Neurotic green winged teals

[InviteTanner]

I purchased a trio of GWT's. They're a year old and arrived two weeks ago. They are completely neurotic. I didn't expect them to be pets, but they slam themselves into the fence and walls when they just get a glimpse of a human from half a football field away! The male paces the fence and has a path worn. The females are in the water and act fairly normal, eating, etc. but I have yet to see the male eat, drink, or do anything but pace the fence or throw himself at the fence trying to get away from people. Is this the result of being wild until they are a year old? Would I have been better off to buy babies so they'd be more used to humans? I'm already thinking about turning them loose so they'll be happy instead of this high stress state of mind they're living in.

 

[KansasKid]

How big of a pen are they in? Do you have any objects(plants, rocks, tree branches) in there? Is there a site barrier on your pen? how tall is your pen?
Are they from a well known breeder, or is it a possibility that the drake might be wild caught? 3-186 transfer form?

 

[InviteTanner]

I have the form, and in fact they wouldn't ship until they had it back from me. They're in a 20 x 30 pen that's got a 8 x 14 pond with rocks, evergreen coverage, and logs floating. The pen has large rocks, an evergreen windbreak, lots of brush for them to hide in, etc. I really did my homework while waiting for them to arrive and made sure they had a "natural" habitat. The females seem to be better, more settled in, etc. but the male is neurotic, simply neurotic. I knew they wouldn't be pets but I didn't expect them to be like this. Maybe they just need more time.

 

[KansasKid]

That maybe all he needs is more time to settle down and get used to you.
It took my mandarins forever to settle in and there still a little skittish.

good luck