I accidentally on purpose trained my ducks perfectly.

[Jlw0903]

I made a really fun discovery today and I want to share it with anyone who may be raising ducklings currently (and maybe chickens).

I am a first time duck mom and I did lots of research before getting my babies. Once I did I found that frozen peas and carrots were a fairly cheap and healthy treat option for my sweet ones.
I decided early on that I wanted to train my ducks to come when I called.
Once they were 2 or 2 and a half weeks old I began pairing my whistle to a small handful of peas and carrots. Every day I would whistle and give the treat. They learned very fast that my whistle meant treats. As they got older I ventured into new treats but always would whistle. They always came running. It was clear that Peas and carrots were their favorite.

Once outside in their pen they will run to my hand for trests when I Whistle but if I let them out to range a bit (something they only get to do when I can supervise them) they decided bugs and grubs were the best and although they would look when I whistle they stopped running to me. Meaning I would need to herd them.

I hadn't given them peas and carrots in a while but I always stock up when they are on sale so I pulled the bag out today for give them something special and to test my theory that they may respond better to the pecans and carrots than anything else.
One they saw the bag (I always got the same brand) they freaked out! They even followed my boyfriend all over the yard as he shook the bag!

Now they came running to me and followed me (even if i wasn't the one with the bag) and I was able to get them back into their pen easily.

My advice then is to train your babies similarly pick one special treat to start them on early this will end up being their most favorite (hopefully otherwise theres just something special about a bag of frozen peas and carrots) and pair it with a call, clapping, or a whistle. You can then use this special treat to call in your babies when they are being brats and dont want to come in at night.

How do you wrangle your ducks in at night?

 

[DiYMama540]

Usually mine make their way to the coop on their own at dark, but if for some reason I need to wrangle them, all I have to do is crinkle a plastic bag of any sort and everyone comes running! Favorites for my flock are mealworms, watermelon, peas, anything really...if it's free and easy they'll take it! Amazing how quickly they learn to love treats!

 

[Duckie doodle]

I have my ducks trained to come when I call them and they follow me to thier coop or I shoo them out of thier run and they go to the coop themselves. When I first got them, I started carrying them all back and fourth from thier run to thier coop for about 2 weeks.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Inverse duck psychology: Our ducks have trained my wife to give them treats! Whenever she leaves the house they all come running at her, surround her, all quacking as loud as they can until she caves in and hands out treats…

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

If i say »Alle Enten gehen jetzt schlafen!« (German for: "All ducks are going to sleep now!") in the evening they all start running into the house, where they get their dinner and then go to bed. I wasn't planning that, it just happened that i was always saying the same sentence and they memorized it.

 

[Flyinbolts]

I didn't know with my first ducks. Now I've learned. I've coupled the 'all ducks go to bed' method with some herding and they practically march into the house daily. The ducklings are learning from the older ducks.

For treats - I tried a different method. Get a taco bell cup or something along those lines (something you can get new of). Save up those - put treat inside, shake. Easy and no whistle. My ducklings LOVE it and will basically run to me. The older ducks didn't get treats and will stare at the ducklings like they're running into the depths of hell.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I currently have seven little rascals, they have already learned that the pale-red bowl (mortar) contains yummy stuff (ground up cat-food) and that mom is a dumb bird-brain because she is yelling at them not to go closer to me. When they hear the "crunch", "crunch" of the cat-kibbles being ground up the all start peeping excited!

 

[Flyinbolts]

My runner decided the other night that she needed to perch on my shoulder after I gave them treats and was relaxing with them.

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachme...3334669/Screenshot_20190820-175501_Chrome.jpg

 

[Ducklover77]

Inverse duck psychology: Our ducks have trained my wife to give them treats! Whenever she leaves the house they all come running at her, surround her, all quacking as loud as they can until she caves in and hands out treats…

 

[Ducklover77]

I didn't know with my first ducks. Now I've learned. I've coupled the 'all ducks go to bed' method with some herding and they practically march into the house daily. The ducklings are learning from the older ducks.

For treats - I tried a different method. Get a taco bell cup or something along those lines (something you can get new of). Save up those - put treat inside, shake. Easy and no whistle. My ducklings LOVE it and will basically run to me. The older ducks didn't get treats and will stare at the ducklings like they're running into the depths of hell.

That's hilarious