Raising Ducklings!

In my opinion, ducklings are definitely in the top 5 of any list of cutest animals in existence, hands down. I mean, just look at this little guy!

My fascination with ducklings eventually reached a level that convinced me to take on the challenge of hatching my own ducklings and raising them to adulthood, which I actually did last year! I ordered my own fertilized eggs from the internet and bought an easy-to-use incubator. After some research on the incubation process, I put my eggs in the incubator. Approximately one month later, three duckling hatched!

For the next three months, with the help of my brother and a friend, I raised these ducklings to adulthood. Something about ducklings (and most other bird species as well) that many people do not know about is the fact that they undergo a process known as imprinting immediately after they hatch. Imprinting means that the first living thing the duckling sees when it hatches is what it assumes to be its parent. This is what causes ducklings to follow their mother around everywhere. Since the only thing my ducklings saw when they hatched was me, to them I was daddy! Wherever I would go, they would follow relentlessly.

Over the next three months, I took on the responsibility of feeding my ducklings, taking them out for strolls and swims in the lake, and teaching them how to forage for their own food in preparation for their eventual release. It was an amazing process seeing my ducklings grow up and develop their beautiful colors. Once they were old enough, I released them in a nearby lake, where they still live happily today with other ducks.

In fact, because they were raised together, to this day they always stick together in a pack, watching out for one another. And, to my surprise, when I visit to feed them, they are always the first ducks to run up to me, recognizing my distinct whistle. All in all, raising ducklings was an awesome experience. I finally got to do something that as a child I had wanted to do, and I enjoyed every bit of it. 

If you are ever considering doing something like this for yourself, please first consider the time commitment and responsibilities that come along with the process. If you are interested in doing this for yourself, feel free to ask me anything!