*~*Runner Duck Club*~*

[Y-Knot]

So very handsome! That's amazing that he will just stand in your hand.

I'm getting six more ducklings next week. They are two WH, one Cayuga and two runners. What did you do to get your ducks so tame? The ones I have started out in the back bedroom but have gotten so they are skittish and won't really come up to me any more. I'd really like them to be friendlier. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[LoveThemBirds]

O soorwilp be getting my own....

 

[needlessjunk]

I'm getting six more ducklings next week.   They are two WH, one Cayuga and two runners.   What did you do to get your ducks so tame?   The ones I have started out in the back bedroom but have gotten so they are skittish and won't really come up to me any more.    I'd really like them to be friendlier.   Any advice would be appreciated.

Lots and lots of time and treats. They have always been around lots of noise and my kids running around like crazy so they are use to a lot but when they see peas come out they will do anything. We call peas their crack and they will come inside and crawl on you to get to it. I spent about 2 hours a day with them till they were 6 weeks and I spent a lot of time with them now just because we are always outside in the yard. I really think food it the way to go with ducks. I talk to them all the time but my runners don't like to be picked up at all. They will be the first to eat out of your hands but don't want to be off the ground at all. My others minus my new drake are easy to catch and hold and won't put up a fight. I think mine miss me (or the food) when we don't go outside for a day.

Anyone else have advice on how to get duck friendly?

 

[Miss Lydia]

In the re homing thread there is a young Indian Runner drake in need of a good home just thought I'd let the Runner lovers know. Virginia.

 

[Y-Knot]

Lots and lots of time and treats. They have always been around lots of noise and my kids running around like crazy so they are use to a lot but when they see peas come out they will do anything. We call peas their crack and they will come inside and crawl on you to get to it. I spent about 2 hours a day with them till they were 6 weeks and I spent a lot of time with them now just because we are always outside in the yard. I really think food it the way to go with ducks. I talk to them all the time but my runners don't like to be picked up at all. They will be the first to eat out of your hands but don't want to be off the ground at all. My others minus my new drake are easy to catch and hold and won't put up a fight. I think mine miss me (or the food) when we don't go outside for a day.

Anyone else have advice on how to get duck friendly?

I'll get some peas tomorrow after I get done working at the kids afterschool program. Perhaps I can win them over with "duck crack." Lettuce will only go so far and I can't always come up with at least 4 worms every time. I'll go give them peas and sing to them. Maybe I'd best make that talking instead. My singing might scare them off again.

 

[yarnchick]

Mine like me to whisper to them. They just twist and turn their heads and chatter back. So sweet andsilly.

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

In the re homing thread there is a young Indian Runner drake in need of a good home just thought I'd let the Runner lovers know. Virginia.

Thanks, Miss Lydia. Virginia is too far for me, but hopefully someone will be able to take him. Here's the link: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/954818/male-indian-runner-in-need-new-good-home-virginia

Lots and lots of time and treats. They have always been around lots of noise and my kids running around like crazy so they are use to a lot but when they see peas come out they will do anything. We call peas their crack and they will come inside and crawl on you to get to it. I spent about 2 hours a day with them till they were 6 weeks and I spent a lot of time with them now just because we are always outside in the yard. I really think food it the way to go with ducks. I talk to them all the time but my runners don't like to be picked up at all. They will be the first to eat out of your hands but don't want to be off the ground at all. My others minus my new drake are easy to catch and hold and won't put up a fight. I think mine miss me (or the food) when we don't go outside for a day.

Anyone else have advice on how to get duck friendly?

I agree with needlessjunk. It's important to be consistent, too; I've found it's easy to build habits for my ducks within a week or month or so, but it's also easy to break them if it's not done consistently. Let them learn what the treat is, what time the treat comes (seems they can track time pretty well... so doing it at the same time during the day could help). Then after some time, you should have them running to greet you Mine don't like to be caught and held, but they do run to me and they will take treats from my hand.

 

[Kimbo71]

Introducing Anita (in the water) and Pancake (standing). Day 4 and they are starting to settle in.

 

[Kimbo71]

And this is one of my surprise chickens. They were a part of a school project but hatched during the holidays. Anyone know what kind it is?

 

[Tevyes Dad]

I'm getting six more ducklings next week. They are two WH, one Cayuga and two runners. What did you do to get your ducks so tame? The ones I have started out in the back bedroom but have gotten so they are skittish and won't really come up to me any more. I'd really like them to be friendlier. Any advice would be appreciated.

Everyone's advice is spot on. I just want to point out the transition from duckling to duck since this seems to be a big source of frustration that I have both experienced and seen pop up on the forum. I am assuming that your ducks have just matured recently - if not, this won't mean much.

Ducklings need their mama. If they imprint on you, they see you as their mama and they will love you dearly. However, once they are grown, a duck's mom is just another duck - nothing special. So once they are grown, you have a whole new relationship to develop. When they were a duckling, they "needed" you. Now that they are ducks, they don't. So now you need to develop trust, and affection. Trust comes from repeated proximity and exposure without you doing "bad things" to them - "bad things" are interpreted by them not me

but might be picking them up when they don't want it - chasing them around when they don't want it or anything else that makes you seem scarier than your size already does. And affection comes from "good things" - "good things" are also interpreted by them. Treats are most definitely good things. But other "good things" might be letting them play with your shoe laces. Spending time close to them when they want it. Talking to them when they approach you. Taking care of them (they see where their food, water and swimming pools come from.)

I have 13 ducks. As ducklings, all of them but 4 (Snow, Greta, Rhiannan and Roxette) were cuddly. Those 4, were more concerned about being taken from their friends than socializing with us and would complain and try to get back to the brooder. At 6 - 8 weeks they all of a sudden became afraid of us (well at least skittish) and that is when they decided they didn't want to be picked up ever. Two of our runners came later and were brooded separately. They got ALL the attention. They were almost "house ducklings". When I sat down to watch TV, I set them in my lap and they would climb up me and settle on my shoulder and cuddle with each other and my neck. They were MUCH closer to us as ducklings than the rest of the flock. At 6 - 8 weeks - poof - same result. They are now all approaching a year, and all of them will come check us out when ever we go in the back yard. Depending on what I am doing, sometimes they will hang out and watch me, other times they will drift off and forage. In fact, they will all rush to the front gate whenever we pull in our driveway with either of our cars (when others pull in, that is not true) so I assume they can recognize our vehicles. If I go and sit either in a chair or on the ground with them, they will nibble on me, climb on me and make happy clucky sounds around me. (2 - 4 at a time if I don't have treats, mosh pit if I do have treats) If I hold out an empty hand to them, they shy away, give it light pecks or nibble on my fingers depending on their moods. Most will let me stroke them once or twice before they casually wander out of range. The 4 that didn't like to socialize as ducklings are some of the friendliest. The 2 that were "house ducklings" just started coming around a couple months ago and are now friendly. Only 1 will let me pick them up without fuss and that is Kaine, my lead drake. I think that is more defiance than trust because with him, I pick him up and he doesn't struggle or try to run away. I sit down and set him on my leg and he turns his head so his bill is against my cheek and he is staring in my eye. He stays just like this and lets me scratch his chest until I let him go, then he gets his balance and flies from my leg to the ground and squawks and flaps his wings and tells all the girls how brave he is. The others try to avoid being picked up, but once they are caught, they are calm while being held and stroked, but are glad to be free again. Maybe at two years they will be even more familiar... We will see.

So my long winded point is ducklings are a different animal than the ducks and it is a separate relationship. With time and patience you should be able to have very friendly ducks but also each duck has a very unique personality, so nothing is universal.