Did my ducklings unimprinted on me?

[duck4u]

I released them a month ago and I would see them everyday and feed and catch them lizards and let me pet them and hold them.
Today was like every other day except at night, I noticed two other female ducks (One of them has been stalking them for the past two months) and they where really close to my ducklings.
I went to go see them at night to make sure things where alright and the wild female ducks went into the lake and my ducklings followed them. I tried calling for them and they would respond but they won't come to me and they follow them or swim away from them and me. They where following me all day and I feed them and gave them lots of love. I don't know what I did wrong... I cried a little and told my mom and she said ''It's probably because its dark and they know where to be''.
But I'm afraid they don't love me anymore and are afraid of me. I even try crawling to them so I wouldn't scare them as some big scary animal and they still ran with the other duck and than swim away. Everytime I left they will be in the same spot with the other females. I am afraid those female ducks took them away from me even though they haven't been born with other ducks.
Their muscovies. I just hope they didn't because I love them a lot.
I'm 12 years old. Please someone reply...

 

[duck4u]

BTW: They are 9 weeks old. Don't ducklings start becoming fledglings after 4-3 months?
I notice some of the big ducks are still following their mother.

 

[Amiga]

Well, duck4u, from what I think I understand by what you wrote, you raised them and then released them?

That makes it very hard on them, even though you did not want to make life hard on them, I expect.

If you have turned them loose in the wild now, the best thing would be for a mother duck to take care of them because she knows things you could not teach them. I don't know if that can work out.

If we take care of ducklings, we are committed to caring for them for all of their life because they learn to depend on people. Their instincts can only help them part way. They must be taught, from the beginning, what life is like out in the wild, even if the wild is just a pond.

And even when ducks are raised by their wild duck mothers, many of them don't make it.

Please don't do this again - raise and release - unless you become a trained wildlife rehabilitator, with all the training needed to handle it.

 

[duck4u]

But have they unimprinted on me?
They catch insects and lizards all by themselves now too. Even filter the water and occasionally eat a fish.
I did go out with them when they where younger to watch the other duck eats.

 

[Haunted55]

But have they unimprinted on me?
They catch insects and lizards all by themselves now too. Even filter the water and occasionally eat a fish.
I did go out with them when they where younger to watch the other duck eats.

Hon, you're not a duck, they found ducks and have turned to them for their flock now. As Amiga has said, when we take on the job of keeping ducks, it is done from start to finish. We don't turn them loose, we keep them in a protected enviroment and take care of their needs. Some days that can be a lot of hard work, but the love given back to you, by the little flat-footed buddies, is worth all of it.

I won't say they unimprinted on you, I think they can recognise you as the person who fed them before, but when you released them, they had to turn to the other ducks for family and flock, as they need this flocking to survive. A couple of ducks are prime targets for predators and cannot survive in the wild on their own.

I also agree with Amiga about doing this again. Not only is it against a bunch of laws to do so, all you're ever going to get through this line of thinking is a broken heart. If you want ducks, then keep ducks. Build them a house with a covered pen and care for their every need. Teach them, you are their 'flock' and they will always come back to you because they have accepted you as their family. This is the only way I know how to do it.

 

[duck4u]

Guys great news
I found them with other ducks, I called for them using the word ''come on'' and they ran towards me.
We spent 2 hours looking for food and they even slept in my arms. <3
I'm gonna let the ducks watch them until I get home for now on.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Well I guess I hope it works out for you and the ducks, Duck4u. I hope that you know that all of what Amiga and Haunted have told you is very very true and reasonable. You do need secure housing for the ducks if you are keeping them, its only fair to them that if you taught them to be around people and be domesticated that you take the responsibility to provide them with what they need. Please do not do this again. I think that if this is the kind of thing that interests you, then you certainly should do your very best in your Math and Science classes and do the research to find out how to become a Certified Wildlife Rehabber. Sometimes wild animals do need people's help, but generally speaking, animals are either wild or domestic, but they can't be both. I don't know that allowing pet domesticated ducks around any wild birds is a good idea, because of the possibility of diseases getting spread around from one group to the other. If that were to happen to the 2 ducks that you raised and domesticated, I would not have the knowledge or any suggestions to offer. So I will warn you now that it is def a possibility and a risk you are taking. You should type "bio security" into the search bar and read up on it. Plus, what if they fly away while you are gone?

 

[duck4u]

I know about the risks about health issues.
And their only 9 weeks and their wings haven't been fully developed. Even the other ducklings that are much bigger than mine and fully feathered cannot fly for some reason. I tried excerising their wing by grabbing it and gentle pushing it up and down like birds do so they'll be strong.

 

[Amiga]

duck4u,

it would be better for you not to handle their wings at this point. They will only get strong with proper food and water and protection. It is one of those things that the more you touch it, the more it may get hurt.

If you are not going to keep the ducklings safe with you, you need to just watch them and not play with them.

Either they need to be wild or they need to be protected. There is no in between even though it may seem like a good idea now.

 

[Haunted55]

duck4u,

it would be better for you not to handle their wings at this point. They will only get strong with proper food and water and protection. It is one of those things that the more you touch it, the more it may get hurt.

If you are not going to keep the ducklings safe with you, you need to just watch them and not play with them.

Either they need to be wild or they need to be protected. There is no in between even though it may seem like a good idea now.

X2