When will my ducks like me?

[ScaredOfShadows]

I have five magpies and they were super skittsh for awhile. I didn't quite understand that one because from them being 2 days old I was just about the only one they'd ever see on a daily basis because I fed and watered them, changed their bedding and then took them out for swims and such...but right around week 8 when they were in the big duck pen getting the idea to where to stay put at, they started getting really excited to see me coming with their food and would leap frog on each other to be the first to get treats.

Mine love crushed strawberries, grapes, and thawed peas. oh and CAT FOOD. dried cat food!

They know the red foldgers coffee can means food, and a bag means treats and now they are free range and they see me ANYWHERE from my yard or the neighbor's and the 5 magpie and the 2 unknown buffs come a running. they are now seriously brave and come around the house (which i'm not happy about, so I hardly stay in the front of the house to keep them from going that way - cause the front of my house is all gravel parking lot - its an old country store- and then 40 feet from my porch is the road. my back yard is around 1.7 acres and my neighbor behind me has about 2 acres as well + theres woods that belong to Progress Energy and a huge field they can go exploring.

My ducks are funny, they will run up and all get in a gathering behind me and follow me around knowing i give them treats then when they gobble theirs up they follow me while I treat mine and my neighbor's other birds (chickens, turkeys, and guineas) and they talk to me like crazy like they are trying to sweet talk me into giving them more treats.

got to love 'em.

 

[Jeeper1540]

Are there any other tactics to try to win them over? they seem to be liking, well, not hating me as much, but i still would like to know if there is anything else

 

[Amiga]

Something I do with my ducks is spend time with them. I sit in their run with them and let them poke around my pockets (they will pick pockets, so no small items that they can swallow - but a cloth hankie is a real treasure, let me tell ya

). I let them nibble my fingers and toes (some people cannot stand this, but it is not annoying to me and my ducks are remarkably gentle.

I let them stand on my feet, and sit on my feet. Sometimes Elfie naps on my feet.

I am careful not to let them get near my face unless I cover my eyes and mouth. They will steal kisses and that could be very very injurious to me. Those little ducks are quick! But I have let them nibble at my hair. They like buttons (make sure they are securely sewn on) to pull, and shoelaces.

I greet them enthusiastically and talk to them. I am careful about wielding things above their heads. I stand with them and let them nibble the hem of my shirt, the cuffs of my trousers. I move slowly around them. I toss weeds and slugs into their pen.

I doubt anyone on this forum would write this off as too sappy. But if anyone were to accuse me of that I would point out that aside from just being fun, developing a relationship in which the ducks let me get close to them and often pick them up and touch them without anxiety enables me to find injuries early and treat them, check their body condition (too heavy or too lean), their approximate weight, their breath (some infections cause a nasty odor), retrieve them when they stray (permanent fence is scheduled to be built but it is not done yet) and so forth. So it is quite practical to spend time making sure I can check on them and handle them with minimum anxiety on everyone's part.