crest means the ducklings have a higher chance of having the gene twice. This means they tend to die before hatching.
Add this to a relative survival rate of 50%-70%, it makes it harder to have all the eggs hatch. We were given 5 eggs, and Bob (the only one to hatch) was a lot more developed than the rest from day 1. The other eggs seemed slightly more yellow than red / orange when candled, and stopped developing a week or so before their due date. I gave them more time, just in case, but even a week after their due date they still didn't show any signs of progress. With a heavy heart, we removed the eggs from the incubator and disposed of them.
We were left with one little duckling to care for. As we have no other ducks on the property, he had to stay inside with us. Being the only other living things he had ever seen at the time, me and my boyfriend have become Mum and Dad.
The Hard Part
I thought watching Bob hatch was going to be the most stressful thing. It wasn't the easiest hatch ever, I had to help him out of his shell and as it was our first time ever hatching eggs, I thought he had a growth on his stomach. It was a stressful time for us, as We had quickly got attached to him even in the egg. On the 21st of April 2016, Bob hatched.
We both still try to not leave him for longer than necessary as it's not fair on him. I bring him with me around the house, either allowing him to wonder around behind me if I'm moving around a lot or if I'm staying in one room for a while he will sleep in his box listening to whatever I am doing. Be warned: letting him wonder around means a lot of poop to clean up!
Even though it's tough, it's like having a fast growing child with feathers. He shows us he loves us, and we're proud and excited when he does something new or difficult. We get excited when we weigh him, when he goes to the door to say goodbye or hello, when he does his little poop dance. It's rewarding and so heartwarming.
If you are not prepared for almost constant screaming for a week or two, I would suggest incubating a higher number of eggs. As many as you can, really. I have learnt my lesson, and although I love Bob to bits and think the world of him, he would have done better having a friend with him. From now on, I will be incubating as many eggs as possible.
Part 2 will be up next week on Wednesday morning. Check back here to find out How to look after a single duckling, and How do I prepare for ducklings? You can follow me on Twitter , Tumblr or Instagram so you don't forget! :)
Bella
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