Pekin duck temperament

[Srt4te]

Hey I was looking for some info from fellow duck owners.I was wondering If pekins settle down and become less excitable as they mature. My ducks are around 6 weeks old and I've had them for 5 weeks. For the first few weeks I handled them 4-5 times a day and then decreased as they got older. The past 2 weeks I've handled them around once a day because they are larger and have to be picked up separately. I believe I have a male and female as one is much larger than the other especially in the head.the male is calm and easy going still gets freaked out about being picked up but calms easy. The female is the issue, she is very nervous and always gets him riled up she hates being picked up and has to be by his side at all times.will this subside?

 

[PetesMom]

Some ducks just don't like to be picked up. My pekin drake likes to be held though. The girls, around 3-4 weeks old like to be held too once you get them they calm down. I heard around 6 weeks they run from everything.

 

[Srt4te]

Yea she's a real handful. I still have them inside and I'm finishing their pen and shelter this weekend and then they'll be out. I'm hoping that they get into a routine where I let them out every morning, feed them treats, clean their pen, spend time wih them and they'll become acclimated.i did a lot of research and always handled them and either followed with treats or swim time. What was your experience with your ducks? Did you spend a lot of time with them or let them roam? Did they calm as they grew older and associate with you more?

 

[Oregon Blues]

Ducks do not like to be picked up. If you want to carry your ducks around, you will have to put in a lot of work and keep training until they are resigned to it.

 

[DougW]

My Rouen ducks hate to be picked up. Some of them quack bloody murder, others are quiet. I don't think I will ever get them to settle down. When I put them away for the night it became harder and harder to catch them and put them in their shelter at night before dark.

Last night I waited too late and it was full dark out and I searched the yard and shoreline and gave up thinking they might show up in the morning if they survived the predators. I went to move their feed into their house and they were cowering in the back corner in the dark since I had the light off during the day.

I'll see if they go in again tonight once the sun goes down.

 

[Srt4te]

At least your ducks came home! My goal isn't to hold or handle my ducks but really just for them to be used to being around me or people and not run every time I enter their pen.i hand feed them regularly and they seem to warm up after awhile.i hope they get into a routine and get used to me openin up their house, pen, letting them free range and then back inside. I don't really wanna chase them all over and wrangle them at the end of the day. I'm stuck in the middle cuz I read a lot of success stories where people say their ducks are tame or really sweet and I also hear the complete opposite. I don't wanna do tricks with my ducks and spend 10 hours a day training them, I just don't want them to become really independent and never come close to me and constantly run away or become nasty.

 

[DougW]

When I go near them in the yard with a bowl of peas or a hard boiled egg they come running. They can't get enough of either and will follow me anywhere if I have an egg in my hand. Try feeding them eggs out of your hand if they are old enough to run free in your yard. Mine will lay down in the yard within two feet of me and graze on grass. They will follow me around the yard and I can herd them easily. I haven't bothered getting a fenced in pen set up yet (have the materials just haven't bothered) so it is harder to get them in their house unless they go in at night themselves.

 

[Srt4te]

I've been meaning to try eggs.right now they eat corn and mealworms right out of my hand. They LOVE mealworms. They're about 6 weeks old and I've had them in the yard a few times but they mainly stayed in the kiddie pool.when I have them outside they're in a make shift pen with water and a small pool. They get a little antsy when I come in and especially when I get close. They do come to me when I have corn or meal worms though. Doug w your situation would be ideal for me. I just hope they stay somewhat calm and get accustomed to a routine

 

[Srt4te]

I have had my ducks outside the past 2 days now and what a huge difference. It seems like they've calmed down a lot. I'm sure it didn't help before when they were in a cage and had a set of hands coming at them. I've spent a lot of time with them the past 2 days and increased the hand feeding.they lay down a foot or so in front of me and hang around me a lot more. I've also been taking them out of their pen and luring them around the yard with food and they're following me pretty good. I tried eggs a few times now and they don't seem that into them, they'll eat them if they're around but don't take them from my hand they're much happier with the works and veggies.