Putting ducks away at night

[quackiemama]

Security is the key!

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Another user have me this tip.i chant "night night ducks" while clapping in time. Took about a month but they finally figured it out. Also treats once inside the house.

That's too funny. I say "bed time goose-er-roos!" and they start waddling towards the enclosed run. To the OP, I have to do this every night to my geese to get them to go in! It's been 6 or 8 months and they still try and sleep outside or in the barn

 

[Duckworth]

When I said ground level vs. elevated coop, I was thinking a coop raised high enough for birds to walk around under. My duck house is four inches higher than the rest of their enclosure and I have a drawbridge-style door that serves as a ramp when down. It’s always down, now, because it swelled during damp weather, then froze so it wouldn’t close. I screw a board over the opening every night and u screw it in the morning using a cordless drill with a star bit. My ducks like the ramp better when there is straw piled up around it so it doesn’t feel narrow to them. The door is thick because it is insulated like the rest of the house (with wide open mesh windows).

With deep, frozen straw in both house and pen:

 

[yickenscarf23]

My ducks don't mind going up, but DOWN that's a big no-no. Two inches of height difference and they spend ten minutes building up the courage. Haha!

Maybe you can make the entrance less scary by building up a half circle of earth in front, instead of one wood ladder? And a bigger opening maybe?

That was actually my fiance's first suggestion do that'll probably be our first course of action