The Duckling who won't let me sleep!!!

[Brex]

Charlie is my duckling.
He imprinted on me and my Wife after hatching a little over a week ago.
Here is a picture.


For the last two nights now Charlie won't let me get HARDLY ANY SLEEP!!!

I'm not sure what a normal duck sleeping pattern is, but Charlie usually falls asleep around 9-10pm-ish and wakes up at middnight...
Then the fun starts!

Charlie will chirp and chirp until I pick him up, or play with him, or simply grunt (Which after two days of this behaviour is about all I can muster!)
I find that putting him under a cloth sometimes coaxes him to sleep for a ten or fifteen minutes, but then he's up and we start all over again!
The only other thing that stops his frantic, loud squeeking is to literally hold him in one hand till he dozes off!


I'm getting about 10mins sleep every hour after middnight till dawn... Then it's coffee Coffee COFFEE!!!

Please Help!

As to the technical details...
Charlie sleeps in a box, next to our bed.
He can see me from his box, but after laying still for a while he starts chirping...
I have a strong arm, but not strong enough to hold a duckling whilst I sleep the whole night! (Believe me I've considered it!)
Charlie chirps with growing volume and will not stop!
I love Charlie, lack of sleep won't change that.


I have a previous thread detailing more of Charlies adventures and pictures here.

 

[Caddy-Corner-Chick]

I think Charlie may need a friend. Have you considered getting another duckling?

 

[pascopol]

"He imprinted on me and my Wife after hatching a little over a week ago."

What do you expect? Your duclikng is not an electronic toy you can turn on and off.

It is a live baby duckling, he needs a mother or a companion 24/7.

 

[Brex]

We have another batch of duck eggs under a broody hen, so he'll have some companions pretty soon.
Unfortunately I've looked around town (Pretty rural area) and no one seems to have any locally.

I'm currently looking for mail order day olds' but am having little luck.

Pascopol if you'd taken time to read my previous post you'd see that the imprint was not deliberate, and also that we've come to love and commit to Charlie as a pet.

If anyone has some construction advise on sleeping patterns or other solutions please respond!

Thanks!

 

[desertdarlene]

I wonder if anyone's tried putting a ticking clock in with a duckling? I've seen it work with other orphaned animals, but I don't know about birds.

 

[wagoncab]

I have a little chick that was doing the same thing. I got him a friend and that solved the problem.

 

[Brex]

A ticking clock? How peculiar!

I shall give it a go, thanks for the idea!
I'm hoping to get him a friend, but it's just not possible in the short-term.

Again, does anyone know what kind of sleeping requirements ducks have?
Specifically indian runners. It's a stretch I know, but it seems that Charlie IS tired, and will sleep on his own peacefully, but wakes at middnight?!
This has only happened for the last two days, he's had no problems prior.

 

[desertdarlene]

Yeah, I remembered something about having a constant, rythmatic sound seems to keep some animals from feeling lonely. I don't know if it's ever been tried with birds, though.

I don't know about requirements for ducks, but a lot of birds don't sleep through the night, but off and on.

 

[Wayne&Kim1963]

I gave a lonesome duck a stuffed animal. It cuddled with it and thought it was momma one time

 

[mommto3kiddos]

Have you tried giving him a "lovey" (stuffed ducky)...