Leaving imprinted indoor ducks alone?

[KCNC06]

I'm not sure how common this situation is, but wondering if anyone with imprinted ducks can share their experiences. We didn't intend to have indoor or imprinted ducks, but we do. Bill Bill is now 4 months old, she'll wander off around the house without me and doesn't freak out if she can't see me. But she does get upset when I leave to go shopping or run errands even though she's never home alone (always have an adult or two in the house). Her little sister, Pipsqueak, hatched September 17...so she's ~6 weeks old. She tends to be rather nervous. She runs around crying when she can't see me, and often continues crying if she can see me but can't see Bill Bill. She's just a very anxious little girl. Both of them follow me around the house crying and yelling at me for at least 30 minutes when I come home from errands. It's sweet but makes me sad for them.
Anyway, I know if they were single ducks they couldn't be left alone ever, but I'm wondering if they'll be ok if they're left alone together. Pipsqueak obviously likes Bill Bill more than Bill likes Squeak, but Bill seemed happy being an only child before Squeak hatched. We've been working on diaper training since they free range in the house, but they don't love their diapers yet. With holidays coming up, I'm guessing at some point all the people will need to go out at the same time and I'm not sure how family will feel about us bringing our feather babies with us. But I'm not sure how the girls will do home alone without any people. Will they calm down once they realize we're not here? So far Squeak gets herself so worked up that she makes herself sick from crying for either me or Bill. She was regurgitating her dinner everywhere the other night because Bill and I were in different rooms.
Is there anything I can do to help them learn to be comfortable staying alone together? Or do I just need to convince my extended family to be ok with having ducks in their houses?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I had an indoor Muscovy drake from hatch till 12 weeks, when we went off he had to be upstairs with his crate,mirror and pee pads on the floor. I have 4 dogs downstairs. As long as he had his mirror he was fine with us being gone 3 hrs or less. It was probably me more than him having separation anxiety. With you having the 2 of them put them in a room where they can see each other with all they need to be happy while your away with family. They will get use to having time away from you. For the one with anxiety you might try hemp oil. I give hemp chews to may dogs when we go away or are going to have company. And I mix it into my poultry feed 1X a week, It is good for helping with anxiety. But you probably won't need it with your ducks just give them time to get use to it spending time with out you. They will have each other.
You might want to try it though. lol

 

[KaleIAm]

My ducks aren't imprinted on me, and they live in a barn and attached aviary. But I had a couple thoughts that might be useful.

Maybe if you locked Bill and Squeak up in a smaller location when you leave so that Bill can't get out of Squeak's sight she'll be less upset? Perhaps get baby gates with doors and put them between rooms and call the ducks with you when you go from room to room to lessen Pipsqueak's anxiety from having her flock separated.

If Bill doesn't come when you call you can easily train her to with mealworms. Just make a particular sound everytime you give her a mealworm. Soon she'll come running when you make the sound! I say, "come here ducks."

Also, Pipsqueak may feel more comfortable being a little more independent as she gets older. My ducks were significantly more attached to their flock when they were under a year. They were never more than a few feet from another duck. If they somehow became further without realizing it they became distressed and ran to their flock quacking loudly. Now they sometimes get 40+ feet away or even go inside the barn by themselves! I speculate that it is a survival instinct, and young duckings need the safety of a flock more?

I would probably verify that everyone else at the Christmas party is ok with you bringing Bill Bill and Pipsqueak, and then take them. Maybe get a dog playpen and set them up beside you? Hopefully people will be delighted. And that way Squeak won't be at home distressed for hours.

 

[chickens really]

That behaviour will change and getting them outside to be Ducks is recommended.

 

[KCNC06]

@Miss Lydia, I understand and agree that part of the issue is probably my anxiety about leaving them. I've had anxiety about leaving any of my critter babies alone for a little over a year. We had a barn fire last year and lost two dogs who stayed in the barn at night. It doesn't help that our families live an hour.
Anyway, I'd definitely close Bill Bill and Pipsqueak up in our master bedroom/bathroom if we have to leave them. They love our dogs and the dogs are very good around them but I don't trust the ducks not to harass the dogs. Pipsqueak LOVES to nibble at the dogs' toes and I worry that our big dog might snap at her if we weren't around.
For the most part, like on an average of day, both Bill and Squeak hang out near me. They both respond when I call them by name and follow when I tell them "come with me". But Bill's old enough now that she wanders off on her own to play in the dog's water dish, or to sleep on my husband's shoes. Pipsqueak mainly seems to get upset about Bill Bill leaving her when she's busy or sleeping and doesn't notice Bill leaving. Like if Squeak is eating and Bill wanders off, Squeak freaks out. I keep telling myself that Squeak will calm down more as she gets older and remind myself that she's still young. Pipsqueak also talks a LOT more than Bill Bill ever did. She's always quacking about something.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Just like kids they have different personalities. I think the more you leave them together the more comfortable they will be. I am so sorry about your barn fire I can understand how that would bring anxiety. My little drake would climb into one of the dogs beds and sleep with them but I never would have left him alone with them.

 

[Skippersnh]

So you had dogs living in a barn when dogs normally live in a house and now you have ducks that poop over 50 times per day living inside your house?
Why do you want to do that to them? They aren't human and shouldn't be treated like it. Ducks enjoy a coop and a pond and grass in a field and fresh air not your living space your house will start to smell like a duck pen which will make you sick

 

[getaclue]

It's their age. When they get a bit older, they won't be dependent on you.

 

[KaleIAm]

So you had dogs living in a barn when dogs normally live in a house and now you have ducks that poop over 50 times per day living inside your house?
Why do you want to do that to them? They aren't human and shouldn't be treated like it. Ducks enjoy a coop and a pond and grass in a field and fresh air not your living space your house will start to smell like a duck pen which will make you sick

The original poster does mention in her initial post that she didn't intend on having imprinted house ducks.

 

[Raenh]

As someone who lived with two completely indoor ducks for almost 8 months until.it warmed up enough for me to secure the backyard, they are just fine living inside the house and its constant work to clean up after them, diapers help and so.does having an area where they are secured in while your out of the house. Mine would follow me all over the house or when they got older hang out in the living room playing with their toys or chasing each other. Occassionally, when I'd stay up to late and speedy would go to sleep in their area - fancy would come looking for me and plop down at the door entrance and go to sleep while he waited for me to get ready for bed. When speedy was younger before and even after we got fancy - she would follow me all over the house, I wish I had a video of the time she was following me around while I was cleaning, i was cleaning the kitchen and she settled down on the floor and started preening, i left the room to go clean in the bathroom and i hear her screaming that mommy where are you call - i just poked my head out and said speedy im.in here and she came running, plopped down at the door and gave me that little side eye glare after each feather preen to make sure i was still where she left me.