Show off your house ducks!

[Lilki]

Is something wrong with him or is this abnormal behavior

Mine does that to, normally in the water.

 

[Slothy]

AWESOME. I am excited to see. And I did love it. I will keep watching…..

Thank you!

 

[Julie Birb]

Thank you!

Give muddy Wire a Happy New Year kiss from me.

 

[QuackSpeak]

Hello!
So, I had two ducks (Not house ducks), up until June of 2016, when they died.. they were my little Cayuga girls, and I loved them very much, I like to think that they had full lives until the days they died, I hope that is true, I miss them still... But that isn't why I'm posting sorry, went off on a ramble, I guess lol I am getting new ducks this spring (I'm not sure I can wait until spring lol), two or three little Buff or Welsh Harlequin girls. So, in the six month gap that I didn't have ducks, I researched some things regarding ducks, and I found two things (Well, I found more, but this is just for now) that really interested me: 1) Training - I knew that ducks could learn words, I taught mine to come on command...But I did Not realize the extent that u can train ur ducks to do! I would love to train my ducks to do things! Have any of you trained your ducks? What have you trained them to do? How do they learn best? I'd like to teach my ducks some practical things (Come, Go Home, Wait (For Food)), and some non-practical things (Tap (My hand), Heel, Sit). Pls give me tips, guidance, and anything u can say about training ducks! 2) Leashes...Okay, I've heard of duck/chicken leashes (Not the ones that come with the diaper harness, the ones I am looking at are basically dog harnesses adjusted to ducks/chickens). Do any of you have them? Does your duck put up with having the harness on? Can you "walk" more than one duck at once on separate leashes? Based on experience, I don't think the ducks would like it if I separated them...I'd really like it if duck leashes worked, bc then, if, say, a dog attacked, I could easily get my babies back to me, and hopefully unharmed. P.S. These ducks wouldn't be House Ducks, it's more like I will be a Coop Person haha. They would be loved, visited, trained, and let out every day, just like my ducks before them. Sorry for the long post lol...

 

[BantyChooks]

I taught my ducks a few things. Best success was with "time for bed". Repetition is your best friend here- Well, that and mealworms!

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Hello

So, I had two ducks (Not house ducks), up until June of 2016, when they died.. they were my little Cayuga girls, and I loved them very much, I like to think that they had full lives until the days they died, I hope that is true, I miss them still...

But that isn't why I'm posting sorry, went off on a ramble, I guess lol

... I am getting new ducks (Whoops I meant We are getting new ducks; they will be mostly mine but my parents and brother do help) this spring (I'm not sure I can wait until spring lol), two or three little Buff or Welsh Harlequin girls. So, in the six month gap that I didn't have ducks, I researched some things regarding ducks, and I found two things (Well, I found more, but this is just for now) that really interested me:

1) Training - I knew that ducks could learn words, I taught mine to come on command...But I did Not realize the extent that u can train ur ducks to do! I would love to train my ducks to do things! Have any of you trained your ducks? What have you trained them to do? How do they learn best? I'd like to teach my ducks some practical things (Come, Go Home, Wait (For Food)), and some non-practical things (Tap (My hand), Heel, Sit). Pls give me tips, guidance, and anything u can say about training ducks!


2) Leashes...Okay, I've heard of duck/chicken leashes (Not the ones that come with the diaper harness, the ones I am looking at are basically dog harnesses adjusted to ducks/chickens). Do any of you have them? Does your duck put up with having the harness on? Can you "walk" more than one duck at once on separate leashes? Based on experience, I don't think the ducks would like it if I separated them...I'd really like it if duck leashes worked, bc then, if, say, a dog attacked, I could easily get my babies back to me, and hopefully unharmed.

P.S. These ducks wouldn't be House Ducks, it's more like I will be a Coop Person

They would be loved, visited, trained (...?

) and let out every day, just like my ducks before them. Sorry for the long post lol...

Training: Repetition, positive reinforcement, treats and repetition. With ducks I think it would have to be something they do naturally (like flap or speak on command) or something that can be easily communicated. We have Casey trained (since she has been in the house with us for a couple weeks) to stay on a set of towels - we just repeatedly said no and guided her back on the towel when she left, now she doesn't leave (mostly). I taught my ducks to get out of the pool and kennel up when I go back into the yard and clap my hands twice by doing that before I herded them back. Eventually I didn't have to herd them, in fact I could step in the yard clap my hands twice and say "kennel up" and they would do so even though that was coming toward me.

