Khaki campbell ducklings: Friendly on the outside

[jasmine8809]

Hey guys, so I got 9 khaki campbells lat week. They are the cutest little things and are about 2 weeks old now. I have taught them to be friendly inside(they are kept in a box in my living room, yes it stinks but I got a scentsy that is taking care of it lol). They walk every morning to the bath room for a little bath and walk back to their box. They come to my hand for treats and aren't scared of me anymore. They are doing great. My problem is I took them outside for the first time today and they just sat in the grass. I tried calling them to me and obviously treats don't work cause they were too busy munching on the grass to pay attention to me. I'm going to be building them a coop outside in the next few days and I want them to be just as friendly outside as they are in. How do I get them to follow me around and know I'm their "momma". How do I get them to be friendly on the outside? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

 

[cosbackyard]

I think the key is food.
Personally I've never been able to keep my ducks very friendly once they got outside. It takes patience and time, of which I have not enough of either.

Here's a similar thread on the topic.
Melissamerry has the tamest ducks I have ever seen.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/771329/will-they-ever-be-truly-tame#post_11006768

 

[jasmine8809]

Thanks! Yeah I was thinking about maybe taking their food away for a couple of hours before I bring them outside then giving them their food out of my hand. This way they will associate me with food and become more friendly. It's a working progress, I just know that the best time to do anything is when they are young so I don't want time to go by without trying everything I can. Thanks so much for your help!

 

[jonhpdx]

People kept telling me when I asked about how to address this issue to just be consistent and give them treats, spend time with them. I found that when I let my girls outside and then when they started living outside they were afraid of me. This literally went on for about 2 months until this past week when my pekin duck started walking up to me for pets for the first time. I've started giving them lots of treats again, and I've got them running up to me whenever I'm outside, quacking loudly.

I've heard this is a phenomenon not uncommon to ducks, where they reach an adolescent stage where they start to think that no, you don't have the right to just pick them up whenever. For me it was depressing because I just spent all this time rearing them while they were inside and outside they would act like I was a predator. I hate to echo what other people said when I was in the same position as you because it wasn't what I wanted to hear, but I gotta say it worked: just be patient, and treats always help.

Also, I know it helps to have smaller flocks of ducks if you want them to be bonded stronger to you. In such a large group you might have trouble connecting with any of them because that connection is being shared with 8 other ducks as well.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

We hatched out two welsh harlequin females and they LOVED us; peeped and followed me around outside. When they hit four or five weeks of age, forget it. They would rather explore, eat, poop, play in water, poop some more, nap, poop MORE, than follow some human around. They were handled at LOT, and are still nice once they are caught. They don't spook and are not skittish, but they sure won't sit on my lap or come when called either. Good luck I LOVE LOVE Khaki Campbells. My favorite drake was a Campbell. I loved him....so did the hawk!

 

[gardenfairy]

My Khaki Campbells were rather nervous while initially making the transition outside, but once they settled in and realized nothing bad could get at them they became fearless and completely relaxed. I imagine your little guys just need some more time to get comfortable with the new environment.

But you also need to keep in mind that grass is amongst their favorite foods, at least it is for mine - after slugs. Mine did stop taking treats from me when they moved outside until they cleared out the grass in their pen. Do you maybe have a non-grassy area to take them on an outing to? It might help them to be outside and pay more attention to what food you're offering.

As adults, mine run over to see me and take treats and will let me pet them, but don't like to be picked up. While my ducks were never that bonded to me, I did find that as my geese grew older that their association with me changed even though our level of interaction remained the same. When they were goslings, they followed me around everywhere and wanted to climb up all over me. As they matured they still let me pet them and pick them up and are always glad to see me, but just as they would with their parents, they do become more independent and wanted more and more to do their own thing, which I imagine you'll also see with your ducklings.

 

[jasmine8809]

Thank everyone for such great advice! I'll just keep working at them and showing them that they are safe and hopefully they will come around. Perhaps my stubbornness will out way theirs

I think it will also help a whole lot when they get situated in their coop and yard. Here's my babes when They first came home.

 

[Nebraskagirl]

Adorable!!!!