please help! im not sure what to do.

[Mariakissinger132]

we are leaving for vacation in 2-3 months and i need serious help! ok so i need someone to help me by explaining how i can get my ducks to go in at night by there selves while i am away. there will be no one home so i need them to go in by themselves at a certian time every day. also we have an electric door that closes at 9 every night so we need them to be in by then. i am so worried about what to do if this doesnt work please help.

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

When I go out to lock up my chickens for the night, my ducks know they are next. Just out of habit. But I still have to physically be there to herd them in. I just don't have to "chase" them around anymore. Is there a neighbor or family member that you could ask for help in making sure they get locked in securely at night?

 

[Mariakissinger132]

When I go out to lock up my chickens for the night, my ducks know they are next. Just out of habit. But I still have to physically be there to herd them in. I just don't have to "chase" them around anymore. Is there a neighbor or family member that you could ask for help in making sure they get locked in securely at night?

No well we don’t have one right now but we probably won’t is there any other way

 

[CrazyCrttr75]

No well we don’t have one right now but we probably won’t is there any other way

Dang! I wish I had some trick that I could share with you. My ducks can be stubborn sometimes if they want to forage longer and aren't ready to go up. Hang in there! Hopefully others will come along that will have some ideas to help.

 

[Mariakissinger132]

Dang! I wish I had some trick that I could share with you. My ducks can be stubborn sometimes if they want to forage longer and aren't ready to go up. Hang in there! Hopefully others will come along that will have some ideas to help.

Thanks so much

 

[hayley3]

You need to find a young kid that can come over and do that for you, and pay them , kinda like a babysitter. Your ducks will be sitting ducks if you can't find someone.
You have plenty of time to find someone so that is good...Who wouldn't to earn a little extra cash to do such a simple job twice a day.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Do you have a pen and coop? If you have a pen you can fortify it and you have plenty of time wrap the entire pen in hard ware cloth, then add a hardware cloth skirt out 1 ft from your pen all the way around attach to the pen so it’s secure lay rocks or gravel over top. Then If you can’t get them trained before you go they will be safe sleeping inside the pen. You could even cover half of the top so you can leave feed an water out side an it won’t get wet but the whole top needs to be covered and secured with hardware cloth too. Training happens by herding every night at the same time and being consistent maybe two working together at first! I started herding with an old broom handle now I can just use my arms to guide.

 

[hayley3]

There still needs to be a human there for the visual or verbal cue.
Agree with Miss Lydia, the easiest and safest for the ducks is to enclose the pen and just leave them in there.

 

[DuckyDonna]

There still needs to be a human there for the visual or verbal cue.
Agree with Miss Lydia, the easiest and safest for the ducks is to enclose the pen and just leave them in there.

yes but what about clean water and food? I think that trying to find a kid or someone to come over would be the best thing.