Warmth causing ducks to be bad!

[Duckfarmer1]

Hi everyone! So it’s actually been a bit warm up here.... By that I just mean our pond isn’t frozen..so it got to like 40-50 for a few days.. this happened a few weeks ago too.. my ducks won’t come in at night for me now. Not at all. Doesn’t matter if I’m yelling duuuuckkks, doing jumping jacks, upside down,with mealworms on a po-go stick, and a bull horn, and loud pellets in a can, they do not move off the pond. . This is causing me great distress. Last night I left the side door to the barn open...it has a motion light under it...but, it has steps. Not all of my ducks have learned how to go up steps...just down. But the normal door that they use is where the goats are, and I’m sorry but I’m just not willing risk them. I can see this is the new trend, with the weather eventually warming up..but Chris said our weather man just said the rest of winter is supposed to be poopy..and I was actually happy...how ridiculous is that?! So...I have many pens..those doors are all being left open too..but they are not as safe as the barn, and certainly not warm. The real thing is....how do I deal with them? It’s the pond...I don’t know how to explain it to those of you that don’t have ponds..but when a duck gets in...that’s it... And since it’s been so cold and frozen, I’m thinking they are unwilling to get out since they probably know...or are worried they’ll lose it again.. they literally did not get out of the pond all day yesterday. The day before, I did not show them that the pond was starting to unfreeze because I knew this would happen...since they were thrilled playing in the mud puddles. So, I’m worried about my ducks’ safety. Also...I have one little female Muscovy....she’s afraid of the barn now I think, because she was getting, um..well...the drakes...how do I get her back unless I get rid of those drakes? I gave away 7 drakes last week because of the issue but still have at least 5...

 

[bobbi-j]

It seems to me that once you get them all back they need to be penned up. (Video, please, of you doing jumping jacks upside down on a pogo stick.It paints quite a picture in my head! )

 

[Duckfarmer1]

It seems to me that once you get them all back they need to be penned up. (Video, please, of you doing jumping jacks upside down on a pogo stick.It paints quite a picture in my head! )

Ok, but it might be shakey while I’m taking the video.... That’s what I said to Chris...about keeping them locked up...he said..no , since they only get a few nice days in winter... BUT...he’s not the one doing the work....hmmmm. Perhaps I’ll have to overrule his input? That is...if they ever come back in the barn???

 

[DuckyDonna]

We're supposed to have very warm weather until next Sunday when we go back to winter again. We were out in the yard doing chores and cleaning up after the storm with not even a sweatshirt on yesterday. My son is in Philly and he said it was 67° there yesterday which was warmer than us.

So what to do with the ducks? I guess if they are safe on the pond (except for hawks and swimming mammals) leave them alone and hope for the best. When winter comes back I'd lock them up in the barn and let them out in a fenced area during the day that is close to the barn.

If you get a roll of welded wire fencing you could make a temporary area for them. I've got that going on inside in my duck run right now. I'm trying to get the grass to grow in one area so I've blocked that off to the ducks just by fencing off and attaching to other parts of the barn and fencing. It's really easy to do too and it will keep them all in one area. I'm not talking 100' of fencing and you don't have to have fancy posts to hold up the fence (I've got just sticks and stuff holding it up) but just enough to give them space on nice days and make it easy for you to put them in the barn at night. Obviously this area wouldn't be predator-proof but it would keep the ducks together and manageable.

 

[DiYMama540]

Hmm, I would think by now they would be in the routine of returning to their barn at night. Although, if given the chance, my waterfowl will sleep wherever the mood hits them...nothing like the chickens in the sense.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't have a pond to worry about getting my ducks off of but I can vouch for mine not wanting to go in since the weather has been so mild this winter so far. They are going to be so disappointed when winter finally comes back. I had to herd my last 3 in last night they were enjoying themselves so much.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

We have a large fenced in area that was the duck pen for all of last spring/summer...they loved it. They would put themselves to bed. If we did come home late...them would be safely inside..no worries. I let them free range our farm during the days. They love it. Well, then winter came. The barn is very big and warm..I’m not bragging at all..but, for ducks...I think it’s a pretty good setup. My hubby even made them sleeping boxes so they feel cozy. It was never an issue to get them inside the barn until we got a hint of warm weather and the pond began to emerge.... then they began the revolt!! They are worse than Amish on Rumspringa .... I mean..I love to watch it...and I’m sooo glad for them! This is why I got ducks..to watch them enjoy living! But, now I’m terrified that they aren’t going to BE living...and, in the last warm snap one of my Muscovy hens did not show up the following morning. Never found one sign of her...anywhere. I just came in from the barn..and, I thought I’d try to lure them in...a few came..but then they kept wanting out...I was working sooo hard to keep them in...what is that all about?? I let them out with their buddies. I know..I’m horrible at discipline. We were supposed to move the duck pen fencing around the barn before winter came...but it happened so fast. I’ll talk to Chris about trying to make it happen this next two days...but I doubt it...the only reason I came back inside...is that I realized that I think I do have that dumb flu that’s going around....ugh. . But..now that you all reminded me of that...I’ll remind myself to to gently remind him...lol

 

[DuckyDonna]

We have a large fenced in area that was the duck pen for all of last spring/summer...they loved it. They would put themselves to bed. If we did come home late...them would be safely inside..no worries. I let them free range our farm during the days. They love it. Well, then winter came. The barn is very big and warm..I’m not bragging at all..but, for ducks...I think it’s a pretty good setup. My hubby even made them sleeping boxes so they feel cozy. It was never an issue to get them inside the barn until we got a hint of warm weather and the pond began to emerge.... then they began the revolt!! They are worse than Amish on Rumspringa .... I mean..I love to watch it...and I’m sooo glad for them! This is why I got ducks..to watch them enjoy living! But, now I’m terrified that they aren’t going to BE living...and, in the last warm snap one of my Muscovy hens did not show up the following morning. Never found one sign of her...anywhere. I just came in from the barn..and, I thought I’d try to lure them in...a few came..but then they kept wanting out...I was working sooo hard to keep them in...what is that all about?? I let them out with their buddies. I know..I’m horrible at discipline. We were supposed to move the duck pen fencing around the barn before winter came...but it happened so fast. I’ll talk to Chris about trying to make it happen this next two days...but I doubt it...the only reason I came back inside...is that I realized that I think I do have that dumb flu that’s going around....ugh. . But..now that you all reminded me of that...I’ll remind myself to to gently remind him...lol

Not sure I'm understanding completely. Did you take down that fencing you had in the summer?

 

[quackingdom]

but when a duck gets in...that’s it..

I know the struggle. I finally figured out how to get my ducks and geese out of the pond at bedtime:

Get a long rope, longer than your pond is wide. Our pond is about 50 feet wide. Get a helper. One person goes on one side of the pond with one end of the rope, and the other person is on the other side with the other end. Walk along the pond banks. The rope will sweep across the top of the water and sweep the ducks right out.

If your pond is small enough that one rope can span its entire width, this should work wonders.

 

[Miss Lydia]