Need some clarification about ducks (first time)

[SnowyMuffin]

Hi everyone. Just joined in BYC awhile ago as a member. Previously was a onlooker for a month and half

Meet Ducky, im not sure what breed he is but you can see the picture below. I got it from a pet stores that sells exotic birds. The picture is him in about a month and half(just took it). I know how to handle ducks as I've experienced with chicks only, not rooster. He has always lived in a plastic box after i got it home

There are some few questions i would like to ask and understand about ducks better. Hope you guys can share some insights
Well here goes :

1. Ducky is scared of everything since Day 1. Such as scared of me holding him(gently), water sound, clothes(except me wearing it, but holding it and walking towards him drives him nuts screaming) , paper towels(when i want to clean his poop) , towels(when i want to dry him).
However, he's not afraid when im giving him food on my palm, eating and drinking everything fine with his happy voice, but scared of me getting up slowly, and start running etc.

2. Ducky always likes climb to high places such as my sofa, my shoulder, small chairs, 5 inch mattress etc. Is it normal?

3. His is eating lots of pine shavings even till now. I was using towels only for the first 3 weeks, and changed to pine shavings. In fact, Ducky rather eat pine shavings than the chick starter. I will throw in fine cut romanian baby lettuce and other greens and he likes it alot, but he also likes to mix it with pine shavings and eat it together. When will he stop eating the shavings?

4. His poop has various kinds. After swimming, usually will poop waters for about 3 times. Then it will be normal light green with some metallic colours. Overall all of the poop has 0% smell(well i need to know) except for one. At least twice a day, he will poop a very smelly gaseous poop which is dark watery green colour which smells like toxic. And if he does poop that, it will be exactly 3 times, all the time in 30sec to 45sec interval. Is this normal?

5. Ducky is lonely. So i put up a mirror to him and he's way happier than before. He now always has a mirror in his box. When he is out of the box, he will just sit down beside me, or climb up stuff. Ducky will occassionally sleep by my side or on my lap. He will not leave by my side at all. But wherever i go, he willfollow, and always, always, stopped at his reflection by my fridge, or sliding door, or mirrors at home. And will start running when i come near him. Will he be like that forever?

6. Whenever i change his shavings, it will be wet in like 15 seconds because of the way he drinks and eats. Is this normal? Any advice to have a nice dry home for Ducky?

7. He is in pure indoor ever since i got him home(he was in a cage in the store the whole time so...) , Im not sure if i can bring him out because he's scared of everything and trying to eat anything he sees, dust, threads, hair, tissues(When the tissue fly because of wind, he will run like mad squeaking) . Kindly advice.

8. I read alot of ducks go crazy for dried mealworms. Unfortunately Ducky doesn't seem interested in it. Since when he was young, i tried giving him some, but he just peck at it and throw it away ,never touching it again. I tried crumble it to pieces and give it by hand, same thing happened. Is Ducky normal?


Sorry for the many questions that needs clarifications. But i do appreciate you guys help and thank you in advanced for even reading it.
Overall Ducky is a healthy duck i supposed,except for being scared of anything and everything.

 

[Mylied]

Ducky looks like a pekin.

1. All the ducks I've had have been scared of everything. He'll calm down some being a spoiled house duck but it's normal.

2. Yes. He wants a good vantage point to see things.

3. It's normal for him to pick at pine shavings but if he's really eating a lot of them, I'd switch him back to paper towels or something for a bit longer. They can get impacted if they eat too much pine shavings.

4. All normal poop. Ducks poop a lot and it's a more watery consistancy than chickens.

5. Ducks like other ducks. If you're around a lot, he can be content with your companionship. The company of another duck would be best.

6. Ducks are the messiest creatures on the planet. You can make a waterer from a milk jug with a head sized hole that will cut down the mess. Look up duck waterer for ideas.

7. You can let him out supervised. They try everything with their bill. That's how they learn. Also, they poop a ton so that's something to consider when he's running around. I've heard of duck diapers.

8. Young ducklings don't seem to care for treats like mealworms as much as older ducks. He only needs his duck feed right now. Try treats as he gets older.

 

[Mylied]

Hey what sound does he make? Peeping or quacking?

 

[SnowyMuffin]

Hey what sound does he make? Peeping or quacking?

Peeping probably? Or chirping like a chick ahahaha. He only squeaks when i try to hold him up to go swimming in a tub or put him back at his house.

 

[SnowyMuffin]

Ducky looks like a pekin.

1. All the ducks I've had have been scared of everything. He'll calm down some being a spoiled house duck but it's normal.

