ducks won't go in coop at night

[Side Beet Chickens]

Hi

I have recently got 4 khaki cambell ducks which will not go in the coop at night, I have tried hearding and catching but they get to stressed and run, I have also removed the food during the day and place in the coop in the evening. They all go straight to the coop for the food but work has a tag team, 2 go in for food and 2 stand at the door and watch then they swop places so I can never get all 4 in the coop at the same time. I have managed to get them in once in 2 weeks. The ducks free range and go on the pond when it goes dark. They are now laying there eggs in the pond and I have to fish them out daily.

Can anyone surgest anything else that I can try has I don't like leaving them out at night.

 

[m.kitchengirl]

first, i would get them in there (by capture or bribing with peas- feed them a few, but have a large amount thawing in a deep cup/bucket which you place as far into the coop/run as possible. let them see you do this.)
then i would leave them in there for a week.
this is hard to do, i know, they love to be outside, swimming & foraging, but when i had this problem with my ducks it was the only thing that worked.
i would also continue going out & giving them treats at "bedtime" every evening, in the same container every time.
if you still don't trust them after 5 days, make a temporary fence around the outside of the coop door & keep them near the coop for another 5-7 days.
after being in lockdown i would just wait until they lay to let them out for their day in the yard.
anytime i change anything major we do a lockdown of 3-7 days, depending on what changed. i try to keep things consistent for them, but have had to build a new enclosure & move their enclosure and confinement has been the simplest solution for all of us.
hope this helps.

 

[agregg15]

You could bait them or create a (for lack of a better word) "funnel" to force them to move forward into the coop.

 

[jamband]

I agree with putting them up for a few days to see its home.....then with my ducks it was all about routine.....same thing every night and they just walk in.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Same here routine, doing the same each and every night. My ducks are waiting for me to put them to bed at night.

 

[FenDruadin]

Yup, I agree with putting them up in the pen for a few days to a week. They will then associate that with home and food. I also ONLY feed the ducks inside their pen--never elsewhere. And usually only at night, though when they are laying well I generally give them access to food (IN THE PEN) during the day as well. But because they often are fed only at night they are usually eager to go in the pen.

Good luck. I remember in the early days how much trouble I had getting them in their pen at night, and I used to come in at night really hating them. I never have that trouble now, though, and it will get better for you too.