Please Be Truthful

[Amiga]

thumper650 is on the right track. I have a BEI who had a rough first year - she is a rescue. Feathers were in poor condition, wings drooping, and more. Within a few months of good nutrition, access to shallow clean water, proximity and eventually incorporation into a flock (Runner females and one Buff female), she has become a spunky, spirited, superb duck. She floats, dives, swims, forages. With physical therapy (we hold her body and let her “fly”) her wings no longer droop. Not cuddly, but she will come over for treats and is very talkative. Due to her early nutritional deficiency, she developed a slipped tendon. No worries. If I am not near, she has her own alcove where she can see and interact with the other ducks. Has her own water and food, of course. When I take them out, she runs (hops) with the flock. As she has developed trust in us and her environment, she has learned to let us handle her to help her. Lord knows, I love that duck! I feel that you are capable of showing those ducks a good life, and they are smart enough to see, in a while, they have won the lottery.

I don’t get on BYC much these days, so please tag me, send a message, I do check in.

 

[PirateGirl]

Sometimes nervous animals are more apt to warm up to you if you ignore them. I'm not saying to be neglectful, but approaching them directly, being loud, sudden movements, reaching for them, trying to touch them or pick them up, these are all things that can be scary to an animal that is already scared. Hang out in the yard near them. Walk around them. Do yard work or gardening in the vicinity. Go in and out of their coop/run without really engaging them. Just be calm and slow and deliberate about your movements. Talk to them calmly whenever you approach so that if they hear you coming they know it's you and not a stranger or a predator to be feared; they will recognize your voice. They will hopefully improve in time. Good luck. They are not known as the calmest breed, but that doesn't mean they can't get more comfortable with you.

 

[CayugaJana]

You could also try to incubate some of their ducklings. If you are the first thing they see when they hatch, they will be ALOT more trusting of you.

 

[NYboy]

Thank you guys I do spend time near them before and after work. hand feeding is out these duck try and get as far away from me as possible. Now that spring is here i will be spending more time outside where they can watch me. I do feel a little better now knowing the breed is flighty and not that they where mistreated before coming to me. Thank you for your feed back

 

[thumper650]

Yeah my ducks are slow to accept change, I think most are but these are my first. At first I would toss treats, and not even acknowledge them. After a while you will be identified as the food dispenser! Good luck and let us know how things go!

 

[Miss Lydia]

makes me think of my Indian Runners they will be 2 end of this month and have been here since they hatched they will now not run like I am going to eat them when I walk out to visit, some will even eat out of my hand even if they do it super fast.

 

[NYboy]

Wow the suggestion of peas was right on. I filled a bowl with them, put bowl down walked away, came back half hour to empty bowl. Plan now is to get them addicted to peas not feed for a day then try hand feeding peas.