Ducklings afraid of life!!!

[Agwhite]

HELP!! I have 8 mallard ducklings. They’re around 6 weeks old and I can't get them to warm up to me at all. I’ve had them since they were day olds. I don't know what to do. They panic in terror at the sight of me when I try to give them food and water. They lived in the house for 2 weeks. Now they are outside in a coop we built. I tried feeding them meal worms and letting them swim in a kiddie pool and all they did was panic and make I huge wet mess. I would take them out of the pool and put them all in the tote with a heat lamp to dry (I use it to carry them back and forth). When I carry them around they panic and scream so loud as if I’m abusing them. They are now getting to the age when I let them free range during the day and lock them up at night. When I let them out to “have fun” swimming in the pond and free ranging like ducks are supposed to, they are scared of water. They hide in the woods huddle up and scream. It is nearly impossible to lock them back up because they are terrified of my shadow. I will never be able to let them out at of the coop all until things change. I have done everything I can think of. I get so stressed because I do some much for them and I love them so much and I feel like they hate me. It’s heartbreaking that they’re so scared of the one person that’s working and keeping them alive. Any ideas on what to do or am I just stuck with ducks that are terrified of me? It upsets me so much that I’m almost to the point where just I want to release them with my older ducks in hopes that a female will adopt them and teach them the ways and how to be ducks. I raise ducks every spring and something’s just strange about these ducks. I'll take any advice I can get. I'm feeling hopeless right now. Its hard taking care of something and loving something that’s completely terrified of your shadow. Thanks.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

HELP!! I have 8 mallard ducklings. They around 6 weeks old and I can't get them to warm up to me at all. I’ve had them since they were day olds. I don't know what to do. They panic in terror at the sight of me when I try to give them food and water. They lived in the house for 2 weeks. Now they are outside in a coop we built. I tried feeding them meal worms and letting them swim in a kiddie pool and all they did was panic and make I huge wet mess. I would take them out of the pool and put them all in the tote with a heat lamp to dry (I use it to carry them back and forth). When I carry them around they panic and scream so loud as if I’m abusing them. They are now getting to the age when I let them free range during the day and lock them up at night. When I let them out to “have fun” swimming in the pond and free ranging like ducks are supposed to, they are scared of water. They hide in the woods huddle up and scream. It is nearly impossible to lock them back up because they are terrified of my shadow. I will never be able to let them out at of the coop all until things change. I have done everything I can think of. I get so stressed because I do some much for them and I love them so much and I feel like they hate me. It’s heartbreaking that they’re so scared of the one person that’s working and keeping them alive. Any ideas on what to do or am I just stuck with ducks that are terrified of me? It upsets me so much that I’m almost to the point where just I want to release them with my older ducks in hopes that a female will adopt them and teach them the ways and how to be ducks. I raise ducks every spring and something’s just strange about these ducks. I'll take any advice I can get. I'm feeling hopeless right now. Its hard taking care of something and loving something that’s completely terrified of your shadow. Thanks.

That's tough, I'm sorry that's happening. Did you hatch them yourself? If not, how old were they when you got them? It's good to spend a lot of time around them, making sure you are staying calm while near them. And establish a steady routine. Just talking out loud pleasantly and constantly seems to help when I'm around nervous animals. I hope someone has some good ideas for you. When they are close enough in size to your adult flock to be integrated, and if that flock is calmer, then that might help them.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Maybe somebody else with mallards can chime in? I have a number of different breeds of ducks. The East Indies and my Snowy Mallards are probably the most flighty. I'm wondering if your ducks are more scared is linked to parental temperament? I know many people say that Indian Runners are nervous and timid, but mine are very friendly. I've always assumed it's because of what the breeder selected for in their flocks.

I will second talking to them a lot in a low soothing voice. Getting down and sitting on ground level helped to calm mine. Just sitting with them, reading, and not trying to catch them helped. The more they see you, the better it is.

 

[Agwhite]

That's tough, I'm sorry that's happening. Did you hatch them yourself? If not, how old were they when you got them? It's good to spend a lot of time around them, making sure you are staying calm while near them. And establish a steady routine. Just talking out loud pleasantly and constantly seems to help when I'm around nervous animals. I hope someone has some good ideas for you. When they are close enough in size to your adult flock to be integrated, and if that flock is calmer, then that might help them.

