Calling ducks to the pen? (training); Also question re: moving water ducks?

[nao57]

Do you guys call your ducks to their pens? And how is this going for you? What works for you and how did you do it?

I was reading how people got them to do this. So I was trying to train them to do this and to follow me. They are pretty good at following me around; but because they are looking for food rather than having anything special going on.

I was doing pretty good. They've only been outside about 2 weeks, and I didn't have trouble getting them in until today.

I feel a bit frustrated because today I couldn't get them into the pen like usual. So I thought it would be good to see what you guys do to train them to go in the pen? Although I hope you don't do anything embarrassing like yelling so all the neighborhood can hear, lol.

Well I made 2 mistakes possibly...

Today I fed them late, and fed them outside the pen before calling them into the pen. I normally feed them in the pen. And because it was a short amount of time between feeding them and calling them in, maybe that had something to do with it and was a possible mistake. (But even so it was discouraging that it didn't work.) And is it possible to feed them outside but then get them to go in?

Also, they got ridiculously excited today because I turned on the house in the back a few hours ago, and they got to play in the water. Honestly, I was so shocked how playful they act around fresh moving water! This was unbelievable. (I'm guessing its possible this made it harder for them to want to go in at the end of the day? Although the water was shut off hours earlier.) (Is it harder for others to get their ducks in also on days when they had a huge play day? Teenage kid syndrome etc maybe?)

I'm actually surprised there aren't any threads in the duck section about ducks playing in water, either comments about it, or how funny and playful they are in it. Especially with a garden hose turned on they go nuts trying to play in it. Its quite amazing.

There are so many interesting things about this. Plus, the weather was perfect today and the apple trees were blossoming and honey bees were around. If you haven't played with ducks with a garden hose, its pretty fun.

But this also brings up questions to about it. They do seem to like moving water more than still water? And does that mean that some kinds of duck breeds like rivers and streams more than ponds? Is there such a thing as stream/river ducks and pond/lake ducks? (Makes you wonder...like why are they way more excited about the moving water? Yeah some of that is probably looking for bugs, but still...its a genuine research question to think about.)

I am putting up another thread in a minute about something else interesting today that I found out, and hope people will look at that one too.

Thanks!

 

[Jpat]

Hey there, you should have feed out for your ducks all day because of how their metabolism works, And it keeps them from getting hungry and gorging themselves

I think there aren't many specific threads about ducks playing in water because its like pigs rolling in mud, it is such a natural behavior for them. It comforts them and excites them, if they had a choice they'd ask for Niagara falls. The more the better!

Common practice is to get a cheap pet or kiddie pool. Dump it every few days and refill it, every time you refill you get a to watch your own circus in your back yard. It also has health benefits like keeping them preening themselves daily, keeping some parasites away, and washing out their eyes, bills and nares

Just make sure the ducks can safely get out of the kiddie pool. My ducks love when I spray them with the hose on the soft shower setting, they bite at the water in mid air its a big laugh

 

[Ratchnick]