Help! 6wk ducklings refuse to come back to barn at night

[CoriM]

I agree with above posters, it's important not to let them out on the pond until you have them trained to come to you with a certain lure. My ducks will come to me from anywhere when I bring out the mealworm container and give it a shake. I think the pond is too much freedom at this age and they are probably a little scared and confused as well as to what you expect, though they love to swim. No doubt the net would be terrifying to a duck. Make sure the area they are coming into is a place they can easily walk into and you don't have to lift them into it. Get them acclimated to getting treats from you. My neighbor has a pond and every year gets ducklings and never learned how to get them off the pond, so just gave up. They just get picked off one by one by wildlife, then she starts again the next year. It's not fear to these defenseless animals. When she got down to one duck last year who had been swimming alone in a tiny open area of her icy pond for two weeks, she caught it and gave it to me. That duck is not completely acclimated to the routine I have, and is the first one to come running to me for treats. She's afraid to be touched, and I respect that and don't try, unless I need to check her feet, but she will do anything for meal worms or peas! Good luck, hope you figure this out.

 

[Moments]

I don’t have a large pond so haven’t had to deal with this but my ducks have access to feed all day and put the selves into bed when it starts to get dark
When I moved them to outside from inside I used a blue pool noodle to guide them in
This only took a few times and they no longer need my help
If a hawk or weather is bad and I need them to go in a bit early I just walk behind them saying all ducks go to bed amd they go in
I agree with other suggestions on not allowing them to the big pond yet but get them use to having more space but going into the coop at certain times
Ducks are very scheduled and will usually learn the routine quickly
I keep my feed in an outdoor safe house attached to the coop that way they can eat and drink before full lock up as it gets dark
Once you see they are going back to the coop on their own you can reintroduce the big pond

Peas are how I trained mine to go in when needed

 

[goats-n-oats]

ok, thanks for all your thoughtful responses. I think we are making progress but still not 100%. I did catch and contain all 12 ducks. For the last week, I've been carrying 9 of the 12 (different ones) each morning to their little fenced-in pond area, and let 3 out into the chicken coop-garage to find their way to the pond, which they do. (I know it's better if they have their own room or stall, but due to predators like minks and rats boldly entering the barn, I need a dog in the coop at all times to monitor the fowl, and fowl may not sleep on the floor of the barn. I have been removing the dog just during egress and ingress so the ducks don't get stressed out. So my plan is to have the ducks sleep inside a locked steel horse trailer in the coop-garage.) The ducks did really well tonight. The 4 that were unenclosed started heading back to the barn just as I lifted the first few out of the pond. They also knew to turn the corner into the coop-garage, enter the coop, and even jump up into the horse trailer. I have been using the words, 'outside' (morning), 'bedtime' (evening) and 'snacktime' (feeding).

My next concern is, once they have all learned the route to and from the coop, how to start the process of incentivizing them to leave the pond to get back to the coop-garage at sunset, without manually moving the first few ducks myself. They seem to recognize the word snacktime and the red feeder but they don't get too excited about it either way, not like they do about water and the pond.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are you only feeding them up at their coop? That should give them incentive to come home. Train them when hearing the word treat or snacks and shake a container with something yummy in it to come to you or follow you. My ducks and chickens know the container I use to put treats in and they get all excited about it. They will follow me anywhere.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Sounds like you are making progress
Maybe try letting them all walk to the enclosed pond area by either walking in front or behind them
That way they will learn how to get there and how to get back by walking
They will also get use to you being a part of it so if you need to get them in early for any reason you will be able too
Can use pool noodles for extra length to arms but shouldn’t need those for long
Eventually yours will just get it
Once trained they don’t forget
But don’t make changes or they panic
Something fell over and mine all refused to go in
I finally figured out what it was
Once I fixed it they ran right in
They sure are silly creatures

 

[goats-n-oats]

Are you only feeding them up at their coop? That should give them incentive to come home. Train them when hearing the word treat or snacks and shake a container with something yummy in it to come to you or follow you. My ducks and chickens know the container I use to put treats in and they get all excited about it. They will follow me anywhere.

Any idea where to buy mealworms? I've only seen them for $25/bag at TSC.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Any idea where to buy mealworms? I've only seen them for $25/bag at TSC.

they are online (amazon) about the same price. I watch for them to go on sale at TSC sometimes the big bags are reduced from $45 down to $25-30.
They are expensive so some people grow their own. Ive been thinking about trying it.

 

[CoriM]

I buy them off Amazon for about 10 pounds for $50. They're spendy, but they will last you awhile and the ducks love them and they will make your life easier! I put mine in a a tupperware container that has a little opening at the top so I can easily pour them out.

 

[Miss Lydia]

eBay 44 lb last close to a year

 

[goats-n-oats]

Update, two days ago, before I started on our evening routine of manually bringing a few into the coop, the four that were free ranging already walked from the pond to the coop precisely at dusk. They got nervous though then went back to the pond. I still need to bring 3-6 into the coop and lock them in the stock tank before the others will [reluctantly] follow.