Taming Ducklings

[CountyGirl12]

So you all probably know by now I got 3 white Peking ducks Sunday. I think they are under a week old. I've heard people say they get adults ducks to come to them, play with them, ect. So what do I need to do with my ducks now to make them nice and playful when they are adults? We are probably going to build a pen for them when they are adults. One that would be big enough for me to sit down in, and be with the ducks. I want them to come to me and be nice and fun to be around when they are adults. If you can tame a duckling, to where you can pet it and pick it up when it's a adult, please let me know how to do that! Lol Also, how much handling should they get?? Like a few hours each week or what?

 

[Richb353]

Welcome,
Repetition and patience!
I have a flock of 21 so I believe because they have each other, they are less likely to bond with me. Also, I don't get to spend as much time as I would like with them, so I didn't expect them to jump on my lap (yet). Amykins and Wobbles are best buds, but she devotes a tremendous amount of time to her house duck which makes a world of difference. Pick her brain for more info.

In my case, the flock does recognize me as the guy that feeds them every day. I've made it a point to feed them at the same time and in the same spot. If I let them wander the entire yard, I know I can always find them back in their little pasture at dinnertime. When I'm arriving home from work, they are waiting at the dinner spot or will come running up to me for food. They must recognize me because they don't do this with any other visitors.

Finally, I sit at a bench and feed them by hand at my feet. A few are less skittish than others and I can grab them easily. Lately, I've been grabbing the less bashful ones and sitting them on the bench next to me to be hand fed. I'm hoping this trains them to jump up on their own. Of course the more hungry they are, the less bashful.

Enjoy,
Rich

 

[CountyGirl12]

Thank you so much! I'm 15 so I'm at school during they day obviously lol, but if I handle them when I get home, will that be enough to make them tame when they are older? Or do they need to be handled a lot during the day as well?

 

[Richb353]

As always, the more time you spend the better. Pekins are said to be calm ducks regardless.

 

[CountyGirl12]

Ok. That's why I ended up getting pekins. Thank you again

 

[needlessjunk]

The more time you spend with them the more friendly and tame they will be. That being said ducks are not cats and dogs and for the most part don't like being picked up. There are a few that do but that is not really normal. They know they are food and tend to be cautious of most things. Now with all that being said mine are pretty tame. I have 3 that will allow me to pick them up but they don't like it and 2 that deal with being picked up once caught, which is ordeal. My drake, whom I did not raise, won't let you get more than a few feet near him. For the one I hand raised I made a point of spending 2 hours a day with them and checked in on them all the time and messed with them as much as possible. It take a lot of time and I felt that was all I did for a few weeks. It has paid off though. My previous ducks would eat out of my hand but that was it and I did not spend much time with them when they were little. All my ducks have always came running when I call them but I equal treats. My current now sit at the back door and scream at me till I feed them something. Turds... so I don't know if my treats plan backfired, lol.

 

[CountyGirl12]

Thank you! I try to spend time with them when I get home from school. I always pick them up and hold them close to me and rub them with my thumb. i just sit by their pen (in my room) also. (Not handling them , but sitting by the pen) Would that make them for comfortable being around me? If I stand up by their pen they run to a corner real fast, so I sit on my knees to make me look smaller. They usually calm down after I do that.

 

[Amykins]

Well, I think everyone's already said excellent advice, so I'll only add a heartwarming tidbit: I've learned that whatever little idiosyncrasy you may develop to help calm a bird down will carry over with them their entire life. One BYC member carried her duckling around in her hoodie when it was a baby, so sure enough, when it wants to feel safe it'll clamber right on up and into her hoodie even though she doesn't fit anymore!

And Wobbles, same deal. We used to hold his tiny bill between our fingers to try and mimic the natural behavior ducklings do when they pile on top of one another and stuff their faces into each others' fluff to sleep. So today he's six months old, and when we pick him up the first thing he does is shove his bill between our fingers! He'll close his eyes and take a nap right then and there, it feels so comforting to the little guy. It really is quite adorable, so you may find that whatever you discover helps to calm down your little babies, you might find that the same methods will work well into adulthood!

 

[CountyGirl12]

That's awesome lol! I'll have to try some different things when I get home. I'm hoping when they are adults they come up to me, and maybe even climb into my lap

 

[Amykins]

That's awesome lol! I'll have to try some different things when I get home. I'm hoping when they are adults they come up to me, and maybe even climb into my lap

If you're diligent and keep socializing them, a few of them probably will!