my ducks think they are chickens

[MNmommy]

my 2 call ducks don't want to swim!! I have this big perfect pond for them and they climb right out!! They share a coop with the chickens and peep whenever i take them away from the coop. They go running right back to the coop and snuggle with the chicks. They are only 4 weeks old so maybe things will change??

Anyone have ducks that don't want to swim?? I guess i could bring a couple xhicks over to the pond area so they can see one another still

Any other ideas?

 

[3goodeggs]

When I was a child, dad put some duck eggs under a broody hen. We couldn't keep them out of the dog water dish. The momma hen would get histerical. But they were only duckings, no chicks. I think your few ducks think they are chicks and need the clutch to hang with. I don't think the chicks would enjoy the water though. Give the ducklings time and they should be...like ducks to water.
Maybe if you offer them a shallow dish to dabble in, they might do just that.
Good luck with the quackers.

 

[undermywings]

If it is too deep they might drown. They need oil for water proofing their feathers and they can't produce their own. Their momma's oil coats their down till they make their own. If no momma, keep an eye on them if they do go in the water. We feed ours plain Cheerios and then threw them in the water so they would go in.

 

[jandmeg07]

We have two Pekin girls that we added this year. Let's see, they are 2 1/2 months old I do believe. Anyway, they loved to swim around in our bathtub, but since they've been outside, they refuse to get into their pool. (Which is a sunken old garden tub.) Our older pair, Daisy the Pekin and Donald the Rouen are in there almost all day when it's warm. They only get out to free range for food and take naps. Lovey and Betsy could care less. They will get drinks out of the pool, but will not get in for a swim and if I put them in, the make a fuss and get right back out. They will stand under the hose and let me spray them though. Maybe they prefer a shower to a bath? lol

 

[RocketChick]

I have a lone duckling Im raising with chicks and in the water it will scream and jump right out if it cannot see its chick friends, but if they are close by, she will swim around and dive underwater like a bullet happily. As long as her homies are around she's fine. Maybe you need to bring their friends close by? Just enough so that they can see them.

Be careful though...two of my chicks flew in there and walked around with the duck, liked the water a lot...strange, but I made sure they got out of there fast heh. Make sure to supervise the ducks and chicks at all times!!