Teaching ‘teen-aged’ ducks to coop up

[LtDanFan]

My flock consists of 7 various breed young female ducks that are about 5 months old, a drake that is about 6 months old and 4 twelve-week-old unknown sex ducks of various breeds. The drake is the lone survivor of a house fire and was raised with chickens until the 7 oldest females were old enough to go outside full time. The oldest ducks have all now sufficiently bonded and will willingly walk up the ramp into the coop every night. The youngins (2 saxony, 1 ancona and 1 swedish blue) and the elders get along when in the yard but still keep to their own broodmates. The oldest (except the drake) and the youngins were brooded together but in separate groups (hope that makes sense).
Although they seem to get along, they act like 2 flocks. Problem is this keeps the youngins out of the coop and at night i have to chase them around to get them to go up the ramp meanwhile, the older ducks are already snuggled in bed.
I’ve even been out there in the middle of the day and they were all swimming and feeding together or the older ones would be in the coop and the youngins would be hanging out outside.
I used meal worms to train the older ones to go up a ramp to the slightly raised coop at night but this isn’t working with the youngins. Any suggestions??
I don’t have room to give them 2 coops at this time and i really would like them to all sleep together as it will be getting cold soon and i am tired of chasing them around the mud.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

They're all pretty young yet. They should eventually be more cohesive when mature, but for now they will continue to think of themselves from separate batches, and unfortunately they are doing what is natural.

 

[LtDanFan]

They're all pretty young yet. They should eventually be more cohesive when mature, but for now they will continue to think of themselves from separate batches, and unfortunately they are doing what is natural.

That’s pretty much what i figured. Ive noticed the same thing among the chickens too and as the pullets mature and start to lay, they seem to “move” up to the “hen” group. It’s like they’ve created their own elementary/middle/high school progression

Honestly, I’d be happy just for the babies to go into the coop at night, i don’t care much who they hang out with during the day. Chasing them around in a dark muddy pen while they quack their fool heads off is getting tiring. I feel like this batch is taking longer to learn about the coop than the oldest group and i was hoping that the youngins would follow their elders

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I feel like this batch is taking longer to learn about the coop than the oldest group and i was hoping that the youngins would follow their elders

The problem is the younger batch needs to stay away from the older batch who have claimed the coop. It's kinda like asking older kids to play with their younger siblings. Most times the older ones want the younger ones to get lost, especially at night.

 

[LtDanFan]

The problem is the younger batch needs to stay away from the older batch who have claimed the coop. It's kinda like asking older kids to play with their younger siblings. Most times the older ones want the younger ones to get lost, especially at night.

I get that too and i was a little afraid of that. . I was at the house this morning after work and they seemed to be more cohesive than i’ve seen them in the past. They were sharing the food and the bowls and the tub for swimming. In counting from their date of hatch, the babies are only 8 weeks old. I sure thought they were older because they are about the same size as the older ducks already. The older ducks are about 5 months.
I guess i just have to be patient.