Getting to know these new ducks

[JoyAnna]

When I bought these two ducks from Craigslist last week, the people couldn't tell me anything about them. They didn't know the breed, the sex, and they were "less than a year old." Their markings from the photo in the ad convinced me they were Anconas. I didn't see any drake feathers so figured there was a chance they might produce some eggs when old enough. Their home there was truly sad: the small, lined indentation in the ground held mud and no water, there was no feed nor drinking water visible, no shelter, and only dirt and tall, coarse grass for them in a small fenced area.

When I got them home, I gave them a large bowl of drinking water which they immediately got into, so I added a dishpan of water for them to splash in. The next day, when I let them out, they were fearful of the kiddy pool, but eventually discovered it and spent hours there. They love it, and before long there was mating activity.

My main concern now is that they don't seem to know about eating feed or treats. The feed bowl is nearly as full as when I gave it to them. I gave them a bowl of peas, chopped apple and cabbage which they took one peck at and left. When I leave them out to free range for a while, all they do is dabble in the soil, wood chips, and under foliage. They eat some foliage, but mostly dig. Are they finding enough nutrients that way?

I am now guessing they are younger than I thought since they seem to be molting (juvenile molt?). Feathers all over the yard! Or could this be caused by the sudden change of habitat?

They do tend to stay fairly near where I am working, but without a love of treats, I think it is going to be a long slow process to even get them to eat out of hand, let alone allow me to handle them. I am just going to go very slow and try not to get them excited. I can herd them back into the pen at night by watching them closely and standing still if they begin to get anxious.

Does anyone have experience in such a situation?

 

[animaladdictions]

Hi! Congratulations on your new ducks! It's a shame they came from such terrible conditions, but at least now they are with you and can have a much better quality of life. It's good that they found the pool and have figured out how to get in and out. Now they'll be able to keep themselves clean and pristine, not to mention, ducks are ALWAYS happier when they can get in a bit of water! Offering treats of various kinds was good of you to do...however, my ducks are pretty tame and still won't eat much, if any, fruits and veggies. One thing you may want to try is earthworms! Mine absolutely go crazy over worms and I've found them to be a key to their little duckie hearts! Usually, I like to tell people to keep their new ducks in the night time pen for a few days to a week when they first get them... just like chickens, they'll consider it a safe place and once you start letting them out to free roam, 99.9% of the time they'll go back to that same pen at dusk to sleep. As for the food, I find the best thing available is Mazuri Waterfowl Pellets. It is pretty expensive though so if that won't work for your budget, you can try Purina's Flock Raiser. My local feed stores don't carry the Mazuri so I have to special order it. Considering that you only have the two ducks, one bag should last you at least two months if not more so make sure to keep it somewhere that it won't get stale. The digging through the mud that you're seeing is them sifting little critters and nutrients out of the earth. They'll also chase and hopefully CATCH bigger bugs flying around the yard. Their foraging will keep them satisfied and you probably won't notice them eating a whole lot of the store bought feed until evening. My ducks occasionally pick through some of the feed I throw on the ground for the chickens during the day but for the most part aren't interested in really digging in to their food until they go to the coop in the evening. Oh and yes, several of my ducks are going through molt right now as well and most likely yours were starting before you got them...although a change in environment can sometimes be a trigger for molting as well...especially with the new ability to get into water! Based on the pic you have as your avatar, I would agree that they do look like Anconas. Hope this was a little bit helpful at least. Enjoy your new ducks! I just adore mine!

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Hi -
I have the very same situation and wish I'd asked for advice here sooner. The only treat mine like is so odd- the purple flowers that shoot up from liriope. They ate every one out of my yard, so now I pick them on walks and bring them back to my 3 ducks. It's the only thing that gets them close to me. Glad to see that their lack of interest in feed is ok- they do forage all day.

I also can't get them to their duck house at night, so I wish we'd kept them in it initially like I now see is suggested. I don't try very hard to heard them back in at night, because I am trying so hard to make them trust me, and they scare easily. Is it imperative to keep them confined at night? The predators in my neighborhood include hawks and owls, but we are well fenced so havent seen racoons etc in years. During the day they nap under trees and bushes, but at night they Like to sleep in the open. Worries me.

