How Can I Stop My Indian Runner Ducks From Running Away From Me??

[MrQuackers]

A few months ago I got some new runner duck which have just recently gained their adult feathers but they always seem to run away when I come writhing a meter of them I tried bribing them with peas but they wouldn’t come near me .

Any tips for taming them???

 

[Miss Lydia]

Try sitting with them and let them come around you out of curiosity it won't happen over night but Runners are naturally skittish so it takes a bit more work getting them use to us. I can usually get mine close with treats. Meal worms are the biggest hit here.

 

[Jemima Duck]

Hello! I recently got some runner ducks too (a few months ago now), one of the only ways I have managed to get my 3 runners to come up to me was to crouch (or sit if your garden doesn't get covered in poop) where the slugs are (under slabs etc), and go hunting for them to feed to the ducks. It took a few weeks of doing it for them to know what was going on, now when they see me crouch down somewhere, they all come running over... And one even eats out of my hand! Good luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Bribery works every time. of course pics of these Runners is always nice too!

 

[AMaggio]

I agree with everyone else, food is a great equalizer. My runners arent crazy peas either but love melons, try a cool melon on a hot day or squash. Sitting with them is good suggestion too. They are considered a skittish breed, so fast or predator like movements have them running. I would try making their encloser smaller so that they are more enclined to check you out when you sit with them. Choose a phrase you want them to respond to, mine is "come here babies". Call out to them in a baby voice while you walk up to them, get in the encloser and just sit queitly with the treats on the ground near you. Depending on how well they respond you can try hand feeding them too, just stay queit until they get used to you and your voice. I raised mine from ducklings and they all run to me at the fence quacking away to say hi whenever i check on them.

 

[Jemima Duck]

Yess I agree, especially with the phrase thing. I started making a tutting noise when I fed them, or when I had a treat... Now when I make the tutting noise, they all come running expecting food. Also the motion of throwing them food does the same thing.

I agree with everyone else, food is a great equalizer. My runners arent crazy peas either but love melons, try a cool melon on a hot day or squash. Sitting with them is good suggestion too. They are considered a skittish breed, so fast or predator like movements have them running. I would try making their encloser smaller so that they are more enclined to check you out when you sit with them. Choose a phrase you want them to respond to, mine is "come here babies". Call out to them in a baby voice while you walk up to them, get in the encloser and just sit queitly with the treats on the ground near you. Depending on how well they respond you can try hand feeding them too, just stay queit until they get used to you and your voice. I raised mine from ducklings and they all run to me at the fence quacking away to say hi whenever i check on them.