Ducks at night?

[halecards]

I'm getting ducks soon (pekin and black Swedish) and I'm wondering if at night I will have to put them in there house. Or will they go in there house by themselves? We have a pond and 5 acres of land and they will free range during the day. So will they go to there house like chickens do? Thanks!

 

[The Duck ABC's]

You need to train them with the duck house routine. I would not let them free roam right away. Have them penned for a month with the nightly routine and see how they do. You may want to put a feeding schedule in place. Mine get feed in the morning, at lunch, and at night in the duck house. They sit in front of it waiting to be let in in the evening and I shut the door behind them. They now free range on 22 acres and have the routine down perfectly. I assume you are getting adult birds. Well regardless they need to learn the routine.

 

[veronicasmom]

Generally, you have to guide them into their house. Mine know the routine, but still, they have to be sent to bed. It's not hard. I would save giving them peas for bedtime and they may be more cooperative for you.

 

[MissusDee]

It's been my experience if they don't feel like going in the pen/house, that they will easily be herded, without much trouble. They get used to it. I have one I call her name and she goes!

 

[cdnley]

I would recommend a routine as well. I didn't have a pen for my ducks last summer and they would stay on the pond during the night. Fast forward to the fall and I couldn't get them off the pond until it was almost 100% frozen..and by then a fox got 2 because they had no where to go. I am getting a bunch of new ducks and geese in May. My plan is to keep them in my garage in a pen until they start sprouting feathers. Then move them to their pen outside with a kiddie pool swim area. Eventually letting them free range and swim in the pond and feeding them only in the pen. In the evening I will lock them up and if they refuse to go I will have to try to round them up (easier said than done when I have a 120x100 ft pond). If they still don't want to go in I will just lock their house up and they will be forced to stay on the pond/shore line.

With my other ducks, they got used to being in their pen (from the 6 months of winter). When I let them out this spring to free range they would do their thing and then come back to their pen. I think they can be trained to go in it although I had to herd them into it.