Ducks won't go to bed

[DrChickenKev]

We have four muscovy ducks, 3 hens and one drake, and for the past two nights they have refused to go to bed...???!!!

I have built them a duck house and the drake seemed to bully the two younger hens at bedtime and so I've added a few months ago I aded a seperator in the house that made two rooms, which seemed to help...

However, the past two nights when I've gone to shoo them in (mostly they go in on their own), the drake is at the doorway and all three hens refuse to go in. Then with the resultant furore, the drake comes out of the house and I'm running round the house chasing four blimmin muscovy ducks in the dark... (STOP LAUGHING!!)

Any ideas? Do I need two houses??

 

[nes]

I had the same problem for a few weeks! We have some very warm weather and the party ducks decided they didn't want to come in any more

.

The only thing that changed their minds was having a predator come in (that eventually took their goose companion) and they elected to start coming in the coop again.

But they have short memories as that was only 2 weeks ago. I still have to round them up most nights, they actually sit in front of the barn and wait for me now

. But we've got a routine so once they know where you want them to go, they just see me coming and start waddling off to the coop.

To herd Muscovy walk slowly, and I find holding my hands behind my back or at my side keeps them calmer (look more like a duck?).

 

[linen53]

I have a duck yard and a duck house. At 3 pm (during the short days of winter) it's time for them to go in the duck yard. There are graham cracker treats when I get all 18 in the duck yard. You might have another treat they prefer. Then dinnertime. I pick up the food 30 minutes later and leave them alone to calm down and settle in. They do a lot of socializing at this time. Then just before dark I go out and get my ski poles, one in each hand and "herd" them into the duckhouse, close the door and leave them till morning. A note though, most of my hens have already entered the duckhouse before I even get out there.

Ski poles work wonders for "herding" ducks. You can gently herd them in the direction you want them to go. You don't have to poke them or even touch them in any way. They follow the prompt of the direction you have the ski poles. If they veer to the left or right just gently direct them with the ski poles each time. They are very easy to train this way. I bought the ski poles for about $3 at a thrift store.

I also use the ski poles when the drakes decide to attack me. Just put the ski pole directly in front, between you and them. They will walk away every time. But sometimes I don't have the ski pole. I'm outside doing chores quite a bit each day. During those times, if I get a drake acting a little territorial, I use the "kick therapy" method. They get the message really quick. After using these two methods I no longer have drakes attacking me.

(Corrected my typos)

 

[chickenology]

So what exactly are sky poles? Are they similar to ski poles? Maybe they are similar to my "rooster getter", a miniature red plastic rake with a wooden handle, about four feet long. THe chickens and guineas know exactly what it means and I don't even touch them with it. Sorry, I don't have any experience with herding ducks though.

 

[linen53]

Sorry

ski poles. Typo

 

[chikky]

I use a broom to "herd" them...Same method...don't even have to get near them and they become pretty cooperative.

My ducks hang out on their pool all night and rest in the mornings. I made them go into the coop at night at first, but they really didn't want to, so I stopped.

The only time I make them go in now is when the temps are in the single digits and I can't stand it anymore. Actually, their pool is heated (kept above freezing), so that would be the warmest place to be.

 

[heritagebirds]

My ducks never go to bed. Anytime you walk outside, day or night, they quack at you.

 

[sy7up]

I have to agree with you, my duck never goes to her duck house and at 2:00am I look out the kitchen window and there she is wondering around, she gotten quiter but she still let loose at odd hours.

 

[gryeyes]

Quote:
Same here. Although they are cooped at night, they do party all night; I have a baby monitor with both audio and video, and many a night I've heard and seen them get up and shuffle around in the coop, drink some water, quack at the sleeping hens, bill a couple of 'em, drill in the ground around the waterer, all the normal ducky stuff.

At least mine troop into the coop at night together, after the chickens have all gone in. The auto door closes, and they're in. But they coop themselves every night.

Just to party in there.