What do I need to do to make my ducklings not afraid, or to like me?

[Jody]

I've had these ducklings for a month now, and EVERY time I have to pick one of them up, they scream and scream and waddle away and they make me chase them.. SQUAWK SQUAWK and they freak out waddling all over the place tripping on themselves falling on their faces, and they're fast little things too.. They don't like me

Hmm.. my chicks run away all the time too, but they don't scream like they're being murdered and once caught they seem to like being held, petted, etc


Anyway, how do I make my ducks more friendly pet ducks.

 

[EaglesPoint]

What breed of ducklings do you have???? Have you tried holding & talking to them on a daily basis. I have 16 ducklings, I always try to feed them on the same sch. when I go to the pin I always try to use the same words Chick chick chick while feeding them and they relate me as food and it seems to work with taming them.... YOU KNOW THE BEST WAY TO PPL HEARTS IS WITH FOOD, here in the South that is!! LOL

 

[Amanda0609]

Peas and lettuce, my duck is slowly warming up to me with a daily treat. I want to bring him in for a swim in the tub

 

[DAFox]

Predators chase their prey. They don't know that you aren't going to eat them. Stop chasing them. You won't tame them that way.
I suggest that when you feed them, stay near, possibly dangle your hand near by, but don't try to touch. Do this and with patience and time, they will start touching your hand while they eat. Then, you can try to touch and pet them while they are eating. Then, with time and patience and more patience, they will allow you to pick them up. If they act scared, stop! Back off a little.
Dale-Ann

 

[Jody]

They're Welsh Harlequin. I do talk to them alot. They become very vocal with me when I say "quack quack little duckies go quack quack" LOL My call duck loves when I hold her so that she's laying on her back and I pet her belly and side of her head and she winks at me and looks like she's loving it... When I finally do catch the ducklings, I go to hold them the same way and pet their bellies and talk to them, but I know soon they'll be too big for that... Mostly, I hate having to chase them to get them inside their house at night.. for some reason they don't go in on their own like my hens do.. My hens are weird.. I say "get in your house" and they do, lol


Only reason I'm chasing them is because it's time for them to go in for the night.

 

[Wifezilla]

My ducks are spoiled, eat from my hand, and still try to get out of going to bed when they get time in the yard.

Welsh Harlequins are brats!

 

[Jody]

I did get one of them to eat out of my hand when they lived in the bunny cage.. they're too big to live in that now.. They're getting bigger every day and fast too. I think in a month they'll be ten pounds. Haven't tried hand feeding them since moving them to outdoors, cause they run away when ever I come near them.

I have boxes of raisins.. I know my goats and chickens love them.. I'm gonna try to hand feed them a treat tomorrow and see what they do..

 

[Mom2Cool]

you want to feed peas. put a mound of them on the ground & then standing take 1 step back & call them however you call them. As time passes you can get closer as they eat.... At night when you want them inside at night put the peas in front of the door & make a trail of them into their duck house & once inside close the door. I have silver applyards & that worked for them.

 

[yotetrapper]

Fresh peas, or canned peas or does it matter?

 

[tigerrrrrrrlilly]

I used crickets to bribe mine,they love them and come after me when they see the bag. They still do now that they are grown up. I noticed it also helps to squat down to their level. They are more nervous when your looming over them i think. Silly things are afraid of shadows too!