- Aug 8, 2011
- 1,981
- 40
- 141
you definitely got a rough start... normally ducks are easy.
If you've got them in the pen, I'd keep them there for a couple of weeks so they know where they live. they do get the routine, once they know it, so feed them the same time, use the same bucket for carrying feed, call them the same way each time. shouldn't take more than a week for them to know the feed routine, but I'd still give them 2 in case there's a wild one in the bunch. if you want to get in more training, feed them only a third of their ration, then come back in half an hour and do the routine again, then once more a half hour later... our ducks come when you call because I always feed them and call them, and I don't call them exept when I'm feeding until they've got it down.
while you're training you can feed them a little less than they want... they'll tollerate you more and come more quickly if they're a little hungrier. don't short them much, you don't want them losing condition, but if they're leaving any feed, cut back just a little bit.
My ducks will happily roam and forage at night, making many trips to the pond in the dark, if I don't close them in. but once they're trained to the evening feeding, you shouldn't have much trouble getting them up. on occasion, one or another will refuse to come off the water... we haven't lost any that way yet, but it may be nature's way of culling the overly bold.
I'm more worried about the snapper than anything else... that's likely to be an ongoing issue if he develops a taste for duck. I've never had snappers in my pond so I don't have a good solution for you, but I know my neighbor does and he culls the snappers to protect his ducks when he can catch them.
If you've got them in the pen, I'd keep them there for a couple of weeks so they know where they live. they do get the routine, once they know it, so feed them the same time, use the same bucket for carrying feed, call them the same way each time. shouldn't take more than a week for them to know the feed routine, but I'd still give them 2 in case there's a wild one in the bunch. if you want to get in more training, feed them only a third of their ration, then come back in half an hour and do the routine again, then once more a half hour later... our ducks come when you call because I always feed them and call them, and I don't call them exept when I'm feeding until they've got it down.
while you're training you can feed them a little less than they want... they'll tollerate you more and come more quickly if they're a little hungrier. don't short them much, you don't want them losing condition, but if they're leaving any feed, cut back just a little bit.
My ducks will happily roam and forage at night, making many trips to the pond in the dark, if I don't close them in. but once they're trained to the evening feeding, you shouldn't have much trouble getting them up. on occasion, one or another will refuse to come off the water... we haven't lost any that way yet, but it may be nature's way of culling the overly bold.
I'm more worried about the snapper than anything else... that's likely to be an ongoing issue if he develops a taste for duck. I've never had snappers in my pond so I don't have a good solution for you, but I know my neighbor does and he culls the snappers to protect his ducks when he can catch them.
