You can have super friendly birds without imprinting. Muscovies are a great breed to start with--they are naturally bolder and less shy than mallard-derivatives (i.e., all other domestic ducks). One tried-and-true way to do it is to feed them off and on all day long from your hands. You can let them free feed the chicken starter, and hand-feed them treats--bird seed is a great choice, as well as worms, crickets, peas, etc.
The friendliest birds I ever met were a trio of Runner ducks (not generally one of the friendlier breeds) that were hatched & raised in an elementary school classroom. The children fed them by hand and carried them around ALL DAY LONG. Those birds were SO sweet. If you have time for imprinting, then you have time for this for sure. The more time you invest, the friendlier they will be.
Personally, I strongly recommend against attempting to truly imprint. A human-imprinted bird is a recipe for misery. If you were ever, for any reason, to have to find them a new home (moving into an apartment, going overseas, financial trouble, etc.), you would be hard-pressed to find someone who could be with them 24 hours a day, which is what an imprinted bird needs to feel secure. There are a few rare souls who can give an imprinted bird the 24-7 company and attention, and who don't mind the diapers and the inability to travel and so many other inconveniences... but they are rare.
It is true, however, that the younger you start, the more likely and the easier it will be to get them super friendly. It's also true that no matter what you do, they will go through stages where they seem more skittish. Stick with it and you'll end up with super sweet birds.
P.S. Geese can be awesome pets. They are naturally bold and friendly. They can also be aggressive. Do your homework before you get into it. The last thing you want is a bird who is super attached to you and who is attacking you daily. Unlike ducks, they can do serious damage if they set their minds to it. Just like imprinting, it *can* be done, but it takes work and you need to understand what you're doing.
The friendliest birds I ever met were a trio of Runner ducks (not generally one of the friendlier breeds) that were hatched & raised in an elementary school classroom. The children fed them by hand and carried them around ALL DAY LONG. Those birds were SO sweet. If you have time for imprinting, then you have time for this for sure. The more time you invest, the friendlier they will be.
Personally, I strongly recommend against attempting to truly imprint. A human-imprinted bird is a recipe for misery. If you were ever, for any reason, to have to find them a new home (moving into an apartment, going overseas, financial trouble, etc.), you would be hard-pressed to find someone who could be with them 24 hours a day, which is what an imprinted bird needs to feel secure. There are a few rare souls who can give an imprinted bird the 24-7 company and attention, and who don't mind the diapers and the inability to travel and so many other inconveniences... but they are rare.
It is true, however, that the younger you start, the more likely and the easier it will be to get them super friendly. It's also true that no matter what you do, they will go through stages where they seem more skittish. Stick with it and you'll end up with super sweet birds.
P.S. Geese can be awesome pets. They are naturally bold and friendly. They can also be aggressive. Do your homework before you get into it. The last thing you want is a bird who is super attached to you and who is attacking you daily. Unlike ducks, they can do serious damage if they set their minds to it. Just like imprinting, it *can* be done, but it takes work and you need to understand what you're doing.
