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The ONE single question I get most often about raising ducks (even more often than “what should I feed them?”), is this: “How can I raise my ducklings to be friendly, and enjoy being with me?” In this post, you’ll find my best tips for how to raise friendly ducks – tips I’ve found myself typing out in text messages and emails to duckling customers for the last few years, every time someone asks!
Folks who get ducklings from me know that my ducks are extra friendly, and always want to be part of whatever I’m doing…whether it’s feeding the sheep, or tending the garden. I think everyone hopes their backyard ducks will grow up to be friendly and companionable. These are the best ways I know to ensure that happens!
6 tips for raising friendly ducks
Start talking to them as early as you can, as often as you can.
If you’re hatching your own duck eggs, start talking to them even before they hatch! They’ll already know your voice. In his book, Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks, Dave Holderread recounts an experiment where he would talk to a batch of incubating eggs in the days leading up to their hatch. Once the ducklings hatched, they put the babies in the middle of a room, with Dave and several other people circled around. Everyone called the ducklings and they immediately went running to Dave – they already knew his voice.
Here’s a video of me baby-talking to some newly-hatched ducklings. By this point they’d been hearing my voice for days. It’s ok to sound like a crazy person talking to your fluff babies!
If you can’t talk to your ducklings as they incubate, start talking to them as soon as you receive them – hopefully in the first day or two after they hatch. They will get used to your voice, and it will start to mean comfort, security, and familiarity to them. I find this really makes a difference, even once my ducks have reached adulthood. I can call them from a window of my house, and they’ll come running! They’ve all known my voice their entire lives, and it’s completely familiar to them.
Handle them a LOT, starting as soon as possible.
The more you gently handle your ducklings, right from day one, the more I find that they stay cuddly, friendly, and sweet as they grow older. Having small children means that all of our ducklings get LOTS of love right from their first day after hatch. My sweet little Izzy makes a point of singing a song to every single duckling, every day. She spends so much time with them, she can tell each one apart, even if they look identical to everyone else.
Inevitably, a couple of “the babies” become absolute favorites. These ducklings get names, extra cuddles, and extra stories, and songs sung to them. They run around the house, and poop. And it’s ok. Duckling-raising time is a short season of the year, and toddler-hood is a short season of life. Duckling poop is easy to clean. I can always tell which ducklings were the very favorites, even one they’re all adults living out in the duck house. Ketchup and Goosey still are happy to see Izzy, and are among the first to climb in my lap if I’m working in the garden.
Use special treats.
Every time you spend a few minutes by the duckling brooder, bring them a little something special. I like to keep a big bag of freeze-dried mealworms handy, right by the brooder, and I encourage everyone who stops by to give the babies a few. I want to raise ducks that trust and like people, not only me. If I’m coming from the kitchen, I’ll bring the babies a handful of peas, or a fistful of finely chopped lettuce or kale.
Very quickly, the little ones realized that any time they hear people coming to be with them, TREATS are coming! This goes a long way to raising ducks that come running when they hear you, instead of scattering and running away.
Hand-feed them at set times.
I find that many folks report that even ducklings that seemed fairly friendly at first, tend to start getting more skittish about the time they’re turning a month old. I think this is pretty common. I think that, along with the other tips here, the fact that I slowly work my ducklings toward a twice per day feeding schedule around this time helps to keep this from happening in my flock.
As tiny ducklings, I always keep food and water available around the clock. Once the ducklings are a couple of weeks old, I start taking their food out of the brooder at night. I remove their food last thing before I go to bed, and then very first thing when I wake up in the morning, I feed them – right out of my hand. I take the time to sit there with my hands full of food, and let them get their first exciting meal of the day from my hands. It takes a little while, and it’s worth getting up early for.
By the time the little ones are 4 weeks old, I’ve started removing their food dish for a for a couple of hours in the middle of the day. I feel at this point they’re not quite ready for the twice daily feeding schedule I use with my adult flock, but I like them to start getting used to their food dish being gone for a while. By the time it’s been gone for a couple of hours, they’re SO EXCITED for their afternoon feeding. I usually do this with my kids, right after naptime. We spend time with food in our hands, and the ducklings sit in our laps and eat from our hands. Just having their food gone for that short time is enough to make mealtime exciting!
By about 8 weeks, I’ve slowly worked them back to getting fed twice daily, just like my adults. Even though they’re getting bigger, I make a point of still feeding them from my hands, at least for the first few minutes of each feeding time. Often, I’ll put the food bowl down on the ground, and sit cross-legged around it, so they climb over my lap to get to it. Being a real part of their feeding time goes a long, long way to maintaining friendliness through the “teenage” stage when many folks find that their cuddly ducklings suddenly want nothing to do with them!
