ducks not sleeping in duckhouse

[animal quacker]

My ducks are about six weeks old. We put them outside a little over a week ago. They have a house with a modified duck door and they go in around 5 a.m. and eat and then go right back out to their attached run. They slept in their house the first few nights but every time I look out lately, they are in their run close to their house. I keep wondering if I should be coaxing them to go into their house at night where I feel they are safer......

 

[KaleIAm]

I would gently herd them into their house and close the door near dusk and let them back out at daylight. Or throw in some mealworms and then close the door after they go in. In my opinion ducks are like small children, they want to do what is the most fun not the most safe. So it is our responsibility to make the safest choice for them.

I quickly trained my own ducks to go to bed on command by saying, "go to bed ducks," and giving them mealworms after they went in. And sometimes I find my ducks in their room waiting for me near bedtime. They get used to the routine and begin to enjoy it.

 

[Aylesburyduck123]

My ducks are about six weeks old. We put them outside a little over a week ago. They have a house with a modified duck door and they go in around 5 a.m. and eat and then go right back out to their attached run. They slept in their house the first few nights but every time I look out lately, they are in their run close to their house. I keep wondering if I should be coaxing them to go into their house at night where I feel they are safer......

I have the same issue! Mine have been outside now for 2 weeks and have a very secure enclosure with a house for bed time. I put them to bed every night around 10pm (will be earlier in winter) but of late they’ve been like naughty kids and they’ve been resisting going to be haha! They like their pool but as they can see so we’ll in the dark, they won’t actually put themselves bed like chickens do! I was thinking would it be ok to leave my ducks in the enclosure at night in the summer with access to their house should they want to go in or am I making a rod for my own back!!

 

[Callender Girl]

My ducks are eager to go inside their shelter (not a real house, but totally secured by hardware cloth) after I yell, "Duck, duck, house, house," because they know I am going to toss a bit of food inside. My runners will go ANYWHERE for food.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Runners are so easy to train. lol