does a duck peck hurt?

[688peterl]

my ducklings keep pecking me, and it doesnt hurt but im just wondering if it will hurt when they get older

also, everytime i put my hand in the brooder to lift them out they run away! i know they are not scared because when i lift them out they sleep while im holding them, if they are not sleeping they are pecking me, and they eat food out of my hand too so if they are not scared why do they keep running away when i try to get them out?

 

[688peterl]

i hope im holding them right, when im holding them i have one hand flat and the other hand cupped around the duck so that it doesnt jump/fall out of my hand, is that right? ps how are you supposed to hold adult runners?

 

[bufforp89]

My ducks always pecked at me as babies too. Now as adults they have never bitten me. They are not used to being handled anymore and even when I have had to pick one up for whatever reason they have always tried to keep their heads away. I dont think its likely they will bite

Also I think its natural for baby ducks to shield away when a giant person is reaching for their little bodies

 

[Wifezilla]

I have had Uno grab a hold of my hand. She was being a jerk and wouldn't get out of the water bowl. It didn't hurt at all and I laughed at her. She did not appreciate it at all! LOL They are just pecking at your hand because that is where the treats come from

One of the reasons I got ducks is that bills aren't sharp. They CAN pinch, but no biggie. Chickens can easily break skin. I have a scar on the side of my finger from a freaking PARAKEET! Evil little thing she was!

 

[froggie71]

As ducks don't have teeth, they can't actually bite, but if you get near a broody or perhaps a duck that has been recently attacked they can and will pinch you VERY hard. This is not often the case, and you ducklings will run from you. Look at it from their point of view. They are a small duckling, a giant hand comes swooping down from above to grab them. Intinct says to ruuunnnnn. Then after you pick them up they realize you mean no harm and go to sleep. Oh and as far as holding a duck right now how you hold them is ok, as they grow and get older just know to hold them with their butts facing away from you. You may find they will start to "throw up" a clear liquid when you first pick them up. This is a normal response so don't freak out.

 

[briarpatchfarms]

I have a white Call that has put welps on my arm from biting but I dont really pay attention anymore Im kind of use to it now! It only hurts if they twist and pull at your skin!

 

[FenDruadin]

Ducks have got to be the world's least aggressive species. They simply have no meanness in them, and I have never been hurt by any of mine unless you count an occasional accidental scratch from a claw while being held or an occasional love-pinch trying to get attention. They run for the same reason you flinch when Grandma reaches up to pinch your cheek. It's instinct, and it serves them well. I find that if I approach them quietly and slowly, and then sit a short distance away, they come up to me on their own. It's common to all prey animals, and can be overcome with practice and patience, but they will never *like* being chased.

 

[kawonu]

We have a couple that will pinch and twist. Doesn't hurt that much. But boy do the geese when they do!

 

[nettie]

when mine were babies, i had to teach them not to peck me or each other. ming mei was two weeks older than victor, so she used to beat him up. I'd tap their beaks and make them look at me by holding them to face me and tell them, "NOOOO BITING!" in a firm voice. it worked pretty well. ming mei stopped biting victor after a week, and they never bite people.... except for joe, because they think treats come out of his fingers. lol.

 

[688peterl]

before i was hand feeding them oats soaked in water and because they were pecking at my finger and i said ouch the dog growled at them but he is totally fine now he just sits and stares at them he hasnt moved for like an hour! but whenever the ducklings come to the edge of the of playpen and start pecking the mesh the dog pushes his nose on the mesh and knocks them over its really cute