Can ducks remember things?

[kjackson1992]

I'd be inclined to say yes. My 2 hand raised muscovy drakes both know their own names, and will 99% of the time (unless they're busy doing duck things) reply when i call their name out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My Muscovy drake knows his name. When I call his name he wags his tail.

 

[KaleIAm]

My Muscovy drake knows his name. When I call his name he wags his tail.

So cute!!!

 

[chickens really]

I'd be inclined to say yes. My 2 hand raised muscovy drakes both know their own names, and will 99% of the time (unless they're busy doing duck things) reply when i call their name out.

That's called conditioning and repetitive behaviour..

 

[Thunderduck9]

You have no clue just how smart these little monsters are,mine actually plan there little escapes.They actually talk over there plans have a point man to watch out on what I’m doing where I’m at ,they actually stage a distraction so I’m not focused on what they are up t ya then when i catch them in the act (Junior) is the first to rat out the others it is hysterical then they put there heads down and single file march back to there pen.Dont be fooled by them they remember everything and are very capable of planning and executing there agenda.And that is what makes them so lovable.

 

[Miss Lydia]

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[johntfs]

Think about how imprinting works. At 1 - 5 days old one of these adorable fuzzballs decides that you're Mom. He follows you around (making that cuteness overdose inducing little pitter-patter with those little webbed feet on a hardwood floor), tweets in distress if you're out of obvious range for more than a minute or two and tries to bury/embed itself on in or under your body.

And ten years later, that duck will still recognize you as Mom.

Second, ducks are prey animals. Their main defense involving spotting trouble at a distance and then swimming/flying away from it. If ducklings are involved, a mother duck relies on aggressive charging or other displays to bluff predators into leaving her and her babies alone.

Ducklings aren't even prey animals. They're like the snack food of nature. Of a flock of ten hatchlings in the wild, a mallard mom might see one of two make it adulthood/flight capability.

So, given all that, if a duck gets into a bad situation (especially as a duckling) and somehow survives, the duck remembers because it knows very well that Mother Nature never hands out third chances and second ones are very few and very far between.

 

[Pennys Mama]

I'm not sure if I want to know why a chainsaw equals meat bits. :[

I've been trying not to think about it but the "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" keeps coming to mind.....

Sometimes they don't seem very intelligent... Like when they taste the poop for the 5th time to make sure it still isn't delicious food, and then spit it out in disgust. But when it comes to scary things they seem to learn their lessons much faster.

 

[Bird-Whisperer]

I believe that they do have excellent memory. When a raccoon got into our duck house last summer, they wouldn't go into their house at night like they normally did. Even when we did get them in, they would sit the the corner by the door opposite to where they were when they were attacked.

Same with chickens. After the neighbor's dog got loose, our hen Pepper who got torn up will run into the garage at top speed and hide under the car any time she sees something big moving around. Weather it's actually another dog or even just me in a fluffy jacket - she ain't taking any chances!

 

[Duckfarmer1]

That's called conditioning and repetitive behaviour..

Or it’s just called love from pets!