Raising ducks is a wonderful experience, these birds are friendly towards humans and are always available if you want a companion, unfortunately, you’d likely can’t enjoy your pet if it can’t trust you.
This article explores how to get a duck to trust you
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How to get a duck to trust you:
You can’t talk to ducks and convince them to get them to trust you but there are certain actions that will help your duck trust you more. Here is what to do:
Get them around people:
Ducks are naturally scared of humans, these birds know that they are low on the food chain and are keenly aware of any predators that enter their environment.
The bird will be startled by new animals, humans included, but if you hang around the bird long enough then the bird will become used to you, realize that you aren’t there to hurt them, and start to trust you.
When spending time with the bird try to make yourself as small and as non-threatening as possible.
Do this by crouching down to the bird’s level when you are around them in the beginning stages and not making any loud noises or sudden movements in front of them
The birds will start to come to you the more you do this
Feed the bird treats:
Giving the bird treats, or food in general will help the bird get used to you, and doing this will also help the bird develop a positive association with you.
Start off by leaving food on the floor making sure that the birds see you doing this. Then, after some time, you can put food down and stay there allowing the bird to come to the food
You can then let the bird eat out of your hand when the bird starts to feel comfortable doing this.
Treats that you can give your bird include lettuce, kale, peas, cut-up tomatoes, and dried mealworms.
Avoid feeding the birds foods that are not nutritionally dense like bread, crackers and other human food.
Speak to the bird:
One of the things that these birds use to identify you is the sound of your voice. The birds will register that you are in the area and that you are safe if you talk to the birds.
Not talking can even make you seem like a threat.
Also, do not make a sudden change to your look like getting a new dramatic hairdo, if the bird recognized you via sound and appearance and you start to look different then the bird will become confused.
Be patient:
Patience is key in this case, if you were a duck trying to be loved by a human who appears to be a predator then you’d need time to get accommodated as well.
Feed and let the bird around people but don’t try to push yourself on the bird, this will only make things worse.
What to avoid:
Avoid trying to force love on the bird by cuddling it too soon. These birds are quite independent birds especially when they are adult ducks’
If you start cuddling too soon the birds will not enjoy it and may not even tolerate it.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other duck related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: I Can Hear My Duck Breathing, Why Would A Duck Be Alone?