Get down on the floor, or ground, with them!
Ducklings are like toddlers. It’s easier for them to get comfortable with you if you’re down at eye level. As you’re spending time with them, finding a way to get right down with them seems to make a big difference in how much they want to interact. Perhaps it’s a bit of a self-preservation instinct, but I find that even the boldest and tamest of ducklings can be quite easily spooked from above. Getting on their level (or bringing them up to yours!) goes a long way to making them more comfortable. If you’re watching tv in the evening, go grab a duckling and let one sit on each shoulder. Really, the more hours of quality time you log with each one will make a difference in helping them grow up to be cuddly ducks!
Don’t chase them, or allow them to be chased.
I find that being chased is a fast way of breaking trust with ducks. It brings a level of stress into the duck coop that can linger for days. Unless absolutely necessary for their safety, I never chase a duck, or let them be chased. I really find it introduces a wary-ness into the flock that can take time to undo, and I try to avoid it if at all possible.
I hope these tips help, as you work toward raising an extra friendly flock of backyard ducks. Do you have any tips that you’ve found helpful in raising friendly ducks that love spending time with you? I’d love to hear them!!
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Carolyn Hoover says
We’re building a house out in the country and considering getting some ducks for fun. Total newbies at this, so I have a few questions. For a pair of ducks, do we want 2 males, 2 females, 1 each? Is there a book you would recommend for getting started? Or any other place with all the necessary information?
I’m trying to do as much research ahead of time, so we have the perfect duck home! Just found your site, I’m loving it so far!
Anna says
Hi Carolyn! I’m so excited for you – you will LOVE having ducks! If it were me, just looking to have a very small flock, I would go with one male and 2-3 females. One male with 2 girls is called a “Trio” and I think three ducks is a great amount. It’s few enough that you can spend a lot of time with each one, and having two girls instead of just a pair makes it easier during mating season, so that one female doesn’t end up with all of the male’s amorous attentions.
As far as learning resources, Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks is hands-down THE guide that you want. Dave Holderread, the author, has spend a lifetime devoted to raising ducks and I find that this book is far more complete and accurate than a couple of the new trendy duck keeping books I have examined.
Beyond that, if you have any duck keeping questions, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can email me any time at [email protected]. I’m starting a new series of posts answering duck-related questions from readers, and I’m always happy to help if I possibly can. Best of luck to you, as you prepare for your new flock!! ~ Anna
Amanda says
Wish we would have seen this article sooner! Our ducks are all feathered or nearly feathered and still very fearful of us! Our bigger four use to take treats from my hands but since trying to introduce two new babies they are very standoffish. They would come at the little guys and we let it go for a while, but when they started biting there was a few times we chased them off a bit. U fortunately I was unable to talk to and handle them as much when they were young due to health issues and some travel. Is there any way to regain their trust and work on diminishing their fearfulness or are we too late in their growth?
Anna says
Hi Amanda! I truly believe it’s never too late to build a gentle relationship with a duck – it just takes extra time and consistency. In fact, one of my sweetest, tamest drakes is a fella that I sold as a duckling – but he was returned to me at 5 months old, when all of his flock mates were wiped out by a predator. He was skittish, fearful, and just – sad. It took spending one on one time with him, lots of “conversations, and plenty of treats – but we got there, and he’s actually my friendliest, sweetest boy. I think the trick is remembering that you don’t tame a flock of ducks – you build relationships with them one on one. Hope this helps a bit!! Best of luck to you and your sweet ducks!!
Lisa says
Hi anna , i have a 1yr old duck and he is great at times but he has this problem latley of want to bite toes (he hates flip flops ) and if you have your hands down neer him at all he trys to bite .he being a meanie here lately and everyone loves him . he had a chicken for a companion his bestfriend and we lost her so i think maybe thats why he being mean but if you have any tips that would be great thanks
Anna says
Hi Lisa! Aw, your poor fella (and your poor fingers and toes!) Ducks really do form such strong bonds, and I’m thinking you’re probably right that he’s truly mourning the loss of his chicken friend. We are also right at the height of the spring breeding season, so his hormones are in full swing, and that is likely to affect his behavior as well.
It sounds from your description like he’s genuinely a good natured duck that’s having a tough time and acting on that. If it were me, I think I’d really try to get him a female duck companion (or two!). If that’s not feasible, perhaps even another chicken friend might help. Giving him outlets for his energy and angst may help as well – some small feeder fish in his pond or pool every now and again might give him an outlet for his instincts.
