How to befriend terrified rescued ducklings?

[dreamofwinter]

I've only raised ducks from day-old so far, and my six older girls, while not exactly human-cuddly, are not remotely frightened of me.
However, a neighbor came by last week with three 4-week-old ducklings that he needed to rehome. The farm dog had gotten into the ducklings and these were the survivors. They are uninjured but completely freaked out about everything, and it's pretty clear they weren't handled much when smaller. Two are runner ducks and one is reputedly a Cayuga but may be a black runner - she's pretty upright but also a little smaller than the other two. Who knows.

Any advice on convincing these kids that I'm not going to eat them? They're too worried by me to be interested in taking treats. I do hold them briefly twice a day, and one of the runners seems to be calming down a very tiny amount.

So far they've been kept in small pens for quarantine but I'd eventually like to get them out with the rest of the flock. Will they stick with the others? Will I be able to herd them in at bedtime? I think so, but I'm a champion-level worrier. On the other hand, maybe once they're integrated with the big girls and see what life can be like they will relax...

Oh, and one more thing. These ducklings smell WEIRD. I don't know how to describe it - almost a chemical smell?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Pictures? We love pictures!

It took a couple of weeks for my mostly-feral five-week-olds to finally warm up to me and not freak out every time I approached. Now, they are little monsters and bite me all the time!

Take it slow with them, don't hold them too long, talk gently and continue to offer treats, on the ground at first, then gradually closer to you and then from your hand. Heck, I did this with just their regular food.

When meeting the rest of the flock, do the see-no-touch method, with a barrier between them. I've got a bunch that I'm introducing right now, and they all have their little fenced-in pens so the others can get to know them. Expect some scuffles at first as they determine the new pecking order. I wouldn't introduce them for at least another several weeks.

As for the smell... I have no idea! Where were they kept before? A garage, or near farming equipment? It should fade after a few baths.

 

[dreamofwinter]

Pictures? We love pictures!

Not a great photo, but this was the night they arrived. Of course, being ducklings, they're already much larger! The little black one isn't in the photo. I'm not sure what type of Runners they are - maybe some sort of blue or splash? One has a very dark gray bill and its skin around the eyes is literally blue. The other's bill is lighter, but not orange or yellow. Their feet are yellow/orange as you can see.

Your advice sounds like what I've been trying to do, so thanks for confirming I'm on the right track! I had absolutely no intention of raising any more birds this year - we are moving in three weeks and have enough on our hands figuring out how to move the 10x14 bird barn, the 4x6 coop, the hoop run, and oh yeah alll the birds! But I couldn't turn away a duck in need!

 

[dreamofwinter]

Oh! Found a photo of the little black duck. Her face shape is different than I remember my Cayuga's being at that age.... but I just went back and looked at old pics of Duchess, and maybe this one is a Cayuga after all, and has just learned to stand up VERY TALL from her Runner nest-mates!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Precious baby fluffs!

You're like me, I wouldn't say no, no matter what.

Good luck on the move, it sounds like it's going to be a lot of stress!

 

[dreamofwinter]

The move will be stressful, but at the end of it we'll have a huge acreage with a duck pond, so it's all good!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are adorable. So great you took them in.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

You are on the right track with them
My ducklings even after being hatched by me and having me around every day go through a stage at that age where they are scared of everything
Plus your babies have been through a terrible thing
In time they will relax more and more
I just got 2 new girls 3 months old and night 1 out with the flock they came right in with the others
They usually do follow the leader even if they stick to themselves in the day

 

[dreamofwinter]

One full week in and they are starting to relax a little (and also to have washed off whatever that awful smell was - like burnt electrical wire). I've got them in a pen where they can watch the other ducks and chickens during the day, and at night they sleep in the barn with the others but in a secure separate pen. Not the most perfect quarantine, but I'm finding that the presence of the adult ducks is really helpful. They're also a little calmer when I pick them up, and of course I'm rewarding that by putting them down as soon as they calm.

Even my most hand-raised ducks don't really want to be touched or held - I'm always in awe when I see people with big, snuggly Pekins. So as long as I can get these three to a place where they aren't running away shrieking in fear when they see me, I'll be happy.

Photo, to show how blue the runners are turning!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Looks like 2 silver Runners . They are gorgeous ducklings
I have 1 silver . Her name is Pearl she is 6.5 yrs old.