need advice - my ducks hate the new water pump in the pool

[Newbie6789]

Hi my duck friends. I need your experience and insights.

My dear hubby has bought a 300 gallon (4x6 ft) rubber maid tub and buried it to land level (with a really cool floating ramp - the ducks do love that). We had a makeshift landscape pump which was getting clogged up, so he bought me a real pond pump, flowing water over rocks in a waterfall. We did this to prepare for winter to keep open water for them (WI winter). Problem - now they wont even go near the pool!!!!!! I am HOPING with time they will get used to the fuller water fall. Any suggestions or tips are greatly appreciated. I am sad for my hubby as the ducks are really mine, but he has been the one doing the hard work .

Also have a 100 gallon water tank with opening at bottom (hog waterer) which we will heat over the winter. Spoiled kids - - hoping they overcome their adverse reaction to the new pump.......

Very grateful for any suggestions

 

[Miss Lydia]

They are afraid of anything new so time will help. Maybe if they have a special treat you could try to entice them close but honestly with them anything just takes time. It's a really scary monster that may just gobble them up.

 

[Flyinbolts]

Yea... I bought a stock tank and filled it with water. Just that act alone they wouldn't go near it for 3 days (until I picked up one of them and put them in it) and then it was happy splash fun time every day since. Ducks are smart/suspicious. If they don't like something or if they don't have an example to follow that appears safe they will go the other way.

 

[416bigbore]

X2 @Miss Lydia is spot on. Your set up sounds cool, can you post some pics?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It does sound awesome I'd love to see too.

 

[KaleIAm]

I agree they will probably get used to it in time. My ducks are also terrified of everything new. Sometimes I put mealworms increasingly closer to something new each day to help desensitize them. That may work for yours as well.

 

[Newbie6789]

here you go

 

[416bigbore]

That's awesome thanks for posting. Looks like everyone should have plenty of room. I would put some Kale or something like that, that floats and they will just love it.

 

[416bigbore]

Make sure to give Hubby an At A Boy! It's Awesome!

 

[Newbie6789]

I certainly will! He deserves it. The reason for the waterfall with rocks - they are "fake" rocks covering up the container housing the pump housing since it technically is supposed to be indoors. He is my plumber, designer, engineer, worker, etc. He's a keeper