ducklings not acting like they should?

[maralynn28]

So from scouring websites, countless library books including Storey's, and from word of mouth....I took it that Cayuga ducks are very calm, don't care if they have swimming water or not, great backyard duck as they don't require much room and don't mind being confined.

Welsh Harlequins are along the same lines, calm and quiet but not as laid back as Cayuga...but do like to swim.

Not sure if all that is true because my Cayugas are constantly trying to swim in the little hole in my plastic tub (think coolwhip but it was cookie dough

) there's only enough room for one flipper but they still try!
We decided to let them swim in the bath Saturday it got so bad. lol

Fed them broccoli and dandylion greens, though the WH go crazy for it, they won't touch it if I am near. I guess they are scared of me.

The Cayuga babies on the other hand hop over each other trying to see who can get to me (really the greens) the fastest! They have no problem coming right up to me and pecking the green out of my fingers. They are so darn quick running around the brooder too, it's like a bowling ball knocking down the other pins sometimes.

I'm loving it as ducklings (actually wish the WH showed a little more personality like the Cayugas are) but does that mean they'll always be this high strung or is it a youngin' thing?

 

[duckyfromoz]

See the thing is.. Ducklings cant read books...so they are just going to act what ever way they want to... Different breeds do sometimes generally show different charactistics- but you will always have some exceptions who display especially tame or unfriendly behaviour.

I have never had a duckling that would not not try to swim in their drinking water when it was all that was available to them at the time. I have raised a brood of ducklings- where one or two would be exceptional more affectionate or less willing to be handled than its brothers and sisters who hatched on the same day and had been handled and treated exactly the same. One little fellow last year would call out at the side of the brooder wanting to be picked up- and when they were let outside for a swim- the other 8 babies would rush to the pool- but he would hang back and come sit on my lap for a cuddle before heading off for a splash in the water.
Ducklings will often go through different stages as they grow to- sometimes wanting attention other times shying away from it... It really is very difficult to state what is "Normal " as there really can be a huge range of behaviors that do not indicate a particular duckling is not normal.

 

[maralynn28]

That is so sweet. I hope one of mine turns out to be a cuddler.
Yes, I know there is no such thing as "normal" even among people. I just thought it funny how backwards it has been so far.
I hope the WH come around, went to give them treats again this morning and they ran away while the cayugas chowed down. I would hate it if my pretty girls don't like being handled...or at least fed from hand. We'll just have to keep bribing them and see if there's a magic treat. So far, it seems broccoli leaves are the fave.

 

[rainplace]

Ducks are waterfowl... they like to swim. Not only do they seem to enjoy swimming, access to swimming water at least a few times a week allows them to keep their feathers in good shape. It encourages them to preen.... work their oil gland, spread oil through their feathers, get all the feather bards going in the correct direction... etc. One of the reasons waterfowl are not as succeptable to external parasites as land birds is that they tend to spend a good portion of their time in water which prevents lice and mites from taking up residence.