How to best raise ducklings so they are friendly?

[Becky89*]

The way I tamed my ducklings was I started holding them everyday while they were still under the light in the house. My ducks now a days come right up to me and sit on my legs/ lap. They love being stroked and handled and their 8 years old.

 

[shiloh04]

Thanks for the replies! These guys are 12 hours to two days old, so still very young. They don't like being picked up, but they don't seem to mind being held once you get them up. I just had surgery, so I have tons of time to spend with them on my lap (or shoulder as a couple of them prefer).

Unfortunately I don't have 5 brooders, so they are all in one. They will also be outdoor ducks, so they do need to learn to live with other ducks.

Should I keep the food out of their brooder so that I am the one hand-feeding them? They have been eating some of the feed mix (getting them flock raiser today).

One of them kept cuddling up to my face and giving me kisses. Not pecking at my face, just touching its beak to my lips. So cute!!

 

[Duck_feeder]

I made the mistake of letting Norie climb on me when she was a duckling. It was fun and cute when she was little, but extremely painful when she got a bit bigger and her nails tore into my neck and arms. lol. She still tries to crawl up me when I put her on my lap and I occasionally get a nasty scratch (I really need to trim her nails!). Fortunately she also likes shoving her face in my armpit so when I stop her from climbing she settles down under my arm.


Keep the food in the brooder with the ducklings. The should have access to food and water all the time with the possible exception of night time.

I don't think many ducks ever like the process of getting picked up, but the friendly ones don't mind once they are off the ground so you're on the right track.

 

[shiloh04]

When people hand-feed other baby birds, do they leave food for them too?

 

[Duck_feeder]

Quote:
depends on the species. birds like ducks or chickens that can run around right after they're hatched usually have food available at all times.

birds that are unable to care for themselves until they fledge like parrots or robins can't feed themselves so food is only available when hand feeding.

 

[thedoors5to1]

hatching your own eggs is the best... ducks imprint on whatever they see when they hatch... therfore;
ducking sees duck, thinks its a duck....
duckling sees human, thinks its human..
only one of my ducks is imprinted on me, he follows me around even as an adult. he even steps up like a human... while my other ducks *hop* with both feet onto a surface, piper tries to put one foot in front of the other and step... its too funny

 

[kingpincray]

When I had my first duck a white indian runner named Cory, the only survivor of the hatch, he was great and super tame. He would climb up to me and snuggle between my arm and body. Then I got guilt tripped into getting another company from him from the pet shop when he was 3 weeks old because most websites said it is cruel to keep just one duck...should have been selfish

...that was the end of tameness of him.
The new duckling was a total mental and wild swedish blue, I guess being in a pet shop and kids would traumatise them a bit.

Now he is full grown and it took me several days to convince him it is ok to eat from my hand. I give them dandelion leaves and they love it, even the swedish blue is slowly trusting me.

If I only take Cory out, he would follow me everywhere. But if I have both out he doesn't seem to care at all.

Then I got my second lot of eggs to hatch, with better luck i got 5 ducklings. They were so tame though inseperable from each other and me until week 4 when they got skittish. They are almost 6 weeks old now and slowly becoming less tame as I have less time to spend with them but when I have greens in my hand, it is always a different story....

All the best with yours

 

[shiloh04]

Well ducks #1 and 5 took a nap under my chin while I was laying on the couch, and #3 spent about 3 hours sitting on my stomach while hubby and I watched a movie. They seem to be getting more and more tolerant of me messing with them. Every time I pick them up it gets a bit easier.

At what age will they be old enough for actual treats? #1 ate a couple crumbs of corn dog breading today, and they do like to peck all over my hands, face, shirt, etc. But I don't want to feed them anything they aren't old enough to eat.

 

[Bawk Vader]

I took my ducks out of the brooder twice a day for a swim in my bathtub and let them outside t play in a small pen. i sat with them during the activities. While they were bathing and playing I would spoil them with treats that they would eat from my hand. Now I have them housed with a full grown goose that was a rescue with a broken wing. The ducks now see the goose come to me for special grass treats and they will run to me and follow me wanting food. This is my second generation of duck and I have never had a duck that want's to cuddle. If I pick them up, they kick their legs, however they don't struggle to get away or squawk too much. At least they don't run away screaming when they see me.