will they ever be truly TAME?

[JulieinPA]

So we have 3 ducklings and 6 peeps. One duckling is 5 weeks old (a mallard) and the other 2 ducklings are just babies (maybe 2 weeks old?) and are Pekin. The peeps are Pullets and two are something else (can't remember the breed) and are like 2-3 weeks old.

My question ... will they ever be really tame? We actually have Peek a Boo (the 5 week old mallard) in the house with us. He/She is in a large tote in our living room. We handle Peek a Boo very frequently and also give him/her about 3 warm baths in the bath tub a day to let him/her swim and play. We feed him/her meal worms out of our hand (although he/she is very hesitant to eat out of our hand - she just can't resist the meal worms ...lol). But if we move, or anything - he/she is very cautious of us.

And then the other two ducklings and the peeps are all in the barn in a Brood (guess that's what you call it?). We check on them once or twice - or sometimes 3 times a day. We catch them and hold them occassionally.

So will any/all of them ever really be tame?? Or will they always run from us? And be cautious of us?

 

[melissamerry]

Ducks have an instinct to flee, it's a natural thing. You're so much taller than the wee little ducklings, and that can frighten them.

But they can be tamed to some degree. I have three white mallards, 10 months old, who I raised inside with me. Now, they are half in and half outside ducks. They quack when I'm not around, but also run from me sometimes if they don't want to go in yet. I'm uploading a video for you to see how calm they can be.

I would suggest crouching down low when you handle them and move slowly. I'm working on conditioning them with their names...we're making progress. And treats! I won mine over with tomatoes.

 

[melissamerry]

Here's the video. You can see they are accustomed to being around me. There are days, however, when they run away from me, even if I have treats.

[VIDEO]

 

[cosbackyard]

I have three six-week olds that I just put out into their new coop. They also quack when I'm out of sight. It's pretty clear that they look to me for protection and food, but they still run away when I get too close.

I think to some extent it depends on breed. Khakis are known for being skittish - not sure about Pekins.

Your best bet to get them to come to you is to sit like in Melissa's video.

 

[Sami's Mommy]

Treats sounds like the best way from what I have heard. It also depends on the baby. I had two little guys and one died so now my little boy is all alone. He cries whenever I put him away and loves people and my puppy, just two days ago he was fine with just his friend. We got them at 2-3 days old and he was always willing to sit in my hand and would play, but never come up to me, the other little one would play as well, but she would run away when I went to pick her up. I played with them a couple times a day on top of papers on my floor or bed and they were getting more used to me, so I would just keep trying to play with little peek a boo and he will probably keep getting better. Bath time makes some babies love their people too, but Alfred seems to have forgotten he is a duck in the last few days lol. I had to take a bath with him and he refused to swim, he just climbed up on top of my feet