How to get ducks to imprint if large group?

[Romans1089]

They're somewhat unpredictable, it may depend on their individual personalities. But if you spend lots of time with them, there's a good chance some will bond with you and come to you for treats

I sure hope so, treats be expensive.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Best way to win over ducks is through their tummies. So grab some dried mealworms or something else they love and sit out with them. start tossing the treat onto the ground and then slowly toss it closer and closer to you. You may never get them where they will want to be petted but I can even get some of my Runners and one of my Buff to eat out of my hand. It will take time just be patient.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I'd defintely like that. My original batch of ducklings are only scared of me and constantly run away. Can that be fixed?

Most definitely! Time, patience, and treats work wonders. Be aware also that ducklings go through a scaredy-cat phase. If I remember right it is about a month old or so. In the wild, being scared of everything keeps them alive so it is normal. Try not to give up during it.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

The question is, why do you want them to imprint on you?
If they end up being males, they will likely become aggressive with you during mating season. When an animal imprints on a human, it believes that person is their species, and that you are competition, a potential mate, and so forth.
It complicates things. And it isn't something I'd reccomend doing intentionally

Being a week old, they're past the age of imprinting, if they've already imprinted on eachother. As this happens very soon after hatch. You can still tame them though, spend time with them, hand feed, try to stay at their level, and don't reach down for them or hover over them etc unless you have to. You can achieve a good relationship with your birds without having them imprint on you, just takes time and patience.

I’m curious if this was a personal experience? I ask, because I have raised three drakes with a different experience. Two were hatched in my classroom and definitely imprinted on humans. The third, I bought from the feed store at two or three days old and then took him to my classroom. All three were sweet but the only slightly aggressive one was the one from the feed store. He would goose any person or dog when they turned around . I always figured that the others saw me as the head of the flock and didn’t want to mess with me.

 

[BelovedBirds]

I’m curious if this was a personal experience? I ask, because I have raised three drakes with a different experience. Two were hatched in my classroom and definitely imprinted on humans. The third, I bought from the feed store at two or three days old and then took him to my classroom. All three were sweet but the only slightly aggressive one was the one from the feed store. He would goose any person or dog when they turned around . I always figured that the others saw me as the head of the flock and didn’t want to mess with me.

Not completely, I didn't hatch any drakes luckily, mine were girls- but they did imprint and still see me as their mate, thus they tend to bite me and climb on me while being hormonal.
Drakes are usually worse, but of course not all. I've heard of some becoming pretty aggressive during mating seasons
So it's not something I'd reccomend doing intentionally

 

[cheezenkwackers]

I sure hope so, treats be expensive.

Mine love cherry tomatoes (as well as meal worms or soldier fly larva). So, I plant a couple tomato plants just for them. The beds are raised and fenced so they can’t help themselves. But, it helps with the cost.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Not completely, I didn't hatch any drakes luckily, mine were girls- but they did imprint and still see me as their mate, thus they tend to bite me and climb on me while being hormonal.
Drakes are usually worse, but of course not all. I've heard of some becoming pretty aggressive during mating seasons
So it's not something I'd reccomend doing intentionally

Interesting, my girls have never bitten me unless you mean a love nibble (those don't hurt). I agree with you that imprinting causes the birds to think that humans are the same species as they are. It is why endangered birds like Condors are fed with a Condor hand puppet when they are young. I just fail to see why we wouldn't want that with chickens and ducks. I teach high school science, I have an arrangement with a friend who raises and sells chickens. He gives me chicken eggs to hatch in class. When the chicks are about 10-12 days old, he takes them home and raises and sells them. I have always assumed that he likes this arrangement because the chicks imprint on humans and grow up to be more docile birds. They certainly are tame by the time they leave my class. I started hatching when school started, took a break off for Christmas and winter and started back in February. Surely if it were a bad thing he would stop asking me if I want to hatch more?!

 

[BelovedBirds]

Interesting, my girls have never bitten me unless you mean a love nibble (those don't hurt). I agree with you that imprinting causes the birds to think that humans are the same species as they are. It is why endangered birds like Condors are fed with a Condor hand puppet when they are young. I just fail to see why we wouldn't want that with chickens and ducks. I teach high school science, I have an arrangement with a friend who raises and sells chickens. He gives me chicken eggs to hatch in class. When the chicks are about 10-12 days old, he takes them home and raises and sells them. I have always assumed that he likes this arrangement because the chicks imprint on humans and grow up to be more docile birds. They certainly are tame by the time they leave my class. I started hatching when school started, took a break off for Christmas and winter and started back in February. Surely if it were a bad thing he would stop asking me if I want to hatch more?!

It isn't a love nibble, they both play drake since they don't have one, and since they see me as a fellow duck, kind of lol, they try to play drake with me. So mainly my girl Dougie will climb on me, and clamp down on my skin, like how a drake would bite the hens neck. It hurts. But she doesn't mean it aggressively, she's just extremely hormonal the rest of the time she's good.

 

[HennyPenny44]

I'd defintely like that. My original batch of ducklings are only scared of me and constantly run away. Can that be fixed?

I hatched out 4 ducklings and although they were friendly at first, they’re scared to death of me at 5 weeks old. So they didn’t imprint in spite of my constantly caring for them. I figure they’ll grow out of it like chickens do. Truthfully, it’s time consuming trying to make a bunch of birds become like lapdogs and I‘m just happy if they come to trust me. Unfortunately, my young kids waving their toys over them or running up to them has not helped. I have a group of 4 also from a hatchery that are 3 weeks old and still trustful but I figure they’ll become scaredy cats too soon. I have to catch all my ducks to bring them outside and inside and to put them in the bathtub for a swim which I think makes them more scared so if you can somehow avoid all that carrying back and forth, that might cut down on their fear.

 

[Romans1089]

I hatched out 4 ducklings and although they were friendly at first, they’re scared to death of me at 5 weeks old. So they didn’t imprint in spite of my constantly caring for them. I figure they’ll grow out of it like chickens do. Truthfully, it’s time consuming trying to make a bunch of birds become like lapdogs and I‘m just happy if they come to trust me. Unfortunately, my young kids waving their toys over them or running up to them has not helped. I have a group of 4 also from a hatchery that are 3 weeks old and still trustful but I figure they’ll become scaredy cats too soon. I have to catch all my ducks to bring them outside and inside and to put them in the bathtub for a swim which I think makes them more scared so if you can somehow avoid all that carrying back and forth, that might cut down on their fear.

Same! Whenever I go to bring my ducks anywhere they act like I'm about to murder them. I defintely see the amount of patience it requires. Be funny if your kids were running up to them with toy rifles.