I'm doing something wrong...

[DellaMyDarling]

My ducks are boring and still scared of people. People make them run.
Rarely do the older adults get in their water tub. Young ones don't unless you put them in, but usually they're so freaked out you're in the pen that they panic and run.
They panic and run. A lot.
I can't let them free range because... you guessed it. They run. Sometimes panic, lots of running. That is, the adults. Haven't let the younger out after I had to keep playing duck hunt for my adults. They definitely don't like that, makes them panic and run.
They won't play with toys.
They don't lay eggs (ok, I'll give the little ones an excuse...)
Some days they gobble down the feed like I've starved them, multiple bowls, and today I only filled it once but found it still half full at dusk. Weird?
They don't seem to care about other foods, "duck treats". Chipmunk came and ate the peas for them. A chicken ran in and gobbled scratch when I held a constructive panic and run session to the garden.
Thought they'd love going into my fenced garden. Just cover crop right now. Lots of bugs, green things. Nope. They just stood in one spot all afternoon until it was panic and run time back to their pen.

I must have missed a duck memo. What was I expecting? Something more entertaining? Creatures that didn't act like prey on a silver server?

 

[FluffTheDuck]

This can be called a wild duck. You have to work to have calm ducks. Pick one up. Hold it in your lap. Now pet it in these places: neck, bill. When they freak down calm them down by repeating. Do this every day multiple times.

 

[Willowspirit]

My chicks have been eating their regular everyday crumble out of my hand for weeks. Yum! Yum! They trust it.

So I'll confess. I have 3 Orpingtons and had 3 Lakenvelders. The Orps are supposed to be friendly. The Laks live on the edge of hysteria. I finally separated them because the Orps were becoming hysterical and i couldn't befriend anyone in that flock. The Orps are now super friendly and demanding attention.

So here's my point (and I do have one). You might want to separate out the closest to friendly ducks as possible, teach them to eat out of your hand and then use them to tame the others. Even my laks were getting friendlier after i separated them.

 

[chickens really]

What breed of Ducks do you have?

 

[DellaMyDarling]

Ok, so really ramp up on the "duck loves"? The younger ones seem less people freaked so I regularly try to love them lol, makes sense. They were put outside off heat with a tractor of meat birds so I think they realize people=food.
The nails, however. The young ducks nails are sharper than chicken wire. Can those be trimmed?

They are Welsh Harlequin. Lovely birds that all seem to get their own unique pattern of feathers.

 

[chickens really]

If your trying to catch them to hold them I'm thinking that's your biggest problem. Sit quietly and just let them get used to you. I don't handle any of my Ducks and the come and sleep by my feet.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

Ok, so really ramp up on the "duck loves"? The younger ones seem less people freaked so I regularly try to love them lol, makes sense. They were put outside off heat with a tractor of meat birds so I think they realize people=food.
The nails, however. The young ducks nails are sharper than chicken wire. Can those be trimmed?

They are Welsh Harlequin. Lovely birds that all seem to get their own unique pattern of feathers.

You can clip chicken nails so I would think you could clip duck nails. Not sure tho

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If your trying to catch them to hold them I'm thinking that's your biggest problem. Sit quietly and just let them get used to you. I don't handle any of my Ducks and the come and sleep by my feet.

Seems like the more you chase them, the more they will run. You are behaving like a predator, so they are behaving like prey. Have you ever been to a park where there are wild ducks? People come and stand still and throw pieces of bread, and the ducks come running. Try that. Walk up quietly to a certain spot each day. Toss out some kind of duck treat. Walk away. Do this calmly every day. Let them come to you. Be patient expect it to take days or weeks. And don't chase at all. Good luck!