Duck Behavior: Timid, curious hen

[Miss Lydia]

Oh my gosh mine gather around me everytime I walk into their yard. I get surrounded. And of course who can resist those cute faces waiting in anticipation of something yummy. lol

 

[Maddcatter]

Both my ducks and my chickens think it's treat time if I open the front door. Yesterday I went to go change out their water and half the flock followed me around the entire coop and run space...
... Tbf, I sometimes go and get them treats because I feel guilty, which is totally not helping. Lmao

 

[Miss Lydia]

I told my dh these birds really don't have to talk they can say just what they want by their actions which speak louder than words.

 

[That crazy duck lady]

I told my dh these birds really don't have to talk they can say just what they want by their actions which speak louder than words.

That is true! Also, my hens quacks DEFINITELY speak louder than words

But they are great communicators for their needs

 

[That crazy duck lady]

Both my ducks and my chickens think it's treat time if I open the front door. Yesterday I went to go change out their water and half the flock followed me around the entire coop and run space...
... Tbf, I sometimes go and get them treats because I feel guilty, which is totally not helping. Lmao

That is me, yesterday I was digging through our freezer in hopes of finding an extra bag of peas. My sister and I live together and I usually care for the birds but she was just tricked into buying two large bags of mealworms for overnight delivery hahah

 

[That crazy duck lady]

My guess is she is watching for treat time
Shd sure doesn’t want to be busy and miss it
I can’t even open any of my house doors or my crew come running to see if mom has treats
I feel bad when they do cause often I’m just letting the dogs in or out

Yes! Even worse when you are having a late morning, maybe just sleeping in, maybe one drink too many in your garden. You shuffle outside to let your dogs out and suddenly you have tiny babies yelling at you

 

[ruthhope]

There is more to the adulation by ducks than treats. I am actually a meanie Duck Mama when it comes to peas -- I forget to buy them, I run out, and sometimes I'm too busy to sit with the ducks and give them peas. I have to sit with them as one is a special needs duck that needs feeding with a long tapered plastic cup. At the moment my boys are not particularly interested in peas and I end up putting them in a shallow pocket in their pool for them to eat over time.

Yet my boys come running as soon as they see or hear me. They love just to hang around my feet when I sit out there. Except Daffy, that is. He demands attention and his new trick is to stand on my lap while I am sitting. He prefers to sit on my forearm but he is a huge muscovy and I am not strong enough for that. The compromise is he stands on my forearm and I rest my arm along my thigh. He was there for 20 minutes this afternoon and only got down because I insisted. I then held my reluctant special needs pekin drake on my leg -- all the time, Daffy was pulling on my tee-shirt or biting my ankles in jealousy!

I think ducks really just like hanging out with their people!

 

[RebinNH]

Agreed! My drake keeps trying (without getting too mean) to mate with my foot. He knows it won't work and if I just stand there for a few minutes (as moving triggers something) he calms down. He knows too that my new approach if he's at it too long, is just to pick him up and throw him in the pool. Of course when I do that he settles in and takes a good flapping bath. People, other ducks, I don't think it matters. They just want attention, like little kids. I have taken to calling them The Kids. I think my muscovy are more intelligent than they are given credit for from non duck owners!

 

[That crazy duck lady]

Agreed! My drake keeps trying (without getting too mean) to mate with my foot. He knows it won't work and if I just stand there for a few minutes (as moving triggers something) he calms down. He knows too that my new approach if he's at it too long, is just to pick him up and throw him in the pool. Of course when I do that he settles in and takes a good flapping bath. People, other ducks, I don't think it matters. They just want attention, like little kids. I have taken to calling them The Kids. I think my muscovy are more intelligent than they are given credit for from non duck owners!

My rooster has a thing for my feet especially my crocs, however he absolutely does not love me as much as my ducks do. But I digress, yes, they really do love their attention and their humans.

It makes me sad actually when they grow up a bit and decide their friends are more interesting. I also call them the kids and the babies