New Peking duck owner - please help

[lauriebeth76]

I purchased 2 Peking ducks (male and female) Easter of 2014 and since I have no experience with fowl, I'm hoping someone here can help me. The ducks are free to roam my fenced in yard but since I let them roam free as adults they won't even come near any humans, they are afraid.. I don't know why cause they stayed indoors as babies and I let them swim in my bathtub everyday so I did interact with them. My question is, we are starting to enter into winter and I can't get my ducks to go into any shelter. I purchased a very large expensive doghouse and they won't even go near it. I also have a 8x10 shed and they also won't go near it. I don't know what to do, are these ducks gonna freeze outside and how do I get them to go into a shelter? Please help I love these 2 ducks (even though I can't get near them without them running away) and I'm really upset..

 

[pattyhen]

My ducks are the same way. I have several that will eat out of my hand but the rest of the group won't come near me. I have tried putting their food in our big dog house and they might go in and eat and come running back outside. They prefer staying outside. Just make sure they have water that is not going to freeze. We have a heated water dish for them in the winter. My ducks stayed outside last winter and I didn't have any losses.

Patty

 

[Going Quackers]

Well they probably won't freeze since they have access to shelter, ducks are quite insulated and therefore tend to remain out in temps we maybe headed for the woodstove with lol

I own Pekin, they herd REALLY well, so i would suggest getting some whole corn and another person and some sticks... if you start to entice them with food and use the sticks to start guiding them .. i also raised mine by my hand but they are not exactly tame anymore, they free range daily and i call them into housing at night often using herding as an approach to move the group into the barn.

Main thing is predator protection as long as they are in a pen that is safe and shelter offered they will be fine if you can only offer predator protection through a building then work with them to get them in, it will take time but in the end will be best.

 

[veronicasmom]

I have used brooms to guide some of my ducks where I want them. The brooms are used as extensions of my arms, not to touch them with. I just kind of get behind them and have the brooms out to each side and keep herding them in the direction I want them to go by moving the brooms one way or another.

Obviously, you can use brooms, rakes, etc, to keep them going towards the place you want them.

They will not freeze if they can get inside somewhere. Make sure they have sufficient water and food in the cold temps, and be sure whatever accommodations you have for them is very safe from predators.

Good luck!!

 

[PoultryBird12]

I got four little Pekins around Easter 2014 also! Same as yours, mine were inside and I let them swim in the bathtub everyday. However, like yours, as they got older, they started liking me less and less.

My Pekins AAADDDOOORRREEE meal worms! You can buy them freeze dried in cans and farm stores or something. What I did was instead of trying to go right in front of them and shoving the worms into their face, scaring them even more, I put a pile of worms on my hand, went over to where the ducks were, and about 5 feet away from them, I slowly sat down, not looking directly at them, and then I threw a little pile of meal worms in front of the ducks. I repeated this process day after day, until the ducks learned that they could only get that snack when I gave it to them. Now, all I have to do is kneel down and they will come right up to me looking for worms. If this doesn't work, feel free to ask some more questions!