My ducks won't return to the coop

[Debby Duck]

I'm sorry you continue to have complicated duck issues. While all ducks are individuals I have similar experiences with my ducks when I am medicating them. Instead of running to me they will start running away from me. Even the ones I am not giving medication to at the time will begin to suspect me. I don't blame them. Instead of being the bringer of mealworms and water buckets I become the person who grabs them and their friends - a scary predator like experience. The good news is that within 2 weeks after I stop the medication things go back to normal and my ducks start eagerly running up to me again. This is why I go to great lengths to hide my duck's daily oral medication inside grape tomatoes.

I suspect that when your drake's environment returns to a more pleasant one where they aren't getting handled they will start coming back again. Or it is possible that they don't like the barrier.

The decision to rehome pet drakes is a challenging one. Don't forget that your needs are important, too, when making it. If you can no longer provide for them it is ok to rehome. I'm not sure they will be better off with someone else. I do think a bigger sleeping area would be good, but I know you have size restrictions.

*hugs* I support you whatever you do.

Thank you. Yes I think it could be a combination of both. The separation involves handling them so they don't like that or the barrier. We had to alter the barrier, because one of them clawed his way up and over it! I couldn't believe it. There was only about 6-7 inches at the top. But he did it.

They are doing the same thing to me yours do. They will come if I'm giving their favorite, peas. But as soon as we grab one to treat the eye or whatever, they all get scared and start running. The eye infection looks like it spread to another duck. And I'm amazed that we were able to get hold of the 3 with problems and treat them just now. I tried to hold one the way you and Isaac do and it didn't go well. See photo. I really don't think wild ducks would be any harder to handle that mines are. They fight me like crazy. And I guess I shouldn't have tried that with shorts on.

My big worry besides not being able to treat them at night, is them staying out. They never came in last night. I'm so afraid of something happening if this becomes a pattern.

I figured as much, that drakes will be hard to rehome. This was another hard lesson learned, that having them on a pond makes it difficult to control them.

 

[Debby Duck]

if you do end up needing to rehome, there are a lot of homes willing to take drakes (and not eat them) if you look good enough. one of my boys could not get along with more than one other duck at a time, and now he lives with just 1 other drake (no girl ducks) and a few other types of birds (chicken, guinea) and is super happy. we even get to visit him whenever we want

That's really great that you can visit them! With these being crested ducks, I'm guessing the best place for them would be with hens, and no other drakes that could fight them and pull on those feathers. I think. But I don't have any knowledge on that for sure. Thanks for encouraging news. I haven't given up on them, but I'll have to make a decision on how long I can wait for them to come back to their senses versus the risk out there. Ugh.

 

[fatty and friends]

That's really great that you can visit them! With these being crested ducks, I'm guessing the best place for them would be with hens, and no other drakes that could fight them and pull on those feathers. I think. But I don't have any knowledge on that for sure. Thanks for encouraging news. I haven't given up on them, but I'll have to make a decision on how long I can wait for them to come back to their senses versus the risk out there. Ugh.

maybe two different pet only homes? that way they all keep a friend with them but are less likely to fight (and also won’t be able to breed hens and have more crested ducklings)

normally a little fighting is normal (even hens do it for pecking order) but crested really just makes the situation dangerous

 

[KaleIAm]

Thank you. Yes I think it could be a combination of both. The separation involves handling them so they don't like that or the barrier. We had to alter the barrier, because one of them clawed his way up and over it! I couldn't believe it. There was only about 6-7 inches at the top. But he did it.

They are doing the same thing to me yours do. They will come if I'm giving their favorite, peas. But as soon as we grab one to treat the eye or whatever, they all get scared and start running. The eye infection looks like it spread to another duck. And I'm amazed that we were able to get hold of the 3 with problems and treat them just now. I tried to hold one the way you and Isaac do and it didn't go well. See photo. I really don't think wild ducks would be any harder to handle that mines are. They fight me like crazy. And I guess I shouldn't have tried that with shorts on.

My big worry besides not being able to treat them at night, is them staying out. They never came in last night. I'm so afraid of something happening if this becomes a pattern.

I figured as much, that drakes will be hard to rehome. This was another hard lesson learned, that having them on a pond makes it difficult to control them.

Oh my, your poor leg! My crested scratched up my arms and chest before as well when she saw my cat. It was really impressive.

Do you think you could do a little herding for the separation? I have to feed my ducks different food for medical reasons so we separate for feeding time. We herd two into a separate area. They are used to it now and go in automatically.

Unless ducks enjoy being touched I feel like touching them damages the relationship, so personally I try to avoid it unless it is necessary for a medical or safety reason.

 

[Debby Duck]

maybe two different pet only homes? that way they all keep a friend with them but are less likely to fight (and also won’t be able to breed hens and have more crested ducklings)

normally a little fighting is normal (even hens do it for pecking order) but crested really just makes the situation dangerous

Oh that's right. I don't want them to make anymore crested ducks either. Yeah, 2 and 2 would be better as just pets.

 

[Debby Duck]

I'm so excited! We just just outwitted those little buggers and herded them into the coop when they were cornered!

So at least for now, since we have to handle them to treat wounds and infections, and a 2nd duck now has an eye infection, we're just going to let them stay together. I know they'll fight, but they're fighting out on the lake anyway. I'd rather have them protected fighting than loose on the lake fighting. That way maybe they'll start coming in on their own again. Then later we can try separating again with less handling. We'll have to herd them through the house, but we did it when they were all young so we can do it again.