Talking to him lots is always a good plan, and if he starts bite toes, my usual tactic would be to swoop him up and hold him for a bit. It doesn’t allow the biting behavior, but keeps a gentle connection between you. (As opposed to swatting or even kicking which I’ve seen some folks do with a toe-biting duck.)
The other thing to keep in mind is that his behavior may very well moderate as the spring breeding season comes to a close. All of my drakes mellow out in their behavior by July or so. I do think he’s probably grieving and lonely, and that addressing that is key to having a happy-go-lucky fella, but I wouldn’t be surprised if just getting past breeding season will help too.
I just explained your situation to my 5 year old, and her advice is “kisses. He might need more kisses.” ?
Sorry for the long reply! I hope some of this might be helpful, and I wish you and your dear duck the very best!!
Pat says
We bought a house with six resident domestic geese. One mama is sitting on several eggs.
We also are increasing our flock to include eight Pekin ducks, about five weeks now, three Toulouse goslings, maybe two weeks old, and, now, five Muscovy ducklings, ranging from a bit over one week and up to maybe two weeks old. They have some pin feathers and float and dive quite easily, and the age is a guess. The youngest came from the same source about a week ago.
The Pekins were bullied some by the older geese, but their numbers seem to have kept them safe. We let the littlest guys out yesterday into the general population. Unfortunately, one must have gotten a bit too much attention from papa goose. It did not make it through the day, but we did not see the incident that did it in. We did keep an eye on everyone for a while, but eventually left them alone on and near our pond. It is doubtful the duckling got near the goose nest. Papa was seen setting the little ones straight on who was boss. The little ones showed adequate ability to run, swim, or otherwise escape while we were present. Granted, we could verbally warn Papa.
Papa has otherwise been supportive of Mama and curiously skittish of us since we moved in.
I read your tips on raising gentle birds. Any hints on making our goose elders more gentle? We know the previous owner loved the flock, but it is not clear whether they were otherwise coddled in any way. I do know she did not want Mama to sit on eggs last year.
Risdale family says
hello Anna , recently we have just got some Calling ducklings(two to be exact) because they are so young we don’t know what sex they are , but already we are having some slight problems, the larger duckling hisses and pecks at us when we come near them, and because we haven’t had them since they were an egg I’m assuming its because we are big unfriendly giants who have just come and taken them from their home. is their anything we can do to create a bond like your ducks? we have anxiously been awaiting their arrival, but we have never kept ducks before, and all In all we just want them to be happy and for them to adjust-to our family
Anna says
Aw, first off, congrats on your new babies! If it were me, I would probably spend as much time holding them as possible, even if they don’t like it at first. Talk to them as much as possible, and keep your voice soothing. Every time you sit down to watch a movie, I’d go grab a duckling (even if they hiss the first few times), and just gently hold them against your chest, whispering to them and holding them gently but close enough so they can’t struggle and freak themselves out. They’ll eventually fall asleep, and I really believe there’s some good magic that happens when they get a chance to sleep on you. If you can get your hands on some mealworms or other special treat, I’d offer those a few times a day, sitting with them and if possible, taking as long as it takes for them to come nibble them out of your hand. They’ll start to learn that they get special treat when they get close to you. If you pick them up to hold them for movie time, try to have a couple mealworms in your pocket so you can offer them a treat once they calm down and get comfortable. It definitely does take more effort and time when you’re not able to get your babies as soon as they hatch, but with enough persistence and patience, they’ll get used to you!
Leandra says
I have a large flock of 14 right now. Or gaggle I suppose. I estimate these cuties to be approx 2 weeks old. Several breeds from what I can tell with the majority being khaki Campbell. I’ve been trying to hold them but they squeak like crazy and sometimes try to crawl up my neck and just want back with the others for the most part. They are eating worms and food from my hands but do you have any tips for working with this large of a group?
Anna says
Hi Leandra! Wow, yes, it’d definitely more challenging with larger groups of ducklings, getting them to be really gentle and tame. That’s great that you have them eating from your hand – fantastic. Here are the thoughts that come to mind…
IF you’re already able to tell who the boys are (I know it’s early!) I would focus extra time and energy on them. I find that from a fairly early age, the females in my flocks take a lot of their social cues from the drakes, and the girls who bond to the tamest drakes are also the coziest with me – even if I didn’t spend as much time with them as ducklings.
Make sure you’re talking to them continually while you’re with them – getting to know your voice is a big part of building a relationship with them.
