need help

[Miss Lydia]

My ducks don't like to be touched other than my Muscovy drake who thinks I am his mama so just enjoying them having them around is pure joy.

I have to lock mine up at night though they would never last here if I didn't too many preds.

 

[Ravynscroft]

these should be better. the green head one is on a roof he decided to go for a morning fog flight and i think may be stuck now.View attachment 1139090 View attachment 1139091

Top one is a Pastel Call drake, 2nd one is a Snowy Call drake... gorgeous boys...

Thawed, frozen peas are a good treat to bribe with... if you have a pet carrier/kennel, leave it near the area they hang out in so they get used to it... set food and water bowls out, if they start eating from them, slowly move the bowls closer and closer to the carrier/kennel until they're inside at the back... once they are used to that, let it run out for a day, then refill and sit back and wait... hungry ducks will go to food, lol...

 

[liamedson]

Top one is a Pastel Call drake, 2nd one is a Snowy Call drake... gorgeous boys...

Thawed, frozen peas are a good treat to bribe with... if you have a pet carrier/kennel, leave it near the area they hang out in so they get used to it... set food and water bowls out, if they start eating from them, slowly move the bowls closer and closer to the carrier/kennel until they're inside at the back... once they are used to that, let it run out for a day, then refill and sit back and wait... hungry ducks will go to food, lol...

thank you for the names that makes me feel better knowing exactly what they are.
i have been doing the food and water thing moving it closer and closer to their house, im a day away from it being inside the house. the thawed/frozen peas are ok they like a few but not that many, im going to slowly work my way through the "treats" sticky and see what they like the most.

 

[Ravynscroft]

thank you for the names that makes me feel better knowing exactly what they are.
i have been doing the food and water thing moving it closer and closer to their house, im a day away from it being inside the house. the thawed/frozen peas are ok they like a few but not that many, im going to slowly work my way through the "treats" sticky and see what they like the most.

Good deal! They're awesome little ducks, boys make sweet pets...

So glad you are working on catching them, they're way too predator prone to be on their own...

 

[WVduckchick]

By no means did i intend to imply you shouldn't try to secure them. Just saying it may not happen overnight.

 

[liamedson]

they explored their house today...baby steps...baby steps

 

[Ravynscroft]

 

[Miss Lydia]

 

[WVduckchick]

 

[DwayneNLiz]

Housing i am still having a problem with them going into it, i could not find the purina flock raiser this round so i got the dumor layer feed. i figured they could be difficult but they are just adorable so ill find a way to make it work.

If you are near a TSC they carry the flock raiser it is made by Purina

If you are near a CLarks grain store try them
Also i buy Nutrena All Flock at my local Hardware store (trueValue) but oyu may be able to call around your area and see who sells what brands

Ducks herd really well and catch on fast so if you walk behind with arms open or use 2 poles[ old mop handles works well ]and walk slowly you can herd them just about anywhere.

I use a baby gate

how can you tell they are both males?

they both also have drake curls

I'm kinda a "black sheep" around here - unconventional duck keeper. One set of my drakes (large Swedish breed) live on my pond at my farm. They have a brushy cove in one corner of the pond, they can swim under, with 2 entrance/exits - one in the water, one on land. They don't have a "house" and they don't get locked up at night. I do not clip wings. We do have some predators around, and yes, I have lost a few (not many) ducks over the past 3 years, but I feed them, and we keep the area around the pond weeds cut back, and they seem quite happy, and they know it is home, so they stay.

I also have call ducks at my house. They have a huge fenced/net-covered run, but they also do not get locked up at night. The girls use their house for laying, and maybe someday, for brooding!

Call ducks can fly very well. Have you seen these 2 ducks flying? Be careful how forceful you are with them. Let them come to you, or you may permanently run them off. Giving them a "safe retreat" place will be nice for them, but unless they were handled a lot as youngsters, they will be very hard for you to fully tame. Just getting them to come to you for treats will be hard enough. Touching them may never happen. My pond ducks know me and come running to me, but will no longer eat out of my hand. 2-3 feet is about their limit.

Best of luck!

none of mine let me touch them and run and scream like i am going to murder them
but i am very hands off and didnt put the time into hand raising them