DUCKS WONT EAT. DRINK. OR BATHE

[TheLemonHomestead]

*photo is the first night we had them, they now have an in ground pond.

We recently acquired 3 adult male Buffs in great shape! Purchased the same feed they were on previous BUT they won’t touch it!
Even worse is they won’t drink water unless I run the hose (we’re in the middle of a week long heat wave)
Ive tried to give them veggies to no avail. They have been foraging lots, but I doubt it’s enough to sustain them.
I built them a pond with a gradual slope and they won’t even go near it!
We have had them for 4 days now, I would have thought they would have adjusted by now but could they still be very skiddish? Any tips or advice??

 

[RosemaryDuck]

*photo is the first night we had them, they now have an in ground pond.

We recently acquired 3 adult male Buffs in great shape! Purchased the same feed they were on previous BUT they won’t touch it!
Even worse is they won’t drink water unless I run the hose (we’re in the middle of a week long heat wave)
Ive tried to give them veggies to no avail. They have been foraging lots, but I doubt it’s enough to sustain them.
I built them a pond with a gradual slope and they won’t even go near it!
We have had them for 4 days now, I would have thought they would have adjusted by now but could they still be very skiddish? Any tips or advice??

Do they have a main coop/house area they can get into? Or do you have a spare pen with a cover?

Getting new birds and just throwing them outside doesn't really work well because they're going to be to afraid to do anything. Ducks are prey animals, so they need to feel secure in their environment or they won't eat, drink, etc.

I would give them a safe enclosed space for a week or so to get them used to everything and then start letting them out gradually. Hope this helps!

@Isaac 0
@SolarDuck

 

[TheLemonHomestead]

Do they have a main coop/house area they can get into? Or do you have a spare pen with a cover?

Getting new birds and just throwing them outside doesn't really work well because they're going to be to afraid to do anything. Ducks are prey animals, so they need to feel secure in their environment or they won't eat, drink, etc.

I would give them a safe enclosed space for a week or so to get them used to everything and then start letting them out gradually. Hope this helps!

@Isaac 0
@SolarDuck

Yes they have a large coop that I keep open for them throughout the day (also leave food and water in there) they take themselves in at night which is great.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

Yes they have a large coop that I keep open for them throughout the day (also leave food and water in there) they take themselves in at night which is great.

Hmm, that's so odd then! Maybe something else is scaring them. Possibly a predator?

 

[TheLemonHomestead]

I work outside near them, haven’t noticed any predators but will continue to keep my eyes peeled!

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Ducks HATE change and it takes awhile for them to adjust to even the littlest of changes. A complete change of scenery is a very big stressor for ducks. Are you sure they're not eating at night or when you're not around? If they are foraging I would assume they are nibbling at their food as well just not as much because of the stress from moving. The pond is going to take awhile for them to adjust too. I would recommend providing water in a 2 gallon bucket or something deep enough that they can dunk their head in, in the meantime until they adjust. When we moved across country with my ducks it took a good week for them to start acting semi-normal and 2 full weeks to go back to their old selves.

 

[addctd2plnts]

I agree with AstroDuck! Any time I've changed ANYTHING with my ducks it takes a good week or two before they stop freaking out and settle into the routine. If they are bonded to people, maybe sitting with them and hand feeding some Soldier Fly Larva or meal worms. Usually they'll eat those, even if they won't eat other things. You can mix a handful into their food too, to get them eating. Make sure to give them grit too.

Here's the Soldier Fly Larva I use, but you don't need this much probably. They should only have a handful a day and this will last you 6 mos or more: https://www.chewy.com/flygrubs-black-soldier-fly-larvae/dp/212362 I just wanted you see why we feed them. They are nutritous and the ducks and wild birds love them.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I acquired some new to me ducks a few weeks ago, they wouldn't eat anything while I was around. They avoided me for a good week before they would show themselves and not hide while I was in the run doing chores. Now, it's been maybe 3 weeks and they are eating and playing in the water while I'm just 5' away. It takes time for ducks to adjust to a new environment. Ducks are pretty good foragers - so they might be eating when you're not looking. I haven't been able to give my ducks that opportunity yet.
Btw, that's a beautiful first day pic!