Also, while you don’t want to make them miserable by holding them while they struggle, holding them for significant amounts of time really does help them get comfortable with you. If you’re sitting down to watch a movie, read a book, anything that involves sitting still and gently for a while, I might try using a towel to wrap up a duckling so it’s comfortable but isn’t able to struggle or scratch. Settle in, holding it against your chest, and whispering to it, and it will eventually settle down and probably sleep. If you have a mealworm handy, it can be a great chance to offer a “movie snack” once the duckling settles down.
Sometimes it’s easiest to get a good connection with ducklings by taking them away from their “gaggle”, so they can hear your voice, and aren’t so motivated by the peeping of the other ducklings. (Get them away from the peer pressure, if you will!)
When I’m raising out ducklings, I very often have one with me pretty much from dawn to dusk – if you can find a way to work with one duckling at a time, and always have one near you, just being in your space where they can get used to you and hear your voice, it really helps.
I hope some of these ideas might be helpful, and I’m just noticing you’d left an earlier comment – I’m SO sorry I’d missed it and hadn’t responded sooner. Wishing you and your 14 babies the very best. I’m cheering you on from over here!
Trenie....pronounced TREE KNEE :) says
I have never owned a duck and I moved to Mexico and it appears that the “resident duck” on the property is never fed. I have gone on line and have learned a LOT about ducks but after all the reading I could not find if ducks can/will eat potatoes…cooked or not cooked..I know they need to be cut up quite small. Also carrots..should I cook them “some” to soften them up a bit? I named him QUACK and only after 2 weeks he is so happy to see me. I was only feeding him once a day. Is that OK. ?? Now I need to get out and about and find chicken feed. Please do not forget to answer any of my questions…That happens a lot on the internet. THANKS
Anna says
Hi Trenie! You have just made my night with this lovely story of your new “pet” duck, QUACK! Yes, potatoes are actually a perfectly fine food for ducks as long as they are cooked – in fact, some folks grow potatoes just for the purpose of supplementing their duck feed. If boiled until good and mealy, you can even just chop them in half, and a duck will usually make very quick work of them! While carrots are perfectly healthy cooked or raw, I do find that my own ducks turn up their bills at them unless they’re cooked til nice and mushy.
As far as daily feeding, if Quack has free run of the place, with plenty of bugs/grass/worms/grubs/snails and things, to supplement the meals you bring him, I would bet that feeding him once a day should be ok. If he’s in a space that’s mostly dirt with little food to forage however, he’d be much happier eating twice a day if you can. What a sweet soul you are to adopt that lucky duck! My very best wishes to you and Quack, and never hesitate to leave me another line if I can help any further!
Leandra says
I have re read your article many times to make sure I’m getting all the info here! I really want out little quacks to be friendly! We ended up with 14 ducklings of about 3 different breeds from what I can tell, the majority are khaki Campbell. They are always together and I’ve been feeding them by hand and talking to them but I am not sure about handling them. They try to get away and the. Squeak like mad when I get one and hold it for a minute or two. I have been feeding them some meal worms and they will come over but then they are off on their own wanderings in their little flock. It’s only been a few days though. Do you have any tips with this large of a flock?? Thank you for any help!!
Ashlee says
Thank you for taking the time to do this, it was very helpful. I have two female Rouen ducklings. They are 2 weeks old now. They are very sweet and I’m hoping if I do the hand feeding like you suggested that they will stay sweet and friendly as they grow older. Happy New Year.
Simona says
Thank you so much for education in people!!!!! I have Male ROUEN duck that the first thing he does when he sees me is to start pecking at my feet. I realize that he knows that is my vulnerable area and does it for a variety of reasons. He is excited to see me,, he wants me to pick him up, he is hungry, his mate is hungry etc. I have tried squating on him for five minutes, screaming! Kicking him (sad not the solution) , tapping his feet, stepping on one of his feet barefoot, etc. The one that works the best is to pick up a stick or broom.. I love my pets. They are very spoiled/loved. I pick them up and massage them and kiss all the time. Any ideas to get him to stop?
ajiga habib says
So interesting to tame Them become friendly i belive can also be tamed for games too much
Anna says
They certainly are fascinating and endearing, aren’t they? They make me laugh almost daily, just watching their antics. SO much fun.
sheila Gammon says
I have a question. This year is the only time I raised ducks. They used to come out of their pen every day and go right to their pool and swim the whole day. The past 4 days when I let them out if they come out of the coop they stay right by the door never getting near the pool or the big bowl of water to immerse their heads. We did have a fox in the area but nothing can get in their coop but they could of frightened them, What do you suggest. I miss their playfulness. How can I help them.
Anna says
Aw, the poor sweeties! I would not at all be surprised if they are just still getting over the big scare. A predator scare can definitely alter flock behavior for days or even weeks. It’s great that they have some good natural instinct about being wary, but don’t you just wish you could explain to them they they’re safe? It’s so hard to watch them not being their usual playful selves!
