Ducks wont leav the coop!!

[MohicanHase]

We got our 1st snow of the year the other day, and my ducks refused to leave their little duck house! the would not even make a sound. and everyone knows how talkative pekins are. lol so I had to physically move them from the house. but yesterday I had to leave after I did the animals, I opened their door, and nothing, so I put a bucket of water by the door so if they decided to not com out, then they can still drink. they would not come out they would not even go out the tiny bit to drink water! when I took them out this morning they seemed happy to be out, like stretching their wings and everything, but seem a little weak from refusing to come out to drink or eat! why are they doing this? why will they not come out? and this "duck house" is small, its sjut big enough for all 5 of them to be comfortable laying in their for the winter. and I started putting them in at night and letting them out in the morning a week or 2 befor now, and they have always ran out and flapped around.

 

[chicmom]

They're afraid of the snow! This happens to chickens too. Mine were petrified. What I did to get them out was, I had to shovel a path for them because the snow was so deep. I also shoveled out an area for them to peck around in, then I spead out some cracked corn, which they can't resist. And then they came out.

Do you have some type of irresistible treat for them t bribe them to come out? It does take them a while to figure out that snow isn't evil. LOL

 

[MohicanHase]

They like cracked corn pretty good, but usually their feed is good enough. lol once I force them out they seem to like it, but then they don't drink for a whole day they are so eager to drink (I am using a bucket to water right now) that they try to jump in and end up dumping it. LOL I did scatter straw over the snow, because they are acting like their feet are cold, which is weird because its not super cold out today (around 20-25 F) so I am hopping they get into the groove. lol The 2 pekin ducks were hatched sometime in April, and the Cayuga were hatched on July 28th.

 

[chicmom]

It's 19 here in Ohio. Yesterday the wind was awful. I dreaded going out to the hen house. Tonight, I'm going to bundle up and put the gloves on, and get out there and do a bit of work. I have these windows that don't really close tightly, so I'm worried about a draft. I'm going to seal those with some plastic. I also have to put some tarps around the outdoor chicken run to block the wind.

Such a bummer that it is dark by 5:00 here in Ohio. I wish I was a bear so I could hybernate for the winter. LOL

Stay warm, my friend!

Sharon

 

[donkeydew2farms]

have you tried putting straw down. I had to there feet were cold. I put it in there pen and outside of it and they started to move around. they are so funny they act like it is cold but the first thing they did when I put fresh water in there pail was to take a bath or tried to.

 

[MohicanHase]

I am in ohio I let them stay in the really cold day, and I did spread straw down, but they were only out for like 1mn befor they started to act like they were. lol

 

[Trefoil]

I'm in Michigan and its cold, 23 today and when I went out to dump & refill their tubs they, ducks and geese were lined up to take their baths. I use the rubber feeders (fortex?) from TSC and a sledge hammer to get the ice out of them.I would continue to chase them out at least long enough to get their water & food.