pop hole ramp and ducks

[Alaskan]

My ducks can't figure out how to use the ramp!

They live with the chickens, who have no problems, but the ducks can't figure it out.

Anyone manage to successfully get ducks to use a ramp? Is there some trick?

 

[Henrietta23]

Quote:
Not sure. I've got one pair that have figured it out and another pair, who are younger, who haven't. The younger pair can actually watch the older ones go up their ramp through the fence that separates them. I'm not sure if this pair is just not into going into their shelter for the night, afraid of the ramp, or if they just really want to go with the bigger pair. I have to put the youngsters to bed everynight.

 

[sianara]

Can you post a picture of your ramp?

My ducks have always used theirs. In fact, at bedtime I herd them into the run and tell them "time for bed girls" and up the ramp they go!

 

[scooter147]

I have two ducks with my chickens and the ducks figured out how to go up the ramp in a day or two.

My pop door is only 2 feet off the ground so it is not that high and the ramp is not steep at all.

If your pop door and ramp are higher than that it could be a problem for ducks. I would also make sure the ramp is not too steep. Chickens can navigate a steep ramp with little problems.

 

[Heather J]

In that case, maybe I should make my ramp steep to keep ducks out of the chicken coop. lol

 

[Alaskan]

My ramp is a very gradual incline, which makes it very long, since the pop door is probably 2 feet up. The ramp is maybe 8 inches wide.

The ducks will walk up maybe 6 inches then jump off.

If they really want into the house, they try to climb the chicken wire that is acting as bottom 'skirting'. They can't make it, if you were wondering.

 

[farm_mom]

I could never get my ducks to understand the concept of the ramp either. I finally gave up and removed it and just made a dirt hill there by their entrance. They got that immediately and put themselves away at night. Good Luck!

 

[Alaskan]

HAHA! I am thinking that ducks are just really stupid, so it takes them lots longer to figure out how to do anything.

Because tonight I got 8 of the 12 ducks to GO UP A RAMP!

The long gradual ramp I have is actually a foot wide....

Anyway, I propped up two other pieces of wood, different lengths. One super steep, one pretty steep, and then the original very gradual one. I opened the human door (the pop door is in the middle of the human door), so it was a wide obvious entrance.

Then I slowly and gently herded them in the right direction. I would let them get at the right spot (the base of the ramps), then stand there but keep the pressure up (otherwise they would sit down and relax).

FINALLY one tried the super steep ramp. It is so steep that the duck was flapping and clawing to get up, but she made it. But *that* was the turning point!

After lots more patience the majority of them followed her lead. I gave up on the last 4...wasn't gonna stay out there forever you know.

Funny thing though, one of the ones that 'failed' is one of the older ducks, so plenty big enough to see into the coop and know where she should have been going. Also, not a single one used the long, wide, shallow ramp!

 

[Emzyyy]

I think their just clumsy, and stubborn Lol.