Odd and worrisome behavior of my ducks

[JadeComputerGal]

Hello. I'm hoping some of you can give me some advice about how to address the behavior of our ducks. Sorry for the length of this, but the short of it is that they don't act like ducks.

We lock them in their pen at night, then I fill their feed dish and let them out in the morning. From then on, they're free to roam the large property until bedtime. The problem is that they don't roam the property at all, and it seems to be getting worse.

When we first put them outside three weeks ago, they'd gobble food in the morning, then they'd follow me to the deck and then go out and around in the grass for a bit, though they didn't venture far from the deck. Then they got where they stayed longer on the deck, just staring in the door for about half an hour, then relentlessly pecking at the door for the next half hour. Then they would lay down in front of the door and repeat the process all day long.

In the past couple of days, they don't even go eat or drink. When I fed them this morning, none of them took a single bite of food. They followed me to the deck and did the staring, pecking, and just laid down in a row in front of the door. That's where they've been ever since, five hours now. They haven't even gotten up to eat or get a drink. They won't go out in the yard and act like ducks unless my husband or I are outside with them, and it's kind of more me than him. Sometimes when my husband is outside and I'm inside, the still camp out right in front of the door where I am.

Is there anything I can do to entice them to go out into the yard and behave like ducks when we're not outside? I'm at a loss, and this staring and pecking is really very distracting since this room is also my home office where I work every day.

 

[flynntheduck]

Put food and water by the door and close the curtains so they cant see you. They also might be hanging by the door because they see ducks inside the house (their reflections)

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Thanks so much, Flynn, but I'm not thinking that's the best solution. I thought about bringing at least a water dish up, but I don't want to encourage them to stay on the back deck. I want them to go out and enjoy the yard and their pool and be ducks.

Closing the blinds isn't an option because that's how the majority of natural light gets into this room. Even thought I know birds in general, not just ducks, will act on the reflection thing, that doesn't seem to be the case here. The reflection from the door is always there, but they never do this unless I'm not outside with them.

Thanks again!

 

[DucksnDaffodils]

Is there anyway you could put up a gate or fence (like one of those baby gates?) so they couldn't get up on the deck? Can imagine how frustrating that must be!! At least you know they love you!

 

[JadeComputerGal]

Thanks so much. I did briefly consider that earlier, but we'd have to close off the openings on the deck on every side. When I temporarily block one, they just come through another one. It would be a real pain to have to do that permanently, but it might be what we end up having to do. I can't have them setting up here not eating or drinking for nine hours at a time.

 

[chooks4life]

Closing the blinds isn't an option because that's how the majority of natural light gets into this room. Even thought I know birds in general, not just ducks, will act on the reflection thing, that doesn't seem to be the case here. The reflection from the door is always there, but they never do this unless I'm not outside with them.

What about a short solid wall, even a cardboard box, that lets light in above their head level but stops them from seeing you? The answers to the following questions may help.

Are these handraised ducks?

How old are they?

I'd guess they're imprinted onto you and you as flock leader are telling them that what you do with your day is: sit in a house during this time period. So they're trying to learn the activity cycle of the day. Most domestic animals try to adapt to the human's cycle to some extent, if handraised. In the wild, or even if domestic but when raised by mothers, they learn a similar cycle: feed now, go get a drink now, rest for this period, go back out and feed...

It will probably take a while for them to learn to move out. Going hungry for a bit shouldn't hurt them and should help them learn, and help provoke them to leave you.

Best wishes.

 

[smonkeySK]

My hand raised little girl does the same - if she can see me in the window of any of the back rooms; she comes to the gate at the top of the yard and quacks at me.
It's really sweet but she drags everyone up where there is most chance of an injury to my bigger ducks - so I feel your pain!
The thing to remember is that they will try to get to you when they can see you - mine still does after a full year and her babies are picking up the habit now too!

 

[desertdarlene]

It actually sounds fairly normal to me and what Chooks4Life says makes a lot of sense. Some ducks look towards a particular individual to tell them what to do and when. I don't like that they're not eating much, though.

 

[subhanalah]

Once I get everything situated, I plan on putting a fence around my deck

 

[heartsizedfarm]

Maybe they don't like the food? Maybe it's spoiled or something? Try tastier treats (I have no idea what constitutes a tasty treat for ducks, but I'm sure lots of people on this thread do.)

And do they have a pond or pool to play in? Maybe they just need something more entertaining than you? I remember when I was doing dog training with my puppy my puppy was always sniffing the floor for other owner's dropped treats and the dog training teacher yelled at me: "YOU HAVE TO BE MORE INTERESTING THAN THE FLOOR!!!"

I'm going to make that my life mantra. Sigh.