pet duckling

[Klatimer]

Hello everyone,
I have 4 ducklings(rouen, welsh harlequin & peking) and I have 4 ducks (peking & cayuga) . I want my ducks to be able to be more friendly and not so skittish. My older ones are half and half. They are kinda skittish useless I have treats, Bill he wont even come near me unless I have pea or grapes. But the ducklings I want to be able to hold them without having to chase them. What are some things I could do?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

@BelovedBirds

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hello everyone,
I have 4 ducklings(rouen, welsh harlequin & peking) and I have 4 ducks (peking & cayuga) . I want my ducks to be able to be more friendly and not so skittish. My older ones are half and half. They are kinda skittish useless I have treats, Bill he wont even come near me unless I have pea or grapes. But the ducklings I want to be able to hold them without having to chase them. What are some things I could do?

Bit of a rant ahead:
Ducks are naturally prey animals, which makes them different to dogs and cats in that they will always be wary of us and our movements may spook them. It's instinct and not personal. I'm sure you already know all this but it's important to appreciate their nature and how they work. It's possible that no matter what you do, they might never be cuddly, especially when they're in a bigger group. But I'd argue that this is better for them, to be surrounded by their own kind.

I got really lucky with my girls, but I do have only a well bonded pair. I still expected them to be somewhat timid though, and that just never happened. They're relatively affectionate, Sprightly more so, Dougie is more independent.

All that said, here are my tips on building a good relationship with your birds:
Respect is important to establish, as adorable as they are, grabbing at them and over handling them will probably freak them out and break the trust they develop with you. Even with my hand raised most affectionate duck, there are days I may move to touch her and she shies away to say no. To keep that trust there, I require her consent to interact. If she doesnt want cuddles today, that's fine. With this attitude, its rare she ever declines anyway. The way I'd advise building a bond with them is by offering food, hand feeding, sitting with them for long periods of time, and talking to (could be reading or singing) them.
If they're close enough and trusting enough, they may prefer having their tummies or necks stroked lightly opposed to their backs or wings. This is somewhat individual, and some may reject it flat out, but I find it's preferred as they see it as less predatory than reaching over them. Avoid sudden movements or leaning over them.

Over time, there will likely be some who form more of an attachment to you, they may follow you around and if lucky they may like being pet or cuddled now and then.