why do my ducks keep on running away from me??

Hiya! Your ducks don't hate you, they are just scared/skitterish. Most ducks don't like to be picked up. One thing I have found is if you grab them by the sides of their body and lift them up and turn you hands so their back is resting on your palms and their feet are facing up, they become quite docile and a lot calmer.
I have 10 ducks. My one male Rouen "Peepers" is imprinted so he is pretty friendly for a duck, almost like a dog sometimes. He almost always follows me around, and I can usually pick him up. He will even stand on my feet, even if I lift my leg in the air. @ of the girls Daisy and Delilah are somewhat bonded and will let me pick the up and they come close sometimes. The other 7 keep a distance but will come close sometimes. And if I am digging up worms, they all lose all fear and will even stand on the mound of dirt I am shoveling. i have noticed with age they also become a bit more friendly. Most ducklings are pretty skitterish.
Rick

I know this thread is almost 8 yrs old, but I was reading all the post and wanted to add my story.
My first 2 ducks were fawn & white runners. I had them in a kiddy pool in our livingroom, until they were about 2 mos or so. they could see me when i was in the kitchen getting their food and water and got use to my routine of feeding them. they were pretty friendly, not super skiddish, i could pic them up. when they went out to the barn they would keep their distance, just far enough where i really couldnt touch them, they would wait until i stepped back from their food and water to approach it.
then i started letting them out of the barn to my raised garden area w/(a pergola & i had netting over their pool) where i put their pool. they would keep their distance from me, i would sit out their for hours with them, while they swam and i read, listen to music in my hamock, i would feed them vegies in their pool. i had to heard them back to the barn when i went inside, then later when they got about 4-5 mos old i would let them stay out by themselves, with the barn door open in case they wanted to go back in and lay in their bedding. then we moved and i was outside all the time in my garden and tending to them, digging for worms, they loved that. then when i would clean their bedding/house each evening before dark, they would come over to me and help me out, they would get inside and step around me and nibble at me, i could pic them up or pet them, if i wanted, i didnt pic them up but a few times, out of respect.
THEN, i got a bright idea to get them a husband, and ended up w/14 ducklings, they were all extremely afraid of me ALL the time, no matter what i did. i was more stressed with them, because it was too many ducklings to take care of... i will never get that many all at one time every again.
then my first 2 fawn and white, eventually got in the duck house with the other 14 ducks (when they grew older, about 6-7most old) and started sleeping with them and now they are all together and the fawn and white are not my little buddies any more, they are ducks.
Before they were not sure what they were, i think, I was their leader/momma, now they run around with all the other ducks and living happily ever after.
i have 6 out of 11 ducks that are broody, and i saw one egg under one of my fawn & white pipping... she is a mommy duck now. and the other ducks are gonna hatch some eggs any day now also.
so the moral of the story is, (just like White Elk said) walk and talk softly around them, relax, enjoy them rather than expecting them to enjoy you. be their friend and do things they like to do. they love to garden. they are flight animals, so we need to respect that and build their trust, not them getting to like us. yest treats and food does help them get closer to us even eating out of our hands, but then what do we expect of them after that? i think i will let them be ducks and love them from afar, on their terms. each one is different, just like us. some are more flighty and some are more friendly and trusting.
i just hatched 5 ducklings in my bator and gave 2 away. i have 3 in my livingroom in a kiddie pool and they run from me when i approach. i am still trying to let them be ducks and reasure them, i am their friend, but they are imprinted on each other and i am the preditor. they are realizing that their food comes from me, so this is helping with some trust, a timy bit, or at least until they are done eating. they are ducks and i am human.....
i am still trying to understand them, rather than trying to make them understand me!!
my first 2 f/w runners
my first 2 f/w a little older
the 14 ducklings i got all at once
all my ducks in their new duck house
the next generation of ducks, the 3 i kept

thanks for reading.

c.wilson said:

Alright heres how the story goes. On April fools day (april 1st) I went in to Tractor Supply Co. to get chicken feed and I saw that they has some baby ducks. They had 8 of them. 2 yellow ones a pekin and the other turned out to be a fawn and white not runner but something else. Two black ones, to white and black ones, and two baby mallard looking ones that can fly now but one has a tuft of feathers on his head.( a crested mallard maybe). I dont know how to post pics on here but if anyone has ever gotton ducklings from Tractor Supply Co. and you have pictures of what mine look like in the desription then can you please post them and tell me what they are. Mine are all feathered out but i still dont know.

I have moved them out of their brooder and into a bigger one for now just until i get my small duck house built. which of course will be done in a few days or so(hopefully). Ever since I got them they have always ran from me.

I would really like to know why they are acting this way i have no idea. I want to hold them and love thembut they are to afraid and ever since i brought them home from Tractor Supply Co. they have ran from me. I have to chase them all around the brooder and once i do catch one it quacks and claws me and acts like I am going to kill it. All of my chickens are really tame and i know this is a chicken forum but i dont know what else to do. Does anyone know how to get a ducks trust.

I AM SO CONFUSED!!!!!

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Ducks are prey, you are a predator. Since the ducks aren't imprinted on you they are afraid of you. Don't chase them. If you want to become friends with them let them associate your coming with food and lovely treats. Spend time sitting by their pen talking to them. Give them time and remember that they are well aware of how little and squishable and edible they are.

My ducks never liked to be held but a guy that I work with has pekins and he says they are very friendly. He's had a lot of ducks and says he will always have pekins because of that

Hi I'm new here lol I have four I believe pekin ducks lol they don't hate me I'd say but don't like to be petted or carried much I think it's just a way of prey thinking really it doesn't mean they hate u tho I think lol

Well i would say since i myself have gotten a couple of black ones from tractor supply also but i dont chase them cause that just makes them more nervous. Try offering them a treat and calling them to you with a special call for only food, let them come to you. Try being around them as much as you can talking with them, singing so they get to know your voice and your intentions. Most important try to be at their level like kneeling down to look eye to eye, they are very intimidated by things larger than them. Oh and i suggest if your going to want one to imprint on you, like you the way you like them than get just one, but make sure that you can spend all the time with it as well as in your bed. They take bedtime serious. They trust more the one next to them when things go bump in the night.

@Crey