2. Yes. He wants a good vantage point to see things.

3. It's normal for him to pick at pine shavings but if he's really eating a lot of them, I'd switch him back to paper towels or something for a bit longer. They can get impacted if they eat too much pine shavings.

4. All normal poop. Ducks poop a lot and it's a more watery consistancy than chickens.

5. Ducks like other ducks. If you're around a lot, he can be content with your companionship. The company of another duck would be best.

6. Ducks are the messiest creatures on the planet. You can make a waterer from a milk jug with a head sized hole that will cut down the mess. Look up duck waterer for ideas.

7. You can let him out supervised. They try everything with their bill. That's how they learn. Also, they poop a ton so that's something to consider when he's running around. I've heard of duck diapers.

8. Young ducklings don't seem to care for treats like mealworms as much as older ducks. He only needs his duck feed right now. Try treats as he gets older.

Thank you for your time & replies! Appreciate it alot!
I'll try to change back to paper towels and see how's the result. Hopefully he wont eat paper towels this time.
Noted on the duck waterer
I read some thread about diapers, and i decided not to purchase one until he's an adult with full feathers. Because I live in South East Asia, and the diapers i mostly found are from the US which requires long shipping time. If only there was a one size fits all(Im dreaming)

Again, thanks for your time took to reply!

 

[Isaac 0]

I would immediately get rid of the shaving and replace with puppy pads or possibly paper towels, You letting him eat shaving is definitely running the risk of severe compaction in his digestive system. It could be a nervous habit because he is kept alone without a companion, which is very important for ducks and especially ducklings. I would definitely find him a friend Asap, mainly because you can't possibly be with him all day 24/7 , but in the meantime, a mirror with a stuffed animal will help and playing ducklings noise on your phone will work too.

Could you post a picture of his poop?

 

[SnowyMuffin]

I would immediately get rid of the shaving and replace with puppy pads or possibly paper towels, You letting him eat shaving is definitely running the risk of severe compaction in his digestive system. It could be a nervous habit because he is kept alone without a companion, which is very important for ducks and especially ducklings. I would definitely find him a friend Asap, mainly because you can't possibly be with him all day 24/7 , but in the meantime, a mirror with a stuffed animal will help and playing ducklings noise on your phone will work too.

Could you post a picture of his poop?

Hi, thanks for your reply! I'll change the shavings immediately.
I tried several variety in each week till last two weeks of small soft toys(smaller than him) but he's scared of it. Even rubber balls. He'll squeak and run around the box trying to jump out badly. I even left the toys outside on the floor and when he's out of the box he wouldn't go near it at all and taking a big turn to avoid it just to walk to me. So i gave up

 

[Rose Quartz]

I'll preface this with I'm quite new to ducks too. I have 5 that are 4 weeks old.

1. They're scared of every human, and 4 legged animal. My adult chickens are scared of them. :3

2. I haven't noticed them climbing.

3. I haven't had my ducks on pine shavings. I had a rubber shelf liner which got nasty - don't recommend. And then I switched them to peat moss as suggested by the person I got them from. It stays dry-ish. I currently have them in a rubber tub in the house and am trying to get them used to the outside pen I have for them during the day. Having a plastic container with a ledge around the outside for the water helps keep things even dryer. They like to dump their water out. I have the bottom half of a kitty carrier for my waterer outside. The bedding I put in it got soaked, but the rest stayed dry.

4. All my ducks poop is black, because they eat the peat moss.

5. Ducks are a flock animal. Even more so than chickens I find. They don't have the same problems merging flocks as chickens do. They want more and more friends. And freak out when one is missing - or even in a separate bin right next to them.

6. Yes it's completely normal. My suggestion is peat moss it absorbs way more. If you do try it out, give it a stir when it looks wet, and break up the clumps it usually lasts my 5, 3 days before I have to switch to the other bin with dry peat.

7. As long as you think you can catch him, when it's time to go inside, he can go out supervised. I had mine out for 2 hours. Temperature outside that day was about 4C and they laid down in the snow melt for half an hour, completely content.

8. I haven't tried mealworm, mine seem to like sunflower seeds, especially in the bath. I haven't given it to them much though.

 

[Mylied]

Peeping probably? Or chirping like a chick ahahaha. He only squeaks when i try to hold him up to go swimming in a tub or put him back at his house.

Most likely you have a male. Listen to some male and female duck sounds online. The males peep longer and have a raspy sound. The females make loud quacks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is ducky a month an a half old? 6 weeks?