Teach me how to tame ducks

[Roo5]

while I know a little bit about ducks,Not as much as I know about chickens, well one thing I still haven’t learned is how to tame them(ducks/ducklings).Ive given up over the years as I could try everything.I have never had nothing other then ducks eat from my hand and even then they do it so skittishly.If we’re keeping it real, main reasoning for ducks is for looks, their cute and funny to watch(from a distance anyways).They do produce well but I would love to have ducks that I could pet not just look at and talk to too.Wondering how possible this is and how far I could get with the four ,5 day old ducklings I own currently.Any tips would be appreciated.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I would say to hold them, talk softly to them and spend a lot of time with them. That may work with one but not the others or not at all. They are all different little personalities from what I've found.

 

[Roo5]

I quit holding ducklings years ago,lol.Pick them up for exams and to carry to water sources as ducklings and once their outside officially we don’t run into each other too often.I talk to all my animals.The ducks talk back but if i dare reach out to touch them all hell breaks loose.I guess I’ll try holding them more.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I quit holding ducklings years ago,lol.Pick them up for exams and to carry to water sources as ducklings and once their outside officially we don’t run into each other too often.I talk to all my animals.The ducks talk back but if i dare reach out to touch them all hell breaks loose.I guess I’ll try holding them more.

I've got 7 runners and mostly they all hate me too except when I come with their treat basin. One of them I hatched and raised and she will stand there and let me pick her up and hold her but the other's are pretty sure I'm an ax murderer. Her brother, Daisy, loved me and was what you want a duck to be. Unfortunately, a falcon got him and he is no more. I guess it's a crap shoot but I did spend a ton of time with Daisy.

 

[PaulX]

I've never imprinted unimprinted ducklings but I've heard they said here to take each of them out and hold them one by one, out of sight of the others. By 'hold' I believe they mean to put them on some kind of surface and make a circle around them with your arms so they don't run away.

If you can imprint things get much easier.

 

[Roo5]

Have had an imprinted pair of ducklings,and once they reached about 3 months they acted like I didn’t even exist anymore!

 

[EagleSkyFarms]

With my ducks although they did run away we held them everyday at least, they are 2 years old right now and we still have to chase them down but its not much of a fight from them they just kinda stop but they are a lot better then most of my friends ducks, they always attack the humans. I think our problem is because we got 2 at the same time they immediately imprinted on each other. that's my experience, and good luck with your baby's.

 

[Conan]

Ducklings do have a tendency to act like you are coming to murder them whenever they see you. Or hear you. Or notice your shadow anywhere near by... I've found that the only way I can get get ducklings to be become tame ducks is to raise them in small numbers. 2-3 ducklings, tops. I open palm feed treats every day. Usually chopped cilantro or lettuce. Maybe some meal worms. Eventually, they get excited to see me. I also use a raised brooder so I am not looming over them.
I've noticed that some breeds are calmer than others. My group of Welsh Harlequins is rather large, but they are not scared of me. A couple of them will eat from my hand. My Rouen is almost too friendly. She is always in the way following me around begging for worms.
I've never really had any ducks imprint on me, nor am I really interested in the maintenance that would require, but it sure is nice to have them NOT terrified of you.