Some things I might try if this were my flock…
– putting a deep water bowl RIGHT outside the door of coop, just to get them back into playing in the water again.
– putting the hose on a light mist setting and giving them a spray – just hold it out where they are, so they can get away if they don’t enjoy it. Much like toddlers, my ducks LOVE playing in a sprinkler or light spray. They flap their wings, and just have a blast.
– try some extra special treats, like green peas or dried mealworms. If you can sit down right near them, and share a special snack, it might help comfort them that all is well.
– you could even try putting some feeder fish in their pool, or if they’re not getting close enough to see that there’s something in there, you could put a few at a time in a deep bowl near the entrance to their coop. Fishing is such a natural and joyful activity for ducks – that might help get them back to themselves as well.
I really hope your poor sweeties are back to themselves very soon! This is SUCH a fun time of year, I know it’s got to be very hard on you to see them missing out on their daily fun. Best wishes to you, and them!!
Starr says
Having 3 ducklings unfortunately this summer 2 disappeared. Am sure the poor babies were attacked. The one who survived grew big enough to start flying.
The other morning when I went out to feed and give her fresh water she was gone. She had been molting so I told myself the feathers in her house were from that. It’s now Thanksgiving. Do you think possibly she flew away? Hope so. Hoping she was not another victim. And will she come home? She always would stay as much possible close to my front door . I put here house and little pool next to porch.
I’m so very worried. Wish I could have found some playmates that were her age but just couldn’t.
So hope she comes home if only to visit.
Anna says
Oh Starr, my heart is so sad right along with you! What breed was your little sweetie? If she could fly, I want to believe it’s possible she may have just joined a migrating flock. My experience is solely with non-flight breeds, so I’m unfortunately not much help to you in that regard. The other thing I absolutely hate to mention, but I’m going to – I’ve had ducks stolen, and know several others who have had poultry stolen. It doesn’t hurt to share her photo in your local Facebook farming or poultry keepers group if you have one, in case anyone may be aware of a new duck that’s suddenly shown up in the neighborhood. I’ve also heard of someone who had a duck disappear and it turned out he’d gone visiting another flock quite some distance away…the owner of the other flock had no idea where he’d come from! So mentioning it in your community might be worth a shot! At any rate, I do believe that until we know differently, there is always hope, so I’m saying a little prayer, and truly hoping you see your feathered baby again!
jennifer says
thank you for the tips. they’re wonderful. i’m getting dwarf goat so…might have to come back here for some advice.
Dee says
Ihave 4 white pekin ducks..and idont knoe if its cuz there hormones r changing or wat..but one of the ducks starts to get very protective wen u pick one of the others up and starts to run at you and bite ur pant leg like alil attack dog..but if u pick him up he jus startd fiten u with his wings..its realy strange..cuz ipicked them all up twice aday everyday n they cuddle my shoulder n they r friendly..so any suggestions to fix this sudden behavior…
Anna says
Hi Dee! How right you are, that this is a VERY hormonal time of year!! Is your protective duck a drake, and are the others female? My best take on it is that there’s just such an intensity of breeding-season hormones right now, eveyone’s not quite themselves. How is your protective duck if you sit and spend time with him, without holding him or the others? Does his behavior really just revolve around the holding? I might take a break from picking them up for a while, but bring some special treats when you go visit in the duck yard. If you have a place you can sit down and let them actually just climb into your lap for treats, I find that’s a great way of re-establishing a good connection. The couple of times that my flock has been chased by a strange dog, or a visiting child, it really took a little while for things to get back to normal. Sitting with them with treats, but without holding, has helped me “ride out” the rough patch with them, and get back to normal – and I’m thinking a similar tack might help as they figure out how to make it through the intensity of breeding season (is this their first spring?) Anyway – hope that helps a bit!! Love to hear how things turn out for you, so please feel free to keep us posted!! ~ Anna
Amanda Carew says
We have chickens but the thought has crossed my mind to raise ducks because here where I am from you can sell duck eggs without grading them but you can’t do that with chicken eggs. These are some great tips to keeping ducks friendly, especially since I have kids so it is so important to have friendly animals around our place.
Katie bell says
What types of ducks do you raise? I have found our Muscovy ducks to be so much more friendly than our white layer ducks, though I held the white layers often when young. Great advice, loved reading your tips!
Anna says
Hi Katie! We raise Welsh Harlequins, and really adore them! I’ve heard that Muscovies really do have wonderful personalities…everyone I know who keeps them just loves them! So glad you enjoyed the post, and thanks for the kind comment!!