Show off your house ducks!

[kukupecpec]

How do you ensure that your ducks are imprinted? I'd like to raise a couple indoor ducks but I'm not sure where to start.

I know the younger you get them the more likely they are to really imprint on you. However, I hatched 3 ducklings and raised them all in the house and they never really liked me, so it's not a sure thing. It would probably help if you only had one so it doesn't have siblings to bond with, but I guess that kind of seems mean too lol. If you aren't dead set on raising one from a duckling, see if there is a waterfowl rescue in your area. They often have very people friendly ducks and might have one available for adoption that already loves people and would be ecstatic to live an only duck life indoors with their humans. Rescues can also keep an ear out for what you are looking for too if you hope to get a house duck - that eliminates ask the guess work too!

 

[Amykins]

TBH I've heard of separating the ducklings during the first few days of life to ensure a strong imprint and parental bond, that might be something worth looking into. I've also seen single ducks and chickens doing well in the home, provided they have company, like a dog or human.

 

[AmandaVirus]

What do you guys have for your house ducks to lay eggs in? I was thinking of making a little wooden box with a round hole for the door or maybe just a cardboard box with straw. Misty's coming on 4 months now and I know she'll be laying soon.

We also took Misty to the river with us a week ago or so, I'll see if I can get the pictures.

 

[Amykins]

Aww, is that Misty in your avatar image? If so, she's beautiful!

I think ducks will lay eggs where they please, whether they have a nest or not. Kind of like cats, you can spend a fortune on a lavish place for them to sleep and there they go preferring the box it came in.

Here's a video of a house duck doing her business in her owner's pile of dirty laundry!

 

[AmandaVirus]

Aww, is that Misty in your avatar image? If so, she's beautiful!

I think ducks will lay eggs where they please, whether they have a nest or not. Kind of like cats, you can spend a fortune on a lavish place for them to sleep and there they go preferring the box it came in.

Here's a video of a house duck doing her business in her owner's pile of dirty laundry!

No, that's Lilly, one of my outside ducks. Misty is a mallard. I know what you mean about them laying wherever, my outside ducks will lay them on their brick "patio" quite often when they have a nice clean house with fluffy pine shavings in it.

 

[kukupecpec]

DeannaA started a FB group for people with unusual house birds!
Thought I would share it with you guys in case any of you are interested in joining

https://www.facebook.com/groups/743054382408064/



ChaCha has finally started laying eggs!
I'm not super familiar with ducks, I was wondering if it's normal for them to lay their egg in the middle of the night. Almost every day when we get up in the morning there's an egg in her bed!

 

[Amykins]

DeannaA started a FB group for people with unusual house birds!
Thought I would share it with you guys in case any of you are interested in joining

https://www.facebook.com/groups/743054382408064/

Yay, thanks so much for linking this!

Wobbles just hit three weeks. She's getting so big! <3 Yet she's absolutely tiny. She's still only about the size of my hand. I got me one tiny call duck.

 

[Danyelle]

My Lucky duck!

 

[duckncover]

Hi everyone! I have a house chicken for some time now but I love ducks! Alady on craigslist is selling a single male call duck that is super tiny. Is it possible for a duck that wasn't imprinted to live the indoor lifestyle? In the picture she is holding him and he looks happy. He is just adorable and so small I could keep him in a large parrot cage! I'm so crafty I could sew him diapers and I would be home all day with him because I'm disabled. I emailed her and also asked her about her muscovies. They are super big but are relatively quiet so I could keep 2 of them outside without trouble or I could keep one in the house if I make an enclosure. I would love to have a duck in my life! All of your ducks are so adorable with their little suits and their smiles!

 

[Amykins]

Hi everyone! I have a house chicken for some time now but I love ducks! Alady on craigslist is selling a single male call duck that is super tiny. Is it possible for a duck that wasn't imprinted to live the indoor lifestyle? In the picture she is holding him and he looks happy. He is just adorable and so small I could keep him in a large parrot cage! I'm so crafty I could sew him diapers and I would be home all day with him because I'm disabled. I emailed her and also asked her about her muscovies. They are super big but are relatively quiet so I could keep 2 of them outside without trouble or I could keep one in the house if I make an enclosure. I would love to have a duck in my life! All of your ducks are so adorable with their little suits and their smiles!

If it wasn't imprinted on people and has been raised its whole life to be around other ducks, then no, I'm afraid you can't. :/ My Wobbles does fine because she was hatched alone and is imprinted on me, so to her the indoor lifestyle is totally normal to her. Also be warned, ducks are WAY sloppy compared to chickens! But oh, they're so worth it. They are just so cute and silly!