Duck behavior

Keggen · May 21, 2015

This is my first year with ducks but I've had chickens for a couple years. I'm surprised at how skittish they are even though they've been handled since they were babies. Will they ever get more tame or are all ducks like this?

Also they have been housed in their coop and the large enclosed yard space for about a month but every night we still have to Chase them down to put in the coop. They almost never go in on their own. My chickens go in their coop every night at dusk without an issue so I'm confused. Is this normal duck behavior too? I forgot to mention I did keep them locked in the coop for the first week before letting them out into the yard in hopes that it would help them feel like the coop is their home. We leave the food in there but have been leaving the water out in the yard for now to keep the coop drier. So the rare few times they've been in there at night it was only because they were eating.

Thanks for any replies!

marcelineduckie · May 21, 2015

I have been reading up on this subject also, here is what I've found. Yes ducks are just naturally skittish but still love to be petted and some even like.to be held although they don't show.it a lot to get them to go into coop at night start by training them with a treat at the same time every night mine really like thawed peas and dandelion leaves. Maybe start out by giving a pea showing that you have more in your hand and every few steps offer another pea until in the pen then toss the rest in there for them to.forage