How do you get ducks to stop running away/eating out of your hand

[TheGooseLord]

Many of us feed our ducks out of our hand I do all my birds. Occasionally I get nipped by my gander but during off breeding season it's an accident. Not so during breeding season so I don't hand feed him. If you want to feed your birds out of your hand by all means do.

I just want them to not run away and to be able to just pick them up.

 

[TheGooseLord]

UPDATE: They're getting close 2 me!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Don’t push it with picking them up just let them come and eat out of your hand. Ducks don’t generally like to be picked up. That’s awesome they came close!!!

 

[happy duck]

You don't say where you are located, so i don't if it is cold outside where you are.
What i would do is:

• Buy a package of meal-worms - those are irresistible for ducks
• sit down on the ground, make yourself as small as possible
• wait until the ducks come looking at you. They will come! Ducks are curious.
• flick a meal-worm in from of a duck and wait until its eaten
  
• flick another worm closer to you
• repeat until your ducks are hooked (you're their dealer now!)
• try if they will eat the meal-worms out of your hand

That's how i tamed my Runner-Ducks. Good luck!

This is a good idea, however I have found that my ducks like other treats over meal worms so @AflactheDuck make sure you find a treat(as you said tomatoes) that are your ducks favorite treats! I have also(by terms of experience to say) that "change is linked with trust". When something changes(as you said a traumatizing death) the ducks will begin to fell sad, lonely, and depressed(kinda like a human). I don't know what happens in that little brain of theirs but something makes them put it on you! They question your every move. Mine have done that and with time they should come back to normal. First of all I have 2 Q's for you(this is to @AflactheDuck by the way):
1. How long ago did aflac die?
2. Is there a possible way you could bring the ducks into a garage, shed, house etc so you can keep them warm and you be able to stay warm too. That would give you guys more time to be together making the "re bonding" thing go faster.

Sorry for you loss and I am hoping that your ducks come to realize what they need when they are most down is you.

 

[TheGooseLord]

This is a good idea, however I have found that my ducks like other treats over meal worms so @AflactheDuck make sure you find a treat(as you said tomatoes) that are your ducks favorite treats! I have also(by terms of experience to say) that "change is linked with trust". When something changes(as you said a traumatizing death) the ducks will begin to fell sad, lonely, and depressed(kinda like a human). I don't know what happens in that little brain of theirs but something makes them put it on you! They question your every move. Mine have done that and with time they should come back to normal. First of all I have 2 Q's for you(this is to @AflactheDuck by the way):
1. How long ago did aflac die?
2. Is there a possible way you could bring the ducks into a garage, shed, house etc so you can keep them warm and you be able to stay warm too. That would give you guys more time to be together making the "re bonding" thing go faster.

Sorry for you loss and I am hoping that your ducks come to realize what they need when they are most down is you.

He died on July 16, 2018 BTW
If I did the rebonding they would run away. I'll try, thanks for the advice!

 

[happy duck]

He died on July 16, 2018 BTW
If I did the rebonding they would run away. I'll try, thanks for the advice!

Some people say that ducks come out of trauma fast, but because your ducks where a flock it is going to take some time for them to get used to him being gone even tho he has been gone for a while. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Ducktown]

It took months for my ducks to recover when my drake (their gang leader) was stolen. They were not tame as much as I would like at that point and they were bonded more to my dog than me. I used that to control them. Now they are all ok, yet without the drake.
Ducks have strange and complex brains. When you start thinking you know them, they prove you wrong.

 

[Ducktown]

Tried giving the duck the feed bowl and held it in front of her. Didn't wet it or anything, just tried giving it to her. She ate. I do not know if the death of a disabled duck that passed away recently is connected. That one was always the first one to eat. Perhaps that's the reason she stopped eating the feed (other ducks also eat way less than before!).
Weather is going to get much warmer again and we'll have some rain as well. That means they will roam around, drilling through the grass again and quack angrily once daily, demanding their ration of feed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Aww I’m sorry you lost your little disabled duck

 

[CherpNPeep]

I was in the same situstion too with my Harlquin. After his mate died, he avoids me however from then, everyday I would come out and throw him treats. Just like observe him to make him get comfortable. I'd do that everyday and slowly in a couple of months, he'd walk up to me and eat off my hand.