How To Get A Duck To Imprint On You? A Step-by-Step Guide
How to get a duck to imprint on you has become a common question in pet duck owner society. To do so, you have to invest time. It fundamentally starts by taking care of the eggs in the incubator. The first two weeks are crucial while they’re in the world; ensure they’re seeing you continuously. Let them think you’re one of them, their mother, to be precise.
Isn’t it adorable having some ducks around you? They’re treating you like their family, thinking of you like you’re their guardian. However, it might sound happier, but not as pretty as it always sounds.
I’m coming up with more details on what works and what does not while trying to imprint ducks on you and all that. So, do not keep your eyes away.
Will Your Ducks Imprint on You?
Yes, your ducks will, indeed. Common ducks that are captivated, such as mallards and Pekin ducks, are seen to imprint on their owners.
See how a duck mom requests her baby ducks never to get too old for a cuddle here:
Baby ducks, in their initial days, have an intention to follow their mother, claims Harvard researchers. So, you may assume they’re following their mother if you see them serially walking across a road or beside a waterbody.
However, if you want your ducks to be with you just like a family member, imprint on you, remember it’s a big responsibility. You have to do a lot of activities and give them time. For instance, incubating the eggs and taking care of the babies all the time.
Tough, really tough, isn’t it?
Related reading: How to Tame Your Duck
2 Phase To Follow: How to Get a Duck to Imprint on You?
I guess I’ll discuss it in two phases. The first phase is preparational, and the second phase is about the Behavior analysis and activities you have to do while imprinting ducks, which is kind of the central part of the discussion.
Phase 1: Preparation
In the first phase, you must have the determination and a legal idea for raising ducks and imprinting them on you.
You have to be determined first whether or not you want your ducklings to imprint on you. This is so important because an imprinted duck will be with you all the time. It’s a big responsibility.
If I think of it ethically, I would say you can’t just hand over them to anyone else. It’s important to make sure you’re ready to have them with you. If you’re sure about adopting them, you’re welcome!
Now, please be sure about what law enforcement has to say on this matter. Not all the state governments take is easy, like a light-roasted expresso. California permits having pet ducks, and they have no charges. But in Florida, you have to spend money, and you have to pay around $50.
Look at what Florida law enforcement is thinking on waterfowl licenses. You can contact them both online or offline. However, it’s not widely recommended to pet a duck because, in most cases, ducks don’t make a good pet.
Now, what you have to do is as follows:
- Buy an incubator
- Buy some eggs (mallard eggs are preferred)
- Warm up the incubators
- Keep an eye on the ventilation and temperature. A group of researchers from China and Canada found out that around 38 degrees Celsius is an ideal temperature for incubation.
Have your eyes on the egg with high concentration. Doing a little blunder can even make all your efforts go in vain.
Phase 2: Imprinting Suggestion and Behavior Analysis
You may follow the tips that are given below for imprinting ducklings:
- Be with Them: From the very first day of seeing the lights of the earth. Make sure they’re seeing you right after opening their eyes. According to research, the first 36 hours are crucial for the ducklings. During this time, they learn how to recognize stuff. They even notice a ball if it moves!
- Give Them a Clear Visual: Try to give them a clear visual of you so that they’ll recognize you well. They have a tendency at their early imprinting phase, that is, to follow any moving stuff such as cardboard boxes. So, make sure they’re seeing you.
- Vocal training would be a Plus Point: You may use a specific set of sounds to attract them. A little training in recognizing voice. However, this is a later stage. For, after the baby ducks develop their listening ability, if it’s your voice that is the first sound they recognize, they might not forget it. Imagine they are coming up when you call them; isn’t that a beautiful moment?
Related Article:
Do Imprinted Ducks Require Different Diets?
No, not really. What do ducklings generally eat? Starter feed and veggies initially. You can give them exactly what all other ducklings require. Nothing different here. Chopped greens such as lettuce or spinach can be a good choice.
After one week, along with starter feed, fruity treats might be given to them, such as berries.
Important Note: The first two weeks should especially be noticed. So, do not make any mistake. Let them see you as much as possible. Attract them to you and make them think that you’re their mother.
Do you know ducks can even be imprinted on animals, which is their predator in general!! Look how the baby ducks looking for a warm place in the neck of the cat:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/CvCAN3RASG3/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D
4 Things to Avoid During Duckling Imprinting
A few precautions. Let’s have a look at all these below:
- Avoid buying eggs that are misshaped and oversized. Always buy more eggs than you expect. For example, if you want 4, buy at least 10.
- Regularly inspect the eggs and carefully observe the change. The eggs that are looking the same after 7 days as these eggs aren’t going to make it happen.
- Do not keep any other adult ducks around them. Naturally, they’ll be looking for a duck-like body that will be their mother. If they see one, they’ll start to follow her/him. So, it has to be you whom they will see all day, not a duck. So, keep the adult ducks.
- Yellow isn’t probably the color they like. So, avoid yellow wearings while you’re with them and they’re seeing you.
Is Imprinted Duck and Pet Ducks the Same? Imprinted Ducks Are Confused
No. While it may seem to be the same, they aren’t. There are differences. Imprinted ducks are pets, I may say. But pet ducks don’t mean they’re imprinted.
See, imprinting is a different thing. Considering how imprinting will go on, I can say you’re a duck mom, or the ducks act like a human. Pet ducks aren’t the same.
Ducks that are just raised in a home setup are basically pets. They still have the foraging instinct, they’re still a bird, and they show the wild behavior that is natural to them.
Imprinted ducks are confused. Since from day one, they’re seeing human movements, they’ll act like that. They might not forest if they aren’t trained to do so.
So, all in all, pet and imprinted ducks are different.
Is There Any Consequences To Imprint Ducks?
Yes! I have said earlier that imprinted ducks are confused, and it isn’t recommended to make pet ducks. Here’s why.
The reason I called imprinted ducks confusing is they aren’t sure about their identity. They’re physically birds. But since they aren’t raised how they should be, you may not see the bird you love to see. They’re adorable but will stick to you always. This might give you disturbance sometimes.
However, it’s entirely up to you. If you think you’re perfectly alright bringing it everywhere, then it’s okay. Here’s a video featuring a duck visiting Gucci with its owner:
Recommended Reading: Everything About Ducks Behaviour
Bottom Line
Imprinting ducks isn’t easy to make as you have to give time, effort, and training. It’s a tough job, and if you want to deal with it, you must be patient. Because it requires continuous focus, making the baby ducks be a fan of you isn’t easy.
However, all imprinted ducks are pets, but all pet ducks aren’t imprinting. Anyway, please be aware of the fact that being with an imprinting duck isn’t a pretty experience. They will miss you while you aren’t with them. They may even have anxiety attacks!
Sources And References
- https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2017/getting-ducklings-row-look-inside-animal-mind-2/
- https://myfwc.com/license/captive-wildlife/captive-waterfowl/
- https://www.backyardnature.net/birdprnt.htm
- https://www.metzerfarms.com/candling-pictures.html
