Ducks won't get in the pond

[zooweemama]

The pond is about an acre. These are the first set of ducks on the pond. I have twelve more ducklings in the brooder box.
The area where we access the pond isn't real steep but that area isn't real wide either. The rest of the pond bank on the side closest to the house is not so steep you can't walk down it, but you do have to be careful

My ducks learned today that despite the fact I find the embankment manageable...they do not. They are afraid to walk down it. They will however walk UP it to get out. We have a very gradual gradient leading into the pond. The ducks feel very confident walking it because it doesn't dip down or cause them to need to 'be careful'...they can just walk.
This is the gradient...literally it does this all the way to the pond. My ducks are kind of skittish so I am glad this was here or I am not sure they would have taken the other shore line areas of the pond into the water.


then the gradient dumps into the pond- you can see where it ends.


and then it flows into the pond...


I totally know that your pond is existing and you cannot do this. I was just hoping to maybe help give you a visual of what my scaredy ducks managed to do today.
Which was their first day on the pond.

I was thinking about how lakes that have ducks/geese- the kind we take our kids to see? How very gradual the shore line is to the body of water. The ducks do not need to carefully maneuver...they can easily walk right into the pond/lake. I don't know what your pond looks like- maybe it is very gradual. I just noted that my ducks walked up the side of the pond with no issue but the refuse to walk down it. They come to the 'ramp' side to go into the pond.

Hope you find something that works. My ducks had a blast today on the pond. <3

 

[Mum]

Fabulous pix, zooweemama

 

[Trav5787]

The ducks FINALLY got in the pond 2 days ago. I let the 12 younger ones out and they went in and the older 4 followed them in. I was beginning to think they didn't realize they were ducks. lol. I herded them all to the edge of the pond and then backed off a little so they would relax. Eventually they realized they could play in the water. They spent a couple of hours playing in it.

 

[Tanglebrook]

We have a medium sized farm pond that was made long before we moved here. Most of the perimeter has boulders and the bottom of the pond is silty so there was not easy access. I got baby geese and ducks this spring: 2 Roman Tufted geese, 2 Cayugas, a Welsh Harlequin and a Swedish Blue duck, hoping they would enjoy the pond. After they grew up in a brooder and we put them outside, they would not go into the pond! Long story short, there was a small area that had better access to the pond and a fairly firm shore; we got a half yard of river rock and pea gravel and made a small beach area that sloped gradually into the water. I enticed them by putting their beloved water pan down there, they gradually got used to standing in the pond, then found that they would float in it. Then they had to learn how to swim to get where they wanted to go, they panicked a little at first. Now they love it and spend most of the day in the water, poking in the edges and even diving under water. Obviously there were no predators there that scared them, just a new experience to be in a big pond. At evening, I give them their food in their pen and lock them up for the night. The pond and a large area around it are fenced to keep the coyotes away from our 48 chickens as well as the ducks and geese. The duck and geese pen has wire fencing sides and roof for protection from predators. So far so good.

 

[Crafty-Duck]

When I first kicked my ducks outside they stayed very close to the house under the bushes for a year! then they finally started wondering out into the yard.

 

[Tanglebrook]

Here is where we made the "beach"

 

[Crafty-Duck]

Lucky birds!

 

[Miss Lydia]

We have a medium sized farm pond that was made long before we moved here. Most of the perimeter has boulders and the bottom of the pond is silty so there was not easy access. I got baby geese and ducks this spring: 2 Roman Tufted geese, 2 Cayugas, a Welsh Harlequin and a Swedish Blue duck, hoping they would enjoy the pond. After they grew up in a brooder and we put them outside, they would not go into the pond! Long story short, there was a small area that had better access to the pond and a fairly firm shore; we got a half yard of river rock and pea gravel and made a small beach area that sloped gradually into the water. I enticed them by putting their beloved water pan down there, they gradually got used to standing in the pond, then found that they would float in it. Then they had to learn how to swim to get where they wanted to go, they panicked a little at first. Now they love it and spend most of the day in the water, poking in the edges and even diving under water. Obviously there were no predators there that scared them, just a new experience to be in a big pond. At evening, I give them their food in their pen and lock them up for the night. The pond and a large area around it are fenced to keep the coyotes away from our 48 chickens as well as the ducks and geese. The duck and geese pen has wire fencing sides and roof for protection from predators. So far so good.

Sounds lovely and

now we need pics.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here is where we made the "beach"

Oops I spoke too soon. Very pretty

 

[Tanglebrook]