I’m raising pet ducks. But they are still very afraid of people. Any tips on how to get them to like people?
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Anas rubripes – uncommon American duck raising its brood in a Bay View water storage pond Milwaukee County Wisconsin.
Question by Joseph H: I’m raising pet ducks. But they are still very afraid of people. Any tips on how to get them to like people?
I have 2 pekins and one cayuga. They are all 2 weeks old. The pekins seem to be fairly calm around people. I can pick them up and they won’t freak out, chirp, and try to jump out of my hands. The cayuga is very afraid of me. She emits a shrill chirp when I’m around and runs away from my touch. I think it’s affecting the two pekins. I separated the cayuga from the pekins for a few days and noticed the pekins became more comfortable with me, but when I put the cayuga back with the pekins, the cayuga would get scared of me and in turn would make the other ducks scared. I don’t know what to do. I hurts me and pisses me off that the cayuga and sometimes the other ducks are afraid of me and run away from me, but the only thing I can think to do is to just be very gentle with them. It’s taking a lot of patience and sometimes I get upset with the cayuga and I end up scaring all of them because I act more aggresively, trying to forcefully pet them.
Any tips? I want to be their mama.
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4 Responses to I’m raising pet ducks. But they are still very afraid of people. Any tips on how to get them to like people?
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Just don’t go near them and pet them for 1 week look at them and give food to them but don’t do these close. They will get used to it.
Good-luck
alara_baykent
October 5, 2011 at 3:38 am
Patience is the key to this one. You need to sit with them, offer them food (they love mealworms) from your hand, and occasionally pick them up and be gentle with them. But don’t pick them up every time you come to see them, or they will associate you with something they don’t want to happen.
Helena
October 5, 2011 at 4:33 am
okay, try this:
1.You can try separating the pekins and the cayuga.
2.Offer treats to the pekins and get them really used to you so that they are not afraid of humans anymore.
3. Once the pekins are comfortable with you, re-introduce the cayuga.
4. Wait until it’s feeding time and that they are hungry. Put their favorite food in the food bowl and hold th bowl in your hand (or put it really close to you). This time, ignore the cayuga and only give attention to the pekins, the same time you encourage the pekins to come and take food from the bowl. Hopefully the cayuga will observe and learn from the pekins that you do not want to harm them. She will eventually come to you for food as well, or she may become jealous of the pekins and want her share of the treat too.
LittleBarney
October 5, 2011 at 4:37 am
Never seperate them. They need to be with each other to be mentally healthy. Just be patient with them and be around them daily, but don’t alway try and hold them and pet them. When you are holding them, reward them with something they love. I’ve done this with my chickens and my chickens love marshmellows. I’m not so sure what my ducks like though…
reillyj1989
October 5, 2011 at 4:49 am