Please help, my poor litle ducks are sad :(

[sonew123]

Back from chucrch and very happy they are happy again!!!! That is so cute how attached they are to their little blow up pool!!! I'd say wait another week or two and just bring the empty pool out again-leave it there for a day or two and little by little put water in it to see what they do and how they react? I think when they see that big bad scary pool isnt so scary-they might get curious and just decide to "test" those waters again! congrats on your happy babies....

 

[priss]

Went out to put them to bed and they were all sitting in bed waiting for me to come out bless. They are back to their happy little well behaved selves. When the evil pool was out we had to wrestle them back into bed at night because they had to pass the pool to get there!
I totally like your idea of introducing it back to them without the water. They certainly weren't so worried about it once I'd taken almost all the water out.
I will try it on my next day off work.
They my beautiful little noisy angels. So glad to have the WAK back!!

 

[priss]

NOOOOOOO HELP HELP HELP!!!!
They wouldn't come out their hut again today and they wouldn't go anywhere near the pool again. Even though it is their old one and they were loving it yesterday. My neighbour heard Rory kicking up a fuss and she came running out and Rory was quacking at the pool scared but she said she couldn't see anything at all there. The other two were looking because Rory is the little guard duck out of the three so they listen when he raises the alarm.
WHAT CAN IT BE???
It can't be a fox or a badger because their big run is sealed so they wouldn't be able to get to the pool and if they had somehow managed it, there would be signs of them breaking through the wire. Then I thought maybe a bird and my husband obviously had the same thought as me because when I came home from work he'd put boards up to shelter it from the sky, although I've been out with them when a bird of prey was out (they stopped and kept an eye on it and then carried about with their business).
Does that just leave snake? And if it does, how do I find it? I looked and looked and couldn't see anything or any signs of anything. And how come they were happy rolling around in the space the old pool was on top of if there is a snake somewhere around there.
Something happened I can only think, at night? Because they went to bed happy last night and they woke up worried and refusing to go in the pool. They knew without even coming out of their hut.
I WISH I WISH I WISH I COULD DO SOMETHING. IT'S REALLY UPSETTING TO SEE SAD LITTLE DUCKS.
My poor little angels and they can't tell me what's wrong. Momma can't fix it.
Aww and they were so pleased to see me after work today. They were all snuggled up in bed and came up when I opened their hut door and said hello. They're little sweeties.
Any more ideas people? Please?
Priss xxxxx

(Do you think the snake went away while I was emptying the old pool and they just knew it and so were happy and then it has come back? They're happy in the rest of their run.)

 

[rainplace]

Maybe something is spooking them at night while they are in the pen? Something trying to get in?

 

[priss]

It sounds like it doesn't it? But I can't see any signs of anything. Also they haven't wakked in the night for me. I can hear if they're not happy, I sleep in the room at the back of the house with the window open. The neighbour has had a badger round her house but I can't see any signs that it's been in our garden, it can't get to the pool and they're okay in the rest of the run. Plus the badger has been round the neighbour's garden for weeks, it's not a recent thing.
sigh
They wouldn't be able to hear a snake in the night would they? And we only get little grass snakes on the Isle of Wight, coudn't a duck whup its butt?

 

[nettie]

ducks seem to be picky creatures who hate change. My ducks are house pets and got a bath everynight in my tub. When I moved to chicago in May, they were banished to my father's garage while I was searching for a new home for us. They had to use a blue kiddie pool as they water bathing source. For nearly a month they refused to go in it. They would avoid it and would jump out immediately if i put them in there. I even stood in the water with them hopeing they'd get used to it.

Eventually they did get used to it. I put food and treats in it everyday to entice them to get in. they still sometimes stand at the edge and pick out whetever treats they can grab without getting in. They'll also stand at the edge of the pool, dipping their heads in to flick the water on their backs to bathe, because they still don't really like to get in the pool.

I think your duckies will eventually get used to their new surroundings. They just need to learn that it's okay. Talking to them and putting treats in it will help. You can try floating koi food that doesn't sink, to help catch their eye.

 

[priss]

A month? Oh boy!!
I've been putting grapes in but they do sink to the bottom. I'll get some of that floating koi food, thank you.
I had no idea ducks could be so funny about these kinds of things! I've been losing sleep because I hate to think they're scared! I was thinking about putting my waterproofs on and sitting out there all night to see what went on! But it could just be that they're little pillocks? They loved it on the first day I put both pools in but could they have just changed their minds?
I've just bought lots of duck books online. Momma's gonna learn duck psychology if it kills me. I WILL make those ducks happy lol.
xxxxx

 

[priss]

Also...your ducks are housepets? Are they house trained or do you put newspaper down? Can any duck be trained to be allowed into the house? Even my three? Do they eat the carpet?

 

[Wifezilla]

Ducks can't be housetrained. They can't "hold it". They can, however, wear diapers.

 

[priss]

waaaait. for real? diapers for real? duck nappies? would that mean when my husband is on a nightshift they could have his side of the bed?