How long after ducklings hatch do they leave the nest?

They should be removed from the incubator within 4 to 8 hours of hatching (when they are dry). They shouldn't be left in the incubator for more than 12 hours after hatching.

When you remove them from the incubator, they need to be placed in a dry brooder (you can make your own out of wood and cardboard, though a professional one is always better) with a heat lamp at 35 degrees C. The temperature of the lamp should be decreased by about 3 or 4 degrees a week.

If you only have one duckling, you would also need to give it some attention and love. Ducks are social creatures and will die of heartache if they are alone. A good way to provide social interaction with a lone duckling is to allow it to sleep under a towel on your lap or shoulder for a few minutes. If you are a male, you can grow a beard and allow the lone duckling to curl up underneath it - this sounds silly but what you are doing is replicating the effects of a duckling huddling under its mothers wings for warmth and protection.