Advice on taming a duck

[amarook]

I just got a 1 year old call duck last week.
She has not been handled very much, and is terrified if you try to catch her.

What are some good ways to get her used to me, and get her to be more tame?

Thanks!

 

[One Acre Wonder Farm]

When I got my 5 ducks this spring they were about 6 months old and had not been handled at all. They would beat themselves senseless against the walls of their enclosure trying to get away from me when I went in to feed/water them.

It was stressful for me and the duckies. Treats did not work, they didn't understand what they were and are still not very treat motivated. But they have calmed down and transformed into different ducks. Now only the drake quacks at me, the girls are usually silent. When I go in, the move to the other corner, but do so calmly. When they're out ranging I can walk pretty close to them and they won't move, as long as I walk by (and not toward). Try sitting near her enclosure and reading a book and she'll warm up to your presence.

So, sorry to ramble, but she will calm down, never fear. Just be consistent in your interactions, calm and nonthreatening and eventually she'll see you as the two-legged carrier of food and be interested in you, rather than fearful!

Good luck! (Do you have any pics?)

 

[rainplace]

I'll second what One Acre Wonder Farm said. I recently got two bantam ducks and they were wild as heck. Trying to pick one up to get them to go to bed was an extremely traumatic experience... for all of us. They aren't treat motivated either. I spent as much time as I could near where they were and just sat down. I found if I looked directly at either of them it made them more high strung. So I would make sure to only look at them sorta sideways when I was near. They still aren't tame, but they do let me get pretty close if I move slow and don't look at them. If I'm in the enclosure and squat down they have started getting within 3 or so feet from me (not within arms length though

) They have finally stopped quacking up a storm when they see me and I can walk around them.

Another thing that seems to have helped is that I have cats. So when one of the cats gets near the enclosure and she starts quacking like the world is going to end, I run down and chase off the cat, then sit around everyone looking in all directions for a bit. That seemed to calm her down a lot. She no longer quacks for the sake of quacking.

I doubt if either of them will ever let me handle them, but I'm okay with that. My other ducks don't like to be handled either. I'll be satisfied being able to watch them without putting them on guard.

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

i'd start by not sneaking up on them and screaming I'M GOING TO EAT YOU!!

just kiddin'

food and them seeing you around seems to help. our Miss Duck didnt want anything to do with me and now that she had her clutch near the hens - and i was coming and going all day long... now she comes when i call her.

 

[ExpLo721]

If you feed them, they will eventually trust you and love you!