Is it hard to get ducks in their houses at night?

[Lilki]

I'm looking into getting some ducks but my yard is very unsafe at night. How hard is it to get ducks into their pens at night? A bit like herding cats or do they instinctually go for shelter if that's where they've been kept? Unfortunatley our pond is down a pretty long stone stair path. They'd have to traverse the stairs or the pen would have to be by the pond where the predators go at night.

 

[arrowti]

In the beginning, once the sun starts to go down, you'll want to herd them in. Usually getting a large stick to hold out on either side to keep them in line on the way to their coop should do. After awhile it will become routine. Our ducks refuse to go into their coop at night until I go out and chase them in, even if they're laying down right outside the door. BUT they are always standing outside the door when the 'habitual' time to go in comes around. If for some reason I forget to put them in or come home late, they make a nest in the hay trailer with a barrier of hay between them and the outside. Once they hear me, they hop right out and go inside.

Ducks are strange. But it's not generally difficult to get them in so long as you don't have ducks fighting.

 

[The Pinto Pony]

I agree with arrowti

!

 

[duckeg]

In the beginning, once the sun starts to go down, you'll want to herd them in. Usually getting a large stick to hold out on either side to keep them in line on the way to their coop should do. After awhile it will become routine. Our ducks refuse to go into their coop at night until I go out and chase them in, even if they're laying down right outside the door. BUT they are always standing outside the door when the 'habitual' time to go in comes around. If for some reason I forget to put them in or come home late, they make a nest in the hay trailer with a barrier of hay between them and the outside. Once they hear me, they hop right out and go inside.

Ducks are strange. But it's not generally difficult to get them in so long as you don't have ducks fighting.

absolutely right , mine won't sleep till midnight

, make sure its safe and comfy

 

[LovesAGoodYolk]

mine almost always go automatically into their house/pen well before dark. if I go outside to close up their house too early, I might have to herd them, but not often.

 

[Doro]

As long as it's dark, as soon as we go outside our ducks start heading for their pen to be locked in for the night. If it isn't dark or close to it they will sometimes take a little more herding and are loud and disgruntled about it.

 

[Khasimir]

It took a little practice but our ducks learned how to be herded. We'd just walk near them and put our arms out ala motioning a taxing aircraft. They would get the idea and generally move where we wanted them to go.
Now, they get a little loud and congregate near the gate when they sense it's nearly it's time to go in. When they see me near sundown, they stand right in front of the gate and go moving in on their own the moment I open it up.