Ducks, night vision, coop ramp: new duck owner

[jtbrown]

We have 4 almost five week old Pekins -- wow they grow fast!

Okay, it seems like they eat and drink at night, do they have poor night vision like the chickens, or are they better at that?

Second, will they walk up the "gang plank" into the coop from the enclosed pen? Tonight I bought a pool for them, put them (they acted like I was taking them to their death) in it. They loved it and then for first time since we have had them they were exhausted!

Third, will they ever get friendly? They are crazy scared of us. We are integrating them in with the other birds, it is going well, but still separating them at night.

Anyway, thanks in advance for the input.

 

[BallardDuck]

I think they have poor night vision. I could be wrong but mine seem to bumble around when it's dark. Oh, and I found this out on my own: don't use a flashlight around them at night! Good grief! It scared them so bad that it scared me!
My ducks have a ramp from the coop to the pen and use it just fine. It's about 1 foot up on a 3 foot ramp, so not very steep. I nailed on firring strips every few inches for when things get slippery.
Mine went through a phase of being terrified of me. I described them to friends that they were like extras in a horror movie, running around in a little pack screaming their heads off! With patience and spending time near them that has diminished. They don't cotton to me trying to touch them/pick them up, but they hang real close when I have them in the garden with me. Oddly, they took very readily to my house-sitter when I was away recently, as she was immediately able to pick them up...go figure?!!

 

[Apyl]

I'm not sure about night vision I would have to look that up. But as for the terrified stage, yep we went thru that too. In the begingin they loved us then around 5 - 6 weeks old they were freaked around us lol . They would barely come get treats. Now at 10, 9, and 7 weeks they love us again and come talk to us when we come outside. As for the walking up a plant, no sure. I have coop door open from 7am to 8pmish depending on the darkness. I dont have a ramp. But I did use stones as stairs for them to get in and out of the pool before I dug them a pond and they climbed those just fine.

As for chickens, everything I read was that chickens see as well as humans day and night.

 

[jtbrown]

Thanks for the input. We are loving watching them in their little pond. Sooooo cute.