Ducks not getting in coop at night

[lilfarmergirl]

Plz plz help me my 5 7 week old ducks won't get in the coop at the end of the day so I am running around catching them to put them up at night. I have a 12by24 duck coop/run for my ducks and connected to it is a 12by24 coop/run for my chickens they r also 7 weeks old and they get in the coop every night the coops r 3 feet off the ground and have a ramp for them to get up and down from coop.... And I also have a pool in the duck side that is prob about 2 1/2ft tall and I have to pick them up and put them in what could I use to get them in and out of the pool also....
Any help would b great thanks in advance!!!!

 

[DUCKOBSESSED]

If there is a certain treat they like i would give to them in the coop and they will associate it with going in. Also ducks heard easy. Stay calm and walk behind them with your arms out stretched to herd were you want them to go, I used a walking stick when i started. Walk them in the door give them a treat and lock them up. With doing this for a while mine now go in every night by 9. Hope it works for you!

 

[lilfarmergirl]

I dont get home til after 10 pm and there is a ramp does that make any difference??? And the ramp is only 6 inches wide and its kinda steep will that make them not want to go n there??

 

[Going Quackers]

Ducks aren't usually big on ramps, is this pen predator proof? ducks don't come home to roost like chickens do, and in nicer times and a pool? fat chance lol

I am fortunate mine usually return to the fenced area surrounding their barn and coops but getting them into the barn/coops on nice nights requires some encouragement.

 

[lilearthquake]

If there is a certain treat they like i would give to them in the coop and they will associate it with going in. Also ducks heard easy. Stay calm and walk behind them with your arms out stretched to herd were you want them to go, I used a walking stick when i started. Walk them in the door give them a treat and lock them up. With doing this for a while mine now go in every night by 9. Hope it works for you!

Yes, this is exactly what I do as well. They heard easily and they love routine. I take up food when I come home from work. By the time dusk comes and I call out "Come duck!", they are ready to come to you to get a big bowl of food.

One more thing. If their coop and ramp access is centrally located, they can get confused and go around the structure in circles. Best coop location is in a corner where it's obvious to them that you want them to keep moving in the only direction possible. I don't have a ramp so I imagine that makes it trickier but maybe you can temporarily add barriers until they have the routine down.

Keep us updated.

 

[SerenityRachel]

I have a ramp to my coop as well. My ducks were very confused by it at first - it took about a week of herding them up the ramp several times a day (because that's where the food is) for them to figure it out. Now they all go up in a little line when they get hungry. They don't stay in it at night though - I haven't worried about that since the run is predator proof.
Oh, and ducks look absolutely ridiculous walking down a ramp, they crack me up every time they do it. Kind of like if a T-rex had feathers and big feet... LOL.

 

[lilearthquake]

I dont get home til after 10 pm and there is a ramp does that make any difference??? And the ramp is only 6 inches wide and its kinda steep will that make them not want to go n there??

Getting home at 10 pm is a big obstacle. Not sure how to help you with that. I have a friend with an automatic door for her chickens. I want one for my ducks but don't have it yet.

Ramp is way too small, way too high. Ducks swagger from left to right when they walk. They need a wide ramp, wide doorway and grooved slats to help them climb the ramp. It must not be too steep either. I searched long and hard for a coop without a ramp, but mine have been known to climb up my 3' retaining wall though. Also climbed up a wide stack of folded bamboo fencing I laid against a table.

 

[lilfarmergirl]

When all else fails redneck it!!!! Let's c if this will work for tonight

 

[lilfarmergirl]

Yes thats is carpet on the ramp

 

[ZoeS95423]

My ducks never have gone in by themselves and I've had them for 3 years. They fall asleep outside by the door, and once they see me come out my backdoor they do go in because they know they are getting fed.

Mine all free range, so I only feed them once a day, at night.
If I need to put them in early, this comes in handy especially with my chickens. They hear me in the feed room and everyone comes running in, where on a normal day if I want to put my chickens in early Forget about it!