Ramps and ducks

[StinkyAcres]

Sounds good. I think the ducks would like their own house anyway.

Here is the incline of my duck's ramp. I believe it's about 9 inches wide. They go up and down no problem and I have big ducks.

 

[nao57]

I like it. that's a very nice duck house. Although, now that I see your ducks I see they are muscovies... I'm curious in how that affects their desire to be either outside or inside with shelters? Mostly all my experience is with mallard ducks which are cold climate ducks. But muscovies are supposedly from tropical and sub-tropical areas... so this could mean differences in their behaviors...?

 

[StinkyAcres]

I like it. that's a very nice duck house. Although, now that I see your ducks I see they are muscovies... I'm curious in how that affects their desire to be either outside or inside with shelters? Mostly all my experience is with mallard ducks which are cold climate ducks. But muscovies are supposedly from tropical and sub-tropical areas... so this could mean differences in their behaviors...?

Yes, they might behave a little differently, although @ruthhope mentioned she has Muscovy as well as Pekin. Mine have to be herded inside most nights but they go in without a fight now (I used to have to catch them with nets when they were young).

 

[ruthhope]

Yes, they might behave a little differently, although @ruthhope mentioned she has Muscovy as well as Pekin. Mine have to be herded inside most nights but they go in without a fight now (I used to have to catch them with nets when they were young).

My goodness you had some little terrors! I have had issues getting new ducks into a new duck house in the past but have never had to resort to catching them. I have had to set up barriers in my son's backyard to funnel wayward pekins away from shrubbery and into their coup, but they have outgrown their refusal to go in, now.

 

[ruthhope]

Sounds good. I think the ducks would like their own house anyway.

Here is the incline of my duck's ramp. I believe it's about 9 inches wide. They go up and down no problem and I have big ducks.

Those are 2 lovely looking and well behaved muscovy in your photo. Your ramp is very similar to a set up I tried for my drakes and they rejected it. I didn't persist though, we just changed around the coup entrance. That coup wood was destroyed by carpenter ants in 18 months, so they now have an all metal setup with ground level entrance!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Those are 2 lovely looking and well behaved muscovy in your photo. Your ramp is very similar to a set up I tried for my drakes and they rejected it. I didn't persist though, we just changed around the coup entrance. That coup wood was destroyed by carpenter ants in 18 months, so they now have an all metal setup with ground level entrance!

Thanks! Yes, they have been very well-behaved. They lay their eggs inside the coop too. And lately they've been going inside on their own at night, I think because of the stormy weather.

 

[ruthhope]

Thanks! Yes, they have been very well-behaved. They lay their eggs inside the coop too. And lately they've been going inside on their own at night, I think because of the stormy weather.

We have just started stormy weather in NE Florida [the rains are very late this year] and my boys are hanging round in or near their coup all day. I have one who often spends a day in the coup but other days atop my compost pile (he doesn't get on with my little terror of a pekin drake). He is no longer traversing the garden to get behind the shed to the compost. Instead he is coming up onto my back steps under the eaves on days when he comes out of the coup . I really don't know where the rainy day expression "nice weather for ducks" comes from. My drakes do not like rain!

 

[StinkyAcres]

We have just started stormy weather in NE Florida [the rains are very late this year] and my boys are hanging round in or near their coup all day. I have one who often spends a day in the coup but other days atop my compost pile (he doesn't get on with my little terror of a pekin drake). He is no longer traversing the garden to get behind the shed to the compost. Instead he is coming up onto my back steps under the eaves on days when he comes out of the coup . I really don't know where the rainy day expression "nice weather for ducks" comes from. My drakes do not like rain!

Huh...Mine love being out in the rain during the day. They are out in it every time. They just like to be safe from the wind and rain at night.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Just goes to show you how different individuals can behave in different situations!

 

[Luv Ducks]

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.

Our next door neighbor gave us a great prefab Chicken coop for our ducks after they rehomed their Chickens. It has a steep ramp. I have Muscovy Ducks and Mallards that sneak up the ramp to get into the house so they can go broody. My first time young Muscovy did it this year and sat on 11 eggs in this unbearable heat we have been having. Some of the eggs actually cooked in the house! None of them were able to hatch and I finally had to turn the hose on her in the house and block the door so she can no longer get in there. I have seen my Mallard duck go up the ramp too. I guess it all depends on how desperate they are to go broody what they will do. lol