My ducklings wouldn't go up or down the ramp to the coop so I made nests for them in plastic containers placed under the coop that has protective wood walls on three sides from the weather...the other wall is open to the run. Before moving the ducklings, the chicks would sit at the coop door waiting for the ducklings to join them in the coop...so each evening my hubby and I had to catch the ducklings and put them in the coop. This got old rather quickly...thus the relocation of the ducklings nests. Well, the situation is this...the chicks won't go up into the coop at night...they are still sleeping with the ducklings in their nests. I am hoping when the chicks get larger, and no longer fit in the nests with the ducklings, they will eventually get back into the coop for the night????? Has anyone had this situation with ducklings and chicks? My ducklings are huge at 8 weeks, the chicks are 7 weeks. All are fully feathered and are used to the temps. Should have mentioned...my babies are three Welsh Harlequins, one Barred Rock, one Buff Orphington, and two Rhode Island Reds. Here are a few pics of them at 8 wks.... https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/106085_8_wk_ducks2.jpg https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/uploads/106085_8_wk_ducks3.jpg
Never heard of this before... I have welshies, they are a stuborn breed of duck, but they are so worth it. Lol. Maybe the duckies just dont want to be cooped up. Not sure... I hope you figure it out
We had this issue, they were about 5 or 6 weeks old when it started. Just in the last week or two (20 weeks old) the chicks are going in the house. It took me catching them every night for a few nights, which was not easy! Now they go in there willingly and the ducks hang out all night, the partiers that they are .
I didn't have this problem but when I first moved my chicks outside they would not go up to the roosts at night they would lie in the pen. I started closing them in to where the roosts are with fencing and they got it quickly.
Thanks Out Of The Brooder telling me about your similar situation...guess I'll just have to wait and see when they get older if they go back into the coop. Otherwise, they will be spending their nights on pea gravel when they can't fit in the ducklings nests any longer. They were all raised together, slept together in nests, ate and drank together since I got them at three days old. Before I moved the ducklings out, two of the chicks were roosting in the morning when I went to the coop to let them out. After the move, they did go in the coop one night as I saw them that morning inside...Now, I just leave the coop door open so they can go inside if they want. Maybe they are staying in the coop at night and by the time I get out there in the morning they are out with the ducks again. Who knows? Thanks for replying!!!
