At what age will my ducks follow me?

catepelose

Hatching
10 Years
Sep 4, 2009
6
0
7
Waterford, VA
Hello, I'm new here (but I've been reading for a while now). I just received my ducklings 2 days ago... 10 of them from McMurray, and since the weather's supposed to be nice here on Sunday and Monday I was wondering if I could take them out in the yard and explore their new environment. The only thing is that they're pretty afraid of me at the moment and I don't want to lose any of them or have to chase them all over the place.

So my question is, is there a certain age that they'll begin to follow me around or will they instinctively follow me when outside because it's a big, new, scary place and even though they don't seem to like me very much (I cuddle them frequently ignoring their protest) I'm at least familiar?

Thank you!
 
I have had some ducks imprint on me and follow me, but the group I have now do not follow me. Do you have an enclosed area to take them too? I would not take them into a yard that is not fenced. You could put them down in the house and see what happens, if you are worried about your floor, throw an old sheet or something down first.
I am sure there are others who have more experience than I do.

Tia
 
I dont know why you would have to take the waterer with you...they dont need it every second...

when ducks are raised in groups anything over two....it is really hard to get all of them to follow you...i have 12 of them and it happened a few times, but never after they were like two weeks old
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I made a small pen out of some hardware cloth when mine were a little under a week. I just sat down outside the pen and watched them and talked to them. By they third day, if I left their sight they were peeping so loud and would have moved to the side of the pen where they had seen me go. I'd come back and they would settle down again. They did always run when I went to pick them up though. They still do. Only one time did they line up for me to take them back inside... the first time it rained.
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Yes,now is a great time to let them outside with you.Mine always follow me.I got one Cayuga/Rouen mix and she is the apple of my eye and I am of hers.She follows me and when we had strawberrys in the garden,I would let her follow me .And I have got her to eat strawberries and she kisses me.I say "Little Bit" give me a kiss and she has been doing this all of her life.She is not but about 5 months old.If her beak is dirty ,I say yuck and she washes it in her water.And kisses me on my lips.She looks for this. all the time.I have never bred her to any of my other ducks..U all probably don`t believe this,but IT IS TRUE!!!!!! And By the Way I have ROUEN DUCK,CRESTED KKAKI CAMPBELL HATCHING EGGS FOR SALE, 12+ @ $35 and pick-up is 12+ @ $25 So if inersted please let me know.Sandra
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I took my 6 out when they were a week old. They were skittish of me picking them up but they were fine following along. They didn't stray too far in the first month. They started to get a little braver once they hit a month old they started to get a little braver and wander a few feet away from us. Now they're about 3 months old and they will wander all over the yard w/o us but as soon as we call them they will answer and come back.

Ducks are naturally skittish but that doesn't mean they haven't bonded/imprinted. Mine still scramble when one of them makes a quick move or pokes another unexpectedly.
 
How old are they? From day one I usually handle them one by one and pass them off to ffamily members to handle. If you have a tiled room in your house ( kitchen for example) Id lay some newspaper down and give them a bowl of food and water, but leave them far enough apart that you can walk between them, that way they arent as afraid when they associate you with the food and water. Also - if you have the time - have them ina small encluse that you can fit into and sit down with them. Play in the waterer and food with your fingers and if you can hold them one by one stick their bills in your hand to eat or drink from. that way they get used to you. When I had a group of 7 I would peep for them to follow me, and once you got them started you had to keep walking if you didnt want to start peeping again. As longas you dont let them stop they should follow you around. I used to take mine to the mailbox and back. Hope this helps some
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Ill post more later when my eyes are awake anough to focus lol
 
My Muscovies are 4 months old. I have 27 of them and I only have to call and they come to me. (Vital to get them locked up at night.) This is a result of months of bribery with food. If I call, there is food to be had. The drakes will now eat out of my hand. The ducks are more timid.
 

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