I love these ducks so much- They've been a great addition to our family, and i want to make sure they are healthy and safe!
Thanks, Katherine

 

[Mum]

JoyAnna, trust me, they know about food

perhaps just not the type you are offering. My experience with ducks, chickens, cats, children and a fussy eater husband is this: they all have their individual likes and dislikes

Yes they will find many of the nutrients they need when foraging. Perhaps you could restrict their feed to one or two times per day rather than leave it freely available? That way, they would take what they *need* and get used to the idea that you are the "Provider of All Things". Dried mealworms are my secret weapon/bribery treat of choice to get into their good books; a small dose drives them crazy

Katherine, it is not too late to restrict your ducks to their duck house for a couple of days; just so long as they have water and food.
I believe it is very important to give them a secure place at night; not just from hawks and owls but from rats and any other preditor which can (and will) find its way into your property. I needed to herd mine into their house at night and used bamboo canes to extend my arm length so I would hold them outstretched and guide them towards their home. I didn't need to get close to them and they soon learned. Think of it as training rather than scaring

Providing food, water and a secure shelter (plus a routine) is the very best way for them to learn to trust you! They need to view you as head duck.

 

[veronicasmom]

Katherine, not to scare you, but it IS imperative to securely close them in at night. Raccoons can climb, as can other predators, and even if you have good fencing, they can get in. Trust me. Duck are inherently cautious creatures. If you just walk behind them "rounding them up" so to speak, using a rake or something like that to herd them into the house, you won't do any damage to your relationship with them. At any rate, if you do bother them for a short time, it is worth it for their safety and your peace of mind. A predator attack is horrible. You do not want to come out to that in the morning.

 

[Kathbmcclure]

Such excellent advice from you all- THANK YOU!

I've made so much progress with them just this week, and my heart would be broken if anything happened to them. I'll be head duck for sure tonight and get them safely put up!!

 

[jdywntr]

My muscovy were about 3 months old when I got them and they weren't fond of treats. They were free range when I got them and had been fed dog food and scratch in the evening. They looked at me like I was trying to kill them when I threw some peas in the pool.

I have had them for just over 2 months and they are getting better about it but are still not interested in anything other than feed and whatever they scrounge up on their wanderings. They are becoming less scared of me, particularly the drake but I am not looking for any of my birds to be pets that I can have sit in my lap or anything. As long as they trust me enough that I can be close enough to quickly scoop them up if needed to check them out or put them back where they belong, I'm fine.
Congrats on your new ducks!

 

[DejaLou]

If you get a chance, you could check a local feed store for dried mealworms? It would closely resemble what they forage for and still be considered a treat? Mix a few in with their feed and they should start figuring it out. You are so sweet to want to give them a better life! A trick I play with my ducks is taking my shovel out to a section of dirt that I don't mind tearing up, and start digging for worms. They see you 'foraging' and once they are comfortable enough, hopefully will get curious and investigate. Our worm digging expeditions have become bonding time, whenever I grab the shovel they fall over themselves trying to get over to our dirt pile. If you find a worm maybe put it in a small bowl of feed, when they dig it out they'll try the feed and become interested? Ducks tend to know what their bodies need, just takes some time to know that they are in a safe place now. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[DejaLou]

** small gardening hand shovel

 

[JoyAnna]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Actually, I think it is going quite well. When I am working outside, they tend to follow to the same part of the yard to forage. I threw a few good size comfery leaves into the pool and they liked that a lot. In the pen, I have seen them taking a few bits out of the feed bowl, so they are experimenting. Watching them, though, I notice they only take a tiny bit and then run for the water. I'm thinking that tomorrow I may try putting some of the feed in another bowl with water.

Mum, I understand about 'picky eaters' and chuckled. But I never let my kids get away with that—never forced them to eat more than one bite of something new, but expected them to adapt. I have been feeding a mix of grains from a local mill which is mostly grown locally, contains no soy, and has just been certified non-GMO. I think they will come around. Actually, if they are used to finding their own food, I may not have to buy as much

I see today that they are quite good at catching flying critters.

I am not trying to pick them up yet, but am so happy that they seem to want to be near me—but no hands. They go right under the chair I'm sitting in, even picking at my clothes and shoes. However, once today one of them bit my leg so it hurt a little. They are fairly easy to herd into the pen at night. Using a stick made them more nervous, so I just use my extended arms and even just move my hands to give direction. I watch closely, and if they start to want to bolt, I just stop and stand still for a moment until they settle.

Katherine, how are you doing getting your ducks penned up at night? Is it getting easier? I'm so glad you jumped in on this thread. It's neat to have someone else tackling the same experience.