Those of you who have these cuddly, indoor ducks....

[bayyjayy]

HOW in the world do you get these ducks to be so calm....all the babies I have are freaked out by me most of the time, and the rest of the time they want nothing to do with me. When I see all these cute posts about your ducks going somewhere with you (Mall of America!!!

) or pictures of ducks shananigans (family reunions!

) it makes me soooo jealous!!! How? Did you start out with hatching eggs so the baby saw you right off? Most of my babies I got within a couple of days of hatching, and I cuddle them, feed them by hand, try to pet them......I get down on their level so that I am not this huge looming monster above them. When I try to love on any of my ducks, they sit and cheep like no ones business.

I just don't get how you guys do this!!!

 

[featherfinder]

I think it is the amount you are trying to raise. I had 2 indoor ducks i had from a couple days old and I spent ALL my time with them getting them use to me and they were raised inside. They are now out side cause they like it better out their with my other ducks. They are still my 2 most friendly ducks. And i now have a 7 week old muscovy. I got her at 3 weeks and was going to raise her inside till she was big enough to got outside with the rest as a mate for my swedish since all i have are runners. Well she turned out to be a micro scovy

Even though she is 7 weeks old she only looks 3 weeks and just started getting feathers in. I cant put her out there with them now because all they do is pick on her. So she is my new indoor duck and loves her time indoors and now thinks she is a human

My little Micro scovy Gizmo asleep on my lap. The flash woke her up. And yes she loves to sleep on her back.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
That has got to be the sweetest picture I've ever seen....

 

[featherfinder]

Quote:
That has got to be the sweetest picture I've ever seen....

I took some more for you last night Miss Lydia! Just have to upload them first lol.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
That has got to be the sweetest picture I've ever seen....

I took some more for you last night Miss Lydia! Just have to upload them first lol.

Thanks

 

[tdgill]

I was thinking the same thing about the number of ducks. I have not been able to have lap ducks either. But they do come for peas and if I sit on the ground with a cup of peas, they will climb all over me. And I can at least pet their backs some. They are some skittish little creatures tho.

 

[bayyjayy]

I know! When I have peas, my Cayugas and my Call are all friendly....I can sneak in a chest pet (so soft!), but as soon as the peas are gone, so are they!!!! I would love to have a friendly duck and I am amazed when I see posts about these freakishly friendly ones. Makes me SO jealous!!! Lucky ducks!

 

[ChickInDelight]

Definately - anything with wings - if you have only one, they bond to people. With more, they bond to each other.

I had vowed to cuddle my present batch of babies more. 8 of them are Runners. It is amazing how they run in a group AND everyone struggles to be on the inside of the group - away from predators.

I am afraid there will be no cuddle ducks in my yard. They free-range, so they need to be predator-wary. The big ducks come when called and eat out of my hand, so I let that be good enough.

 

[tdgill]

I also on occasion will corner my drakes at the shed door before they go out...and pick them up for a few seconds. They are not happy about it but will put up with me for a bit. I also pet them at the door for a second before they go out. The main reason I got 8 hens ordered this spring was for the boys, and to have calmer and easier to hold duckies! I don't like how the boys gang up on the girls, so I will be rethinking that strategy and they are separated for now and I don't have cuddly ducks either. lol. oh well. love them just the same and everyone seems happy.

 

[Darkjeweler]

Humm.. I did not find it that hard to get them to tolerate a little cuddling. Granted my ducks are captive on my porch right now, but I feed them out of my hand, and every night I make sure to pick up several and plop each on my lap for a good petting... Even the ones that are skittish will tolerate it for a few min... The Runners seem to be better at cuddling than the Appleyards. The runners I will pick up and recline in a chair with.. Plop them on my chest and they laydown and let me stroke their feathers.. Occationally, they will try to eat any mosquitoes or gnats that are trying to bite me... It is kinda fun to cuddle with a duck..