Happy Little Ducklings

[JPinVT]

My 10 Pekin ducklings outgrew their brooder in the barn (by which I mean I couldn't handle the soaked shavings and opaque brown kiddie pool water anymore), so this weekend, they went out to their duck house and the pond. They couldn't be happier out there! Here are some pictures of the little cuties:

The house my husband built:

It's 4x8 with TONS of ventilation. There's a drain in the floor and a gap in the back wall so it can be sprayed clean every day if needed. When you guys said ducklings would be be messy, you weren't kidding! We're only going to keep 1 drake and maybe 3 ducks, so it should be big enough even in the winter with snow on the ground.

Happy ducklings in the pond:

Any tips on getting them to "go to bed" at night up that big scary ramp and away from the fun pond? Herding them isn't very easy when they tend to run directly into the pond when they see me coming!

 

[Going Quackers]

no tips, as we don't have a duck house built (yet) so for now we carry ours to the nigh-time housing

but i wanted to comment how cute your ducks are and what a great duck house! May i ask how you'll winterize it?

 

[WalkerH]

When I switched my ducks/chicks from the small brooder to the big brooder I locked them in there for about week, I think it turned out to be like 5 days. Now they all go back every night to it. Although it may be a bit more difficult considering you have so many with such a small house.

 

[gryeyes]

Oh, those are indeed some very happy little ducklings!

Good luck on the night time housing issue, as my ducks are night patrol guards. They do not want to go in at night, and they patrol the yard all night long. They're Cayugas, all black, so I call them my Ninja Stealth ducks.

I wish I had managed to teach them to go in at night; they did at first, but after a while they would NOT go in. So I just count them every single morning...

 

[USMCwifey]

Quote:
Lucky!!! I wish I could get mine to go into our pond. Grrrr!

 

[PlumTuckered]

The best way to encourage them out of the pond is to have a treat for them. Use the same container (bright bucket, plastic bag, whatever) to carry peas out to them a bunch of times throughout the first day, calling "duck duck duck". At evening time when you want them out of the pond stand there shaking the bucket or bag while calling "duck duck duck"..they'll probably come running to get some peas. Once out of the pond and after having a quick treat herd them into the house and shut the doors. Herd them by walking behind them and raising your right arm when you want them to go to the left, raise your left arm when you want them to go right. Do this a few days in a row and before you know it they'll start coming when you call duck duck duck or already be out of the pond waiting on your at supper or bed time. Ducks learn really fast. I trained all of my ducks to come up from the pond at supper time this way. My 13 week old Muscovies just started following the grown ducks to the pond 3 days ago and it took a fair bit of calling the past two nights before they'd come up the hill. Tonight I went out to the duck pen at 5 pm and all of my ducks were in the pen waiting for me, even my stubborn Mallard girls LOL

Michelle

 

[annie3001]

Just darling ducklings!!!!

oh oh oh and btw: i love vermont!!! We were just this weekend!!!!!!! Off the topic a bit, At one time we were looking at land in vermont for maybe having a second home. Then are kids got bigger, and needed more things, life got a bit more expensive etc. But its our dream to have a small home their, one day......

 

[JPinVT]

After a few days of wading into the pond at night to scare them out of it then running and diving at them in the pasture, I finally saw the most amazing sight last night: I watched from the barn as the little babies waddled right up the ramp and put themselves to bed! *huge sigh of relief*

 

[Eroc1_1]

Quote:
Great! It takes time and a lot of effort...lol

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Beautiful, beautiful pond and coop!

Scares the bejeeses out of me to think of turtles or other varmints around the pond but I know your duckly wucklies are very happy. I see the smile on their faces.

Mine coop up at night when I say "bedtime". It has been the ritual since they came here as wee babies. Though mine free range or are in the 15x60 runs. I have to put the Golden Cascades in a run or they would run themselves to death all over the farm scared of everything. Craziest ducks I have ever seen.

Pekins are cool! I have one growing up and he is quite nifty. Out of my pair, George and Gracie. You know from the Burns and Allen show? Er, must be showing my age here.