That's tough, I'm sorry that's happening. Did you hatch them yourself? If not, how old were they when you got them? It's good to spend a lot of time around them, making sure you are staying calm while near them. And establish a steady routine. Just talking out loud pleasantly and constantly seems to help when I'm around nervous animals. I hope someone has some good ideas for you. When they are close enough in size to your adult flock to be integrated, and if that flock is calmer, then that might help them.

I ordered them as day olds from Hoovers hatchery and they arrived the next day. When they were younger I could pick them up to show them where the food and water was. Now they are afraid of my shadow. I feed them 3 times a day on a schedule. I try to spend time with them then but they will not eat as long as I’m present and they seem to not like meal worm since they come from me.

 

[ruthhope]

I, personally, think that 6 weeks is too young to be free-ranging during the day. I keep mine in a brooder in the house for 6 weeks and slowly introduce them to the outside for a short supervised time morning and afternoon for at least a week, before letting them go into the run during the day at about 8 weeks old going into a secure lock up coop for the night. Mine haven't free ranged before 12 weeks old.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I ordered them as day olds from Hoovers hatchery and they arrived the next day. When they were younger I could pick them up to show them where the food and water was. Now they are afraid of my shadow. I feed them 3 times a day on a schedule. I try to spend time with them then but they will not eat as long as I’m present and they seem to not like meal worm since they come from me.

My ducklings would relax and socialize while being held as babies, but when they were older, maybe 4+ weeks old, they did go through a faze of acting like I was a predator or some stranger out to get them. They weren't terrified like yours, but definitely didn't want me trying to pick them up or getting too close. Now that they are almost a year old, they are a lot more docile and calm. I hope if you keep working with them they will come around.

Is it literally your shadow they are scared of, or are you using that as an expression? I don't know how, but maybe they were traumatized at one point by a shadow .

 

[Agwhite]

Maybe somebody else with mallards can chime in? I have a number of different breeds of ducks. The East Indies and my Snowy Mallards are probably the most flighty. I'm wondering if your ducks are more scared is linked to parental temperament? I know many people say that Indian Runners are nervous and timid, but mine are very friendly. I've always assumed it's because of what the breeder selected for in their flocks.

I will second talking to them a lot in a low soothing voice. Getting down and sitting on ground level helped to calm mine. Just sitting with them, reading, and not trying to catch them helped. The more they see you, the better it is.

I’ve raised mallard in the past and all from the same hatchery. All of them were used to me after 3 weeks. All it took was me giving them meal worms and they recognized the sound of me shaking there food and were happy to see me. I like how mallards are flighty because we live around a lot of trees and foxes. But I’ll definitely give it a try.

 

[Agwhite]

My ducklings would relax and socialize while being held as babies, but when they were older, maybe 4+ weeks old, they did go through a faze of acting like I was a predator or some stranger out to get them. They weren't terrified like yours, but definitely didn't want me trying to pick them up or getting too close. Now that they are almost a year old, they are a lot more docile and calm. I hope if you keep working with them they will come around.

Is it literally your shadow they are scared of, or are you using that as an expression? I don't know how, but maybe they were traumatized at one point by a shadow .

Yes they run to to other side of the coop when they see my shadow through the hardware cloth when I’m doing yard work even though I’m not close to them. And for some odd reason they like the woods more than the pond.

 

[citymeetscountry]

Re:fear of water. Ours had been intro’d to water and swam in our pond then they went through a weird phase where they were utterly terrified of the water. It lasted only a few weeks. I think it was like an awkward teen stage. I’d give it a few weeks and you’ll see them take back to the water.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Any time you change ANYTHING with ducks they react like they are being killed. We couldn't move ours outside last year and had to put puppy pads in a shower when they outgrew the tote on the counter. OMG When they went into the shower, they didn't understand the upper half of me was the same person and they thought giants were trying to eat them. They were so irrational they were trying to trample each other in the corner! Then they finally calmed down again, but when we transferred them to the predator proofed stall in the barn, they had the same response again LOL They were better in the moveable walk in pen during the day, maybe because it's more open looking and they felt like they could get away? It took about 3 weeks each time for mine to calm back down. If I had it to do again, I'd make a brooder on the floor with glass/plastic sides from the very beginning.