When a duckling cries, try feeding it or keeping it warm because, in most cases, these babies cry when they are cold or hungry.
Ducklings also thrive on social connections, so they can experience separation anxiety and other emotions. Of course, they do not shed tears, but when a duckling is upset, it can make a lot of weird noises that sound a bit different from normal quacking.
A duckling crying is different from the squeaking sound they make while the mother is around or happy. It can be shrill and sharp and is usually constant.
Reasons For Duckling Crying
The crying noises are usually to attract the mother’s attention when they get separated from it. Ducklings also make crying noises when they are cold or hungry.
However, older ducks also cry when they sense danger and want to alert the owner’s attention. In addition, when another waterfowl dies or is in danger, it can also trigger a duck to cry for help or attention.
Another reason why ducklings cry is when it is alone and not with their mother or siblings. This is usually the case when someone brings home a solitary duckling and tries to raise it. A single duckling will definitely cry for attention when it is not around other members of its family.
Ducklings also cry when another mother duck rejects them. Female ducks with their own babies can get aggressive towards other ducklings, so this rejection can also make a duckling cry.
What To Do When A Cuckling Cries
The best way to stop and soothe a crying duckling is to identify its reason.
This will help you figure out the best remedy to stop the duckling from crying all the time. Depending on the reason behind the crying duckling, here’s what you can do:
When a duckling has separation anxiety
For a duckling crying out of separation anxiety, the best remedy is to reunite it with its mother as quickly as you can. Snuggling with its mother will calm the duckling and stop crying.
If the duckling is a rescue, a mother duckling will not be kind to it. Consider taking the duckling to a waterfowl or wildlife rescue so they can take better care of it.
Rescue ducklings can also cry when they are alone, so snuggling the baby duck close to you can also soothe it. Some ducklings also love it when they have a stuffed animal for a company as it allows them to snuggle with it, and they will stop crying too.
Duckling crying because of hunger
It is always important to feed the ducklings with proper food; otherwise, they will cry out for hunger. Ducklings also love to snack often, so if they are not a place to forage for themselves, frequent snacking is required.
A good diet for ducklings includes unmedicated grower or starter chick food with low protein. Ducklings do not need protein-rich food as grownups as too much of it can lead to health issues.
Ducklings also love to snack on greens such as Romain lettuce, kale, and other dark greens. In addition, ducklings also love to drink water often, so make sure it is not in short supply.
When a duckling cries because of cold
Ducklings and ducks generally require plenty of dry bedding to stay warm. Since a duckling cannot keep warm by itself, it can also cry when it is cold.
Bedding with lots of straw or pine shavings is a great way to keep your duckling warm at all times. Ducklings can also get messy and make the bedding wet if they are already out on the water, so make sure that the bed is dry at all times.
If the duckling is very young, consider providing some heat at night, especially if your area is very cold.
Conclusion
Ducklings are among the easiest to care for and adorably cute too. But they have lots of emotions and feelings like other pets and can get upset enough to cry.
In most cases, ducklings do not cry without any reason. So whenever these fluffy young babies cry out, try to figure out what is wrong with them. And you should have no problems soothing or helping a crying duckling to stop being sad and agitated.
