Ramps and ducks

[Dirtautoguy]

We recently moved all our chicks outside. They have been outside for about 1 1/2 weeks now and they have been doing great!

An issue that has come up is our ducks getting into the coop. The coop we have is a prefab setup that is raised off the ground with a run around and under the coop.

The chickens get into the coop no problem. I’m not even sure they use the ramp. They go to bed every night by 9. When the chickens go to bed the ducks lose their mind untill we put them in the coop.

If we put them 1/4 up the ramp they will go up the ramp pretty much on their own but they will not try to go up the ramp by themselves. Once everyone’s in the coop they are happy.

Iv thought about getting them their own coop of some sort maybe they would use that? I think I could turn the run area under the coop into another coop area fairly easily.

Or maybe changing the ramp which would take a good amount of modification?

Or Iv thought about leaving them out later maybe they would go on their own eventually?

We have 2 ducks and 5 chickens.

thanks

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Do you have a picture of your ramp? It sounds like it’s much too steep for your ducks. They need a gradual ramp if you are going to use one, but tend to do better with coops that are closer to the ground. You mentioned prefab? How big is your coop and how many birds do you have total in there?

 

[Dirtautoguy]

I don’t have the size on me it was rated for 9 birds. It’s already been discussed about size and ratings commercially. But for the time being it is working and it’s what we have. We have 7 birds in all

I’m pretty sure the ramp is steeper than they would like. If it weren’t for trying to get the ducks to use it I would really consider removing it because I don’t believe the chickens use it either they hop/fly up to it.

We raised the chickens and ducks together im really wondering if they could accept a coop of their own for at night?

 

[StinkyAcres]

IF there is enough space for them all I'd give them more time to figure it out and possibly widen and lower the ramp (photos?). Keep placing them on the ramp every night and they'll get it eventually.

If the coop will not be big enough for all the birds when they are older (which I am guessing is the case given that you have a prefab) you should give the ducks their own coop. You will have to place each one of them in there every night for possibly a couple weeks or more for them to understand it's theirs.

 

[nao57]

Well... ducks are funny. It can be a blizzard outside with massive snow and cold, wet, and they will still want to be outside. This is part of your issue. I've seen this in winter, where they will still want to be outside.

Waterfowl are also partly like this because their blood/heart temperature is just higher than other animals. So they are built this way.

But... it will only take your first dog attack to be glad you are putting them in the coop at night.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Well... ducks are funny. It can be a blizzard outside with massive snow and cold, wet, and they will still want to be outside. This is part of your issue. I've seen this in winter, where they will still want to be outside.

Waterfowl are also partly like this because their blood/heart temperature is just higher than other animals. So they are built this way.

But... it will only take your first dog attack to be glad you are putting them in the coop at night.

This is true. Unlike chickens who can't see when it starts to get dark, ducks can and sometimes decide they want to sleep outside all night, especially if the weather is good.

 

[ruthhope]

IMHO ducks can be trained quite quickly to go into a coup at night. Whenever my son or I get a new duck, once they are integrated with the flock, they follow everyone into the coup. Mine are all drakes and they have to go in a certain order. The boss duck, muscovy, goes first. The little terror of a pekin has to get inside into his dog crate before there are too many muscovy in the coup. One Muscovy wont go in until all the other drakes are inside -- particularly he won't go in until the little terror of a Pekin is safely in his dog crate. But they all go in -- and will even go in 90 minutes early if I have to go out in the evening, as long as I go through the normal ritual of adding dry bedding, providing clean water and adding food with mealworms on top. Then, I go and cover over their kiddie pool and hose the patio and the boys go in except for the last boy. I lock the dog crate so the little terror cannot get out, and go and find the last one who sits on top of my compost pile until I go and get him. He then goes and waits by the coup door until I get there to open it and let him in. They are boys of habit!

But also IMHO, ducks do not like ramps. Even with a long gentle incline, ducks don't like ramps. Mine go up steps, and either jump down or fly down steps, but when I tried to introduce a configuration with a ramp, they would not use it

 

[nao57]

IMHO ducks can be trained quite quickly to go into a coup at night. Whenever my son or I get a new duck, once they are integrated with the flock, they follow everyone into the coup. Mine are all drakes and they have to go in a certain order. The boss duck, muscovy, goes first. The little terror of a pekin has to get inside into his dog crate before there are too many muscovy in the coup. One Muscovy wont go in until all the other drakes are inside -- particularly he won't go in until the little terror of a Pekin is safely in his dog crate. But they all go in -- and will even go in 90 minutes early if I have to go out in the evening, as long as I go through the normal ritual of adding dry bedding, providing clean water and adding food with mealworms on top. Then, I go and cover over their kiddie pool and hose the patio and the boys go in except for the last boy. I lock the dog crate so the little terror cannot get out, and go and find the last one who sits on top of my compost pile until I go and get him. He then goes and waits by the coup door until I get there to open it and let him in. They are boys of habit!

But also IMHO, ducks do not like ramps. Even with a long gentle incline, ducks don't like ramps. Mine go up steps, and either jump down or fly down steps, but when I tried to introduce a configuration with a ramp, they would not use it

I agree with you! Although it does seem to be the case that there's 1 or 2 ringleaders that make things happen. So people still need 1 or 2 that know the system. For those that haven't made it work like you, they would also want to know that part of making it work depends on trying get them to go in their house around the same time each night. If you deviate from the time, it can confuse them.

 

[ruthhope]

So people still need 1 or 2 that know the system. For those that haven't made it work like you, they would also want to know that part of making it work depends on trying get them to go in their house around the same time each night

We trained our ducks to go in to their coup at night with mealworms. I take a bowl of pellets with meal worms on top into the duck house. My ducks will do anything for mealworms. My son has a clear plastic jug for carrying pellets and mealworms to his coup. His ducks wait by the side gate til I arrive (they hear my vehicle drive up ) they run with me and clamor by his rear porch while I load the jug and run ahead of me into the coup as I take the jug there. And they know if there are mealworms in the jug!! No mealworms and they often do not go to the coup.

 

[Dirtautoguy]

I love hearing about how everyone’s ducks have different personalities! Hahaha that’s awesome!

Ducky is a peckin and she is kind of bossy to everyone else. Before we had them all outside she ran off our German shepherd, and she also decided she didn’t like the cat. She put her head down and flapped her wings and chased them! Mind you she was not very old at this time!

Daffy I think is a Cayuga duck I could be wrong. But she is much more chill and quiet. And much better behaved. She loves having friends a eating water melon

The last couple nights Iv spent some extra time observing what happens at about sun down.


The chickens start going to bed we have one that is always late, she will go into the coop eventually but only when she is good and ready.

When the chickens start going to bed the ducks start gathering around the ramp and start quacking their heads off and walking around and around and around. And acted almost like they were waiting for us to come put them in bed.

As an experiment we got a 30 gallon plastic tote. I cut a door into it and put in some vent holes, and bedding into it. I put the ducks in it and closed it up just like we do the coop everynight. I hung around for a while afterwards and I didn’t hear a single peep out of them.

I’m thinking they can’t get up the ramp and get upset about it. And instead of learning to go up the ramp they are just learning that we put them to bed every night. I’m going to try this tote for a few nights if they start going to bed on their own and it’s working then I will get them or build them something better.