Ducks Won't Go In At Night

[4 MimisPeeps]

I live in CT where it has been very cold at night. My 3 ducks wont go into their coop at night on their own.
It is an up-purposed Little Tykes playhouse with hardware cloth over the windows and an acrylic panel over the upper half of the dutch door. I have a rigid foam insulation covered in heavy duty plastic on the ground with at least 5" of straw/hay over that.
If I don't go out and herd them in, they will just wander around quacking all night.
Why won't they go in on their own?

 

[Going Quackers]

well, could be a thousand and one reasons, or there just being stubborn lol Ducks generally speaking aren't big on housing, they are nothing like chickens, there is no "coming home to roost"

How cold is cold? sometimes what we think is, isn't they have good down "coats" and don't feel temps like we do. I'd herd them in, i herd my ducks, some days they see me coming and head in, other times i have to encourage no biggie. Preds and chilling are things you want to avoid and housing is usually the best way to do so.

Domestic ducks need us keepers to be the logical ones, so that may mean forcing them in sometimes, summer is the worst for me.. they don't want in barns but i would rather not provide the local wildlife with a free meal.

 

[Dwen]

Mine refuse to go in at night unless food is involved.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

well, could be a thousand and one reasons, or there just being stubborn lol Ducks generally speaking aren't big on housing, they are nothing like chickens, there is no "coming home to roost"

How cold is cold? sometimes what we think is, isn't they have good down "coats" and don't feel temps like we do. I'd herd them in, i herd my ducks, some days they see me coming and head in, other times i have to encourage no biggie. Preds and chilling are things you want to avoid and housing is usually the best way to do so.

Domestic ducks need us keepers to be the logical ones, so that may mean forcing them in sometimes, summer is the worst for me.. they don't want in barns but i would rather not provide the local wildlife with a free meal.

X2

My ducks did need to be bribed with food or herded in the beginning. But now that they are older and very used to the routine, they will usually return to the pen at dark. But I usually have to go herd them inside the barn if temperatures are below 10'F -or- if we are under a Winter Weather or Wind Advisory from NOAA. Ducks just like to be outside and they like what we consider crummy weather. But GQ is right. House is the best protection for your flock.