Attempting to teach these ducks to go into their new pen is NOT fun!

[javajanie]

I'd just been letting Penny and Desmond sleep where they wanted as my yard is fenced in. Well, this past weekend, a possum got into where I was keeping my rooster (he had been separated because he was attacking another chicken til she bled and we don't want to keep a rooster since we only have a little under an acre so I didn't want to disturb the neighbors). Anyway, at 3am, I found myself rescuing my poor little sweet roo who was going to an Amish family the next day. So scary. Got the ducks a nice pen the next day from my sister in law (she had 2 and was only using 1).

I tell ya, I can't even lure them in with cheerios. And since I've moved them outside, they aren't fond of being picked up and snuggled anymore. I'm hoping they get the hint soon. Of course, my chickens love it. I had to move them all out and put them into the coop tonight! I'm a bit scratched up but at least I know my ducks and chickens are safe. I just hope they get the hang of going to bed on their own quickly.

 

[ilovemuscovy]

the easiest way to teach them to go in:
don't feed them at all after 3ish (give them water) and at sunset, put the food inside and in they will go

 

[duckyfromoz]

Mine get a bit of food when I get home from work at around 4pm...By 5 - 5.30 pm...If I leave the door open they wander into the shed to the nights pens all by themselves. All I have to do is shut the gates!! They got used to the routine - and know they get dinner in the pens. Routine, food and patients is the key to getting them to do what you want.

 

[PlumTuckered]

I taught my Ducks to go to the pen in the evening by herding them. Walk behind them using your arms to steer, lift left arm if you want them to go to the right, lift your right arm if you want them to go to the left. It only took a few times of doing this before they automatically went to their pen in the evening. Now my ducks go to the pen around 5 pm, play for three hours then go right into their crates and wait for me to come shut/lock the crate doors. Ducks are sooooo smart I have 5 grown ducks and 2 babies. The babies (1 month old and almost 7 weeks old) just got their own crate in the duck pen day before yesterday. Last night I went out to shut all the crates and the 2 babies were already in their crate snuggled up, ducks love their routine and they catch on so dang fast.

Michelle

 

[JosieR]

Mine free range so I let them out in the morning and the only feed they get is at night once they are in. I do a trail of peas into the pen. Then they started to associate going in with dinner and peas.

One of my runners nearly trips me she's in such a hurry to get up the ramp and in the house when she sees me walking down in the eveing. I'm convinced she's the only bright one and that's why my Cayuga drake picks on her, he knows she's really running the show.