New owner- I have two Peking Ducks- Temperament

[donaldanddaisy]

Hello everyone,

I adopted two peking ducks a couple of days ago. They are two weeks old and are siblings. One has a lighter almost white beak and the other a normal orange beak. My question is, temperament. Is it too early to tell how they will act towards you. The lighter beaked one (which we guess is a female) obviously unsure till later on is docile and doesn't mind to be pet, besides being picked up and typically they both start peeping like crazy if one gets picked up and the other not at the same time, but the darker orange beak (the male) we will say... he doesn't care too much for being touched and sometimes he will peck at you which of course doesn't hurt but he seems to be more of a protector especially of the other duck.. He instigates everything.. even when in the yard the "female" will be laying down and he will hear something and start peeping and standing up and she will follow. He just seems to have an attitude of sorts. I was just curious if this is a duckling thing or if "he" is establishing dominancy lol.. I don't know how ducks work but I really want them to imprint on me or at least be friendly enough to be able to touch and hold and handle without the pecking and running away. I understand they are babies but if anyone has any insight on behavior or if this is normal for babies I would love to gain any information. Another reason I would like to be able to pet and handle him is so that when they get older he doesn't continue to be so skittish and not liked to be touched. I have heard that you are suppose to spend time with them and pet them, and he sometimes allows us to touch him but typically not for very long.

Thanks so much!

Daniela

 

[Pyxis]

Hello and ! Just so you know, the breed is 'pekin' duck, without the g. Peking duck is what you order at a restaurant How old are they? The window for imprinting is really small, about 24-48 hours from hatch, so if they are past that age they won't imprint on you. You can however win them over with treats like mealworms fed from your hand.

 

[donaldanddaisy]

Here's a couple pics of my little ones

 

[donaldanddaisy]

Haha thanks! I thought there was no g! anyhow they are about two weeks old. Do you think they will just cling together than?

 

[donaldanddaisy]

Hello and ! Just so you know, the breed is 'pekin' duck, without the g. Peking duck is what you order at a restaurant How old are they? The window for imprinting is really small, about 24-48 hours from hatch, so if they are past that age they won't imprint on you. You can however win them over with treats like mealworms fed from your hand.

I have not fed them mealworms but they have eaten quite a bit from hand. They seem comfortable with that and sometimes start to follow outside.

 

[Pyxis]

Yep, they will stick together! You can get them to be friendly with you by handling them in calm, non-threatening ways and of course by offering treats! They will love mealworms, and peas floating in some water is usually a big hit too. If they're already eating from your hand it sounds like you're off to a good start!

 

[donaldanddaisy]

Do you think the darker billed duck is going to get more comfortable or always be skittish and not like to be pet. He seems to be the protector and likes to peck you if you touch him where he doesn't like it or will stand up and try to get away unlike the other who doesn't really care until she follows his lead.

 

[Pyxis]

He might get friendly with more handling over time, or he might always just be a little more standoffish. They all have individual personalities so it really can vary greatly.