Help getting Pekin Ducklings to like me! They hate me!!! :(

[askjcm2005]

We got 3 Pekin Ducklings almost 3 months ago. We got them when they were 2 weeks old so they were already starting to get that hard pokey part of the feathers sticking thru...From day 1 they hated us! Freaked out when handled, cannot be seperated which I thought was cute but they run and freak out everytime I even approach even if I just walk past them. I decided to rehome them to a lady who had other ducks on a large farm and I figured the ducks would be happier with less human contact...

A few weeks ago we got a male/female pair of Pekin's from a local feedstore who got them from a Hatchery that sexed them. They were 3 days old and I could tell from day 1 the difference from the male and female by there quacks. They were in our house for about 2-3 weeks and I held them alot but then my boyfriend got admitted to the hospital out of nowhere for a staph infection and was there for almost 10 days so the ducklings got very little human interraction those 10 days. Only when I came home once a day to feed/water them and let them out of the box for a little bit. I went ahead and put 2 silkie chicks in with them to keep them company and now they love the silkies and dislike me very much! It frustrates me!! LOL The silkies and the ducklings an unseperable! although its really cute!!

What can I do to help get them to like me more? I think they are too bonded to each other and the silkies to even think about me! LOL

 

[chickboss]

Peas...

 

[MysticalMom]

Lots of patience and peas. Thawed out frozen peas as a treat are the way to many a ducks heart.

 

[Amiga]

chickboss and Mysticalmom have given you the keys . . . .

Just to expand a little bit,

ahem. As I was going to say . . . . take a deep breath. The ducks have been equipped with a healthy fear of things larger than they are that come in from above them.

Patience and time and positive thoughts really help. If you feel impatient, I believe they feel that. If you feel frustrated, same thing, and it can be scary to the little guys.

Perhaps you can make time, like half an hour three times a day, to just sit in the same room with them, not even paying them much attention. Can you lie on the floor doing not much for a while just to let them get used to you? They will also go through a really nervous stage, in spite of what you do. But if you hang in there, you can come out with some very sweet ducks.

Here is something to try: Set some peas (not too many or they can get sick, and remember they need a little grit before they get food that is not the pelleted or crumble kind) and set them out around you as you sit on the floor. See how close the ducklings will come to get them. Roll a few toward them. Wait. And wait. And wait. Do this many times. It should help.

I remember being told long ago that patience is like a muscle. It doesn't grow until you have to use it.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

I call to my ducks "PEE-EEASE! PEE-EEASE!" before I give them this treat. And toss them close to me so they associate moving in my direction with something good. It does help to sit on the ground or on a low seat. Some ducks will eat out of my hand, others are just too wary. I have begun trying to do this more routinely and hope to see a change in their behavior towards me.

 

[askjcm2005]

Thanks for the good ideas!! I got the peas and the male loved them! The female ate them a little but not as much. I think she was upset with our new silkie that was in with us who is beyond friendly. The ducklings like I said are best buds with our other 2 silkies but the female duck hated this new silkie and it seemed as though she DID NOT want him/her near her "boyfriend" and would do this really loud quack and try and bite the baby whenever it went near the boy so maybe that means our new silkie is a girl? And the others she likes alot are boys? I dunno but I hope it is a she!!

The chickens really liked the peas too! Our little buff silkies would swallow them whole and try to get as many as possible LOL But I could see a difference from just going in there once with some peas, everyone seems a little more interested in us.

I will try the 30 minute this 3 times a day and see how that works out. Thanks so much!!

 

[Birdcrazy]

When my scovie duck's first clutch started hatching I was leaving that very minute for the city

When I got back a couple of days later they were completely frightened of me.
When I let all the ducks and chooks out of the pen to go forage ect I went with them and helped collect bugs and stuff for the ducks. Mum duck always hangs around with me and the duckies just started relaxing in my presence and soon worked out that I was offering them food

Soon enough they treated me as another mum

 

[MysticalMom]

Hahaha! Good news! Keep it up. Ducks aren't human friendly creatures by nature... but they always LOVE whoever has the peas.

 

[askjcm2005]

I went out yesterday and dumped out the dirty pool water and gave them a new pool that is way bigger they were sooo happy to be able to swim under the water. They are growing so fast so of course that wont last long. Then I went inside to get some peas/corn and they went crazy they pretty much try and swallow a whole handful at once. I threw some in the pool and they went under the water and got all of them and kept looking for more.... They will now approach me whenever I neal and hold my hand out so I am hoping they will start to not be so scared when I try and pet them...

 

[Amiga]

Wonderful progress! Yay!