Inexperienced duck keeper checking in with experienced duck keepers

[bhaugh]

When ducklings are together you really aren’t noticed much. I still pick them up though because they need to know you’re ok and one day you’re going to have to vet them so it’s more a learned experience for them. My hand is always in the pen and they get used to that. In time they learn to accept and they will take treats from me.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Food wise, if you want them to bond with you, I have one word for you. Peas. Ducks love peas. Same with watermelon, at least with my ducks. But yes, the more fruits, veggies and healthy duck-safe treats you introduce to them at a young age, the more they'll like you as adults as well when you give these to them.

I have 16 ducks and mine go crazy over watermelon I cut it in half and let them go to town
15 of my ducks love peas as well but my khaki drake will not eat a pea even if mixed with his favourite things. He will spit the peas out
Reminds me of a toddler

 

[Corbdee]

I have 16 ducks and mine go crazy over watermelon I cut it in half and let them go to town
15 of my ducks love peas as well but my khaki drake will not eat a pea even if mixed with his favourite things. He will spit the peas out
Reminds me of a toddler

Oh my goodness thats so funny . I only introduced peas to mine recently and saw it was harder to get them to like it than watermelon because I gave them watermelon since they were ducklings. But now they're crazy for it. I'm curious about how they'll react to watermelon after the off-season without it

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Congratulations on the new ducks
I have hatched and also bought duckings. I find they love me to pieces till 2 -3 weeks then they hit the Im scared of everything Stage
I don’t chase my ducks around but I will sit out with them a lot
Out of the 16 I have there is still a few who won’t eat out of my hand yet
And some of those were ducklings I hatched that I held non stop for / weeks
Taking them back and forth for bath time till they got bigger and wanted to be independent
But if I come out of the house and they see or hear me all 16 come running to see me wagging their tails
They just don’t want to be held
Although mine are all very friendly and if somebody needs medical help I am able to hold them if I have to
I want to add pekins are fast growing birds and need extra niacin
So if you aren’t already doing it
I would get nutritional yeast and add 1 tbs to 1 cup feed for 12 weeks
As adults I still add it I just don’t measure
This will prevent niacin’s issues in the future

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Oh my goodness thats so funny . I only introduced peas to mine recently and saw it was harder to get them to like it than watermelon because I gave them watermelon since they were ducklings. But now they're crazy for it. I'm curious about how they'll react to watermelon after the off-season without it

They will still love it
I spend a little bit on bdays even in the winter and get the small off season watermelon for them
They also love cantaloupe and honeydew cut in half
I have cooked corn on the cob a few times in the summer
They go crazy for that too

 

[Corbdee]

They will still love it
I spend a little bit on bdays even in the winter and get the small off season watermelon for them
They also love cantaloupe and honeydew cut in half
I have cooked corn on the cob a few times in the summer
They go crazy for that too

Aw thats nice. Any extra scraps we have that ducks can eat I'll give as well. I always want to buy them extra stuff but then forget

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

I have 16 ducks and mine go crazy over watermelon I cut it in half and let them go to town
15 of my ducks love peas as well but my khaki drake will not eat a pea even if mixed with his favourite things. He will spit the peas out
Reminds me of a toddler

Yours too! I am amazed at their ability with that beak to eat a whole bowl of something and leave perfectly cleared pieces of what they don't like! I tried to sneak a few new foods into a bowl of rice or pasta. I got the bowl back clean with the peas rolling around the bottom of the bowl.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Yours too! I am amazed at their ability with that beak to eat a whole bowl of something and leave perfectly cleared pieces of what they don't like! I tried to sneak a few new foods into a bowl of rice or pasta. I got the bowl back clean with the peas rolling around the bottom of the bowl.

So glad I’m not the only one with a duck that doesn’t eat peas

 

[Mother-Hen-Michele]

So glad I’m not the only one with a duck that doesn’t eat peas

I feel like a bad mom when I read about how MUCH other's ducks love peas, so I go out and get different kinds of peas, try them all different ways, and they just go to waste... I just stare at those inscrutable faces and shake from frustration.

"WHAT??? You are supposed to love them!?!? Do you want them in a white sauce with crumbled bugs sprinkled on top??"

It is like a toddler, or a spouse who only loves their mom's cooking. UGH!

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I feel like a bad mom when I read about how MUCH other's ducks love peas, so I go out and get different kinds of peas, try them all different ways, and they just go to waste... I just stare at those inscrutable faces and shake from frustration.

"WHAT??? You are supposed to love them!?!? Do you want them in a white sauce with crumbled bugs sprinkled on top??"

It is like a toddler, or a spouse who only love their mom's cooking. UGH!

I feel your pain
Maybe we didn’t introduce them to peas at the correct time