Unless you all think I should not keep them together right now?

 

[Debby Duck]

Oh my, your poor leg! My crested scratched up my arms and chest before as well when she saw my cat. It was really impressive.

Do you think you could do a little herding for the separation? I have to feed my ducks different food for medical reasons so we separate for feeding time. We herd two into a separate area. They are used to it now and go in automatically.

Unless ducks enjoy being touched I feel like touching them damages the relationship, so personally I try to avoid it unless it is necessary for a medical or safety reason.

Yay! We got them in! The details are in my other post.
It's funny isn't it, people ever ask about your ducks biting you? They do me. Little do they realize it's those razor like claws like are to be feared! I do get clawed a lot though when I sit on the ground giving them treats. I should wear long pants but it's too hot down here for that. They'll try to stand on my legs, but don't dare touch them!

I feel like you, if they don't like it don't press it. I wish I didn't have to now. One of them I have to treat now, always gives me neck nuzzles and kisses on the cheek. And I always respect his boundaries. So I hope he doesn't change after this.

If we have to go back to separating them, we'll try herding instead of carrying. They are not very happy that they got herded in early today! A lot of complaining going on.

You must have had some training to do to keep yours eating separate food.

 

[KaleIAm]

Yay! We got them in! The details are in my other post.
It's funny isn't it, people ever ask about your ducks biting you? They do me. Little do they realize it's those razor like claws like are to be feared! I do get clawed a lot though when I sit on the ground giving them treats. I should wear long pants but it's too hot down here for that. They'll try to stand on my legs, but don't dare touch them!

I feel like you, if they don't like it don't press it. I wish I didn't have to now. One of them I have to treat now, always gives me neck nuzzles and kisses on the cheek. And I always respect his boundaries. So I hope he doesn't change after this.

If we have to go back to separating them, we'll try herding instead of carrying. They are not very happy that they got herded in early today! A lot of complaining going on.

You must have had some training to do to keep yours eating separate food.

Well done getting them in!

Yeah the claws are way worse than the biting. I actually had one duck who bit me many times daily because of her intensive medical treatments, but the claws are worst.

I think your ducks will forgive you after the treatments stop and you start being a source of only good things again. At least, that's what mine always do, and my ducks have had a lot of medical care. One distrusts me for longer than the others. I always give her as much time as she needs.

My ducks don't willingly eat separate food, but they willingly go into separate areas because I won't put the food down until they do. They are actually jerks and try to stick their heads in the fencing and eat each other's food. I have to put the bowls far enough away that they can't reach.

Sometimes when I herd I can just stand behind my ducks and wiggle my fingers and very gently guide them where I want them to go. Usually I can call them and they come, or even just say, "go to bed." But that did take training. If you can get them used to a routine in a gentle way and give them mealworms they might start going into the right compartments automatically.

So, the problem I see with keeping them together right now is if they keep reinjuring each other. They might need time apart so they can heal. It's hard to know what the best thing to do is. Keep me updated. I'll be thinking about you guys.

 

[luvmyduckies]

For the last few nights my 4 drakes have been later and reluctant to come in. And now tonight they wouldn't come in at all.

A few nights ago we had to start separating them because they fought viciously. First into pairs, but when that didn't work we took 2 into the garage and separated them by screen and kept 2 in the coop separated by a screen. At the same time we had to start treating one for an eye infection and another for head wound.

Even though we raised them from 2days old, they hate being touched or handled. A LOT. And they've been handled a lot in the past few days.

So, here's my question. Am I doing them wrong by keeping them if they are going to keep staying out? I don't want to have them picked off one by one but predetors. But I don't know what their situation would be if we rehomed them. I'm even worried one of them will end up drowned the way all three pile on him out in the lake. Which is where they spend most of their day and where they are right now.

There are no other ducks out there at night. So it's not females they're after. I don't know why they stopped coming home. It could have been either of the 2 things we were doing. Or maybe both I don't know. They're 11 months old. And they always came in on time until now.

I just hope they stay in the water.

 

[luvmyduckies]

For the last few nights my 4 drakes have been later and reluctant to come in. And now tonight they wouldn't come in at all.

A few nights ago we had to start separating them because they fought viciously. First into pairs, but when that didn't work we took 2 into the garage and separated them by screen and kept 2 in the coop separated by a screen. At the same time we had to start treating one for an eye infection and another for head wound.

Even though we raised them from 2days old, they hate being touched or handled. A LOT. And they've been handled a lot in the past few days.

So, here's my question. Am I doing them wrong by keeping them if they are going to keep staying out? I don't want to have them picked off one by one but predetors. But I don't know what their situation would be if we rehomed them. I'm even worried one of them will end up drowned the way all three pile on him out in the lake. Which is where they spend most of their day and where they are right now.

There are no other ducks out there at night. So it's not females they're after. I don't know why they stopped coming home. It could have been either of the 2 things we were doing. Or maybe both I don't know. They're 11 months old. And they always came in on time until now.

I just hope they stay in the water.

I have learned that when meet ducks give me a hard time coming in it was because vib was over feeding them. I suggest you only feed when you put them up n feed a bit less so they are hungry.
I say when I read your post I also thought it was mating behavior.
Have you considered saying females to your flock?