Why won't my ducks swim in the baby pool?!

[aoxa]

Someone PLEASE tell me how to convince my two ducks to go swimming? I have to catch them and force them in (they enjoy doing the bobbing and whatever for a couple of minutes), but not as much as I'd hoped.

I tried placing bricks around it for them to get into it with.. What else could I do to help them in?

The water isn't freezing or anything. It's probably 50 degrees.

Do ducks just not like to swim in this weather? It's not THAT cold outside.. I thought ducks would swim even if it was.

I added pees to the water to entice them, still nothing.

 

[DUCKGIRL89]

Quote:
there is no way to force them

they just need to figure out how to like it

 

[Lund Poultry]

toss some lettuce in the pool or even put a couple small minnows in there. Ducks love chasing them around. good Luck.

 

[1muttsfan]

I have a neighbor with 2 ducks that will not get in any water more than ankle deep. And he has a real pond

 

[RAREROO]

Have you just bought these ducks and if so, were they raised without swimming water ? Most all ducks should love to swim in all weather, even if they have to break ice to get in the water, lol. But I did have a pekin a while back where I bought her and anoother one as ducklings, but a snake killed the other one so I raised her with my chickens and she grey up thinking she was a chicken and would let the rooster mate with her and everything, and so since she knew she was a "chicken" and chickens don't swim, she wouldn't go into a pool for anything, even when I put her in, she'd get right back out.

So if you recently bought them, my guess would be that they also grew up with an identity crisis or were never provided swimming water when they were young

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
They had a huge pond where I got them, and the muscovy was raised by her mother.. I would think the mother would have taught her.

That's what I thought too! I'm not trying to force them in, just trying to intice them to swim. I can't catch the muscovy. She is fast. The other one I can, and she like when I put her in, but never gets in by herself. Is there something I should do to make it easier to get in? Can ducks get into little pools without assistance?

ETA: I've had them for two weeks now.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
there is no way to force them

they just need to figure out how to like it

Come on duckies! LIKE IT! NOW!

Not to mention I drove an hour to my parents cottage to pick up the kiddie pool! Darn you duckies! You better appreciate my hard work!!

 

[cybercat 2]

the issue may be something as simple as they need a step...my ducks were hit or miss for a while.

 

[aoxa]

Quote:
Any suggestions? They won't use the bricks I placed for steps

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Any suggestions? They won't use the bricks I placed for steps

Pile up dirt around a good section of the pool to make an incline where they don't even realixe they are stepping up onto anything. You can just put the dirt ramp on the bricks to give you some elevation without having to use as much dirt. Ducks doent like to step up on something so its hart to get them to use just brick steps. And after a while they will learn they can go it from just stepping over the edge.