Leashes: I personally wouldn't take my ducks anywhere predators (including human kids that weren't under my supervision) were, leash or no leash so I can't add anything there.

 

[QuackSpeak]

Tevye's Dad: Thx for all advice - including the part about leashes. You make a good point...if we do get leashes (I'm thinking Probably Not right now), then I'll make it a point to only go to safe areas.

Bantychooks: Thank you! I was surprised, bc my dad bought the ducks mealworms and they turned their beaks at them! They liked grapes a lot (And Cheerios, but all in moderation..)

 

[Tevyes Dad]

Tevye's Dad: Thx for all advice - including the part about leashes. You make a good point...if we do get leashes (I'm thinking Probably Not right now), then I'll make it a point to only go to safe areas.

Bantychooks: Thank you! I was surprised, bc my dad bought the ducks mealworms and they turned their beaks at them! They liked grapes a lot (And Cheerios, but all in moderation..)

You're welcome. Just a question... Were they live meal worms or dried meal worms? My ducks didn't get excited when I offered them live meal worms, but they would do just about anything for dried meal worms. They can be eating any other treat and if I shake a cup of dried meal worms, they will abandon it and go for the meal worms. Also ducks are real funny about new stuff. I offered them pumpkin and they didn't like it at all (except the slime and seeds which they loved). They loved watermelon and honeydew right from the start. The first time I put out a cantaloupe, they walked around it like it was horrifying (I think because it was orange like the pumpkin). Then finally one of the runners took a little nibble... You'd have thought she was a member of the feathered bomb squad

Feet as far away as possible stretching out the entire length of her body and neck to just barely nip the edge of the melon.... She liked it. Took some more bites. Stepped in and started chattering, then the melon was slaughtered.

 

[QuackSpeak]

Dried mealworms...Weird haha. But my ducks were the same way about Cheerios...Shake a cup and they were al over you! And we offered them a cob of corn once.. They looked at us, like, What do u want me to do w this?? We cleaned all the kernels off the cob and they were all over that! Haha they were my picky little ducks

 

[Fawkes]

Hello

So, I had two ducks (Not house ducks), up until June of 2016, when they died.. they were my little Cayuga girls, and I loved them very much, I like to think that they had full lives until the days they died, I hope that is true, I miss them still...

But that isn't why I'm posting sorry, went off on a ramble, I guess lol

... I am getting new ducks (Whoops I meant We are getting new ducks; they will be mostly mine but my parents and brother do help) this spring (I'm not sure I can wait until spring lol), two or three little Buff or Welsh Harlequin girls. So, in the six month gap that I didn't have ducks, I researched some things regarding ducks, and I found two things (Well, I found more, but this is just for now) that really interested me:

1) Training - I knew that ducks could learn words, I taught mine to come on command...But I did Not realize the extent that u can train ur ducks to do! I would love to train my ducks to do things! Have any of you trained your ducks? What have you trained them to do? How do they learn best? I'd like to teach my ducks some practical things (Come, Go Home, Wait (For Food)), and some non-practical things (Tap (My hand), Heel, Sit). Pls give me tips, guidance, and anything u can say about training ducks!


2) Leashes...Okay, I've heard of duck/chicken leashes (Not the ones that come with the diaper harness, the ones I am looking at are basically dog harnesses adjusted to ducks/chickens). Do any of you have them? Does your duck put up with having the harness on? Can you "walk" more than one duck at once on separate leashes? Based on experience, I don't think the ducks would like it if I separated them...I'd really like it if duck leashes worked, bc then, if, say, a dog attacked, I could easily get my babies back to me, and hopefully unharmed.

P.S. These ducks wouldn't be House Ducks, it's more like I will be a Coop Person

They would be loved, visited, trained (...?

) and let out every day, just like my ducks before them. Sorry for the long post lol...

Oooh where did you find these leashes? I'm trying to find a duck harness and all I can find are the diaper ones.
Never actually used one before so I can't really answer your questions but I have heard of people who have used them.