Ducks will not use duck house

[jstephen21]

I have a nice large duck house that my 3 Pekins will not use. I have it fenced out to a pond so the only way in for predators is to swim in. I figured this would reduce the risk of raccoons, foxes, etc. There is ramp up to the sheltered quarters. It has a fenced door for our access to feed. I have put feed on the ramp and on the ground which the ducks have no trouble getting to, however, there is a larger amount of food inside the house that they do not touch. They were housed in this same house when they were young, but I have since opened it out to the pond.

They prefer to sleep out in the open. It is fine so far since we have not gotten extended cold weather, but it is coming and I am looking for something to shelter them through the winter.

I am looking for advise on how to get them to like the house and use it.

 

[CHlCKEN]

Mine won’t use theirs unless they need to lay an egg. Doesn’t matter if they get cold, they sleep where they want to. You may just have to lock yours in.

 

[DaffytheDuck20]

Did you lock them in there when they where younger? When you first get ducks (or any other poultry/waterfowl in this case) you should lock them in their coop for a while before you let them free range. When this happens the know that that is their home/sleeping place and will go their for sleep, food, water etc.

If you don't have many predators around your house they would be alright sleeping in the open but still not preferable.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

I have it fenced out to a pond so the only way in for predators is to swim in. I figured this would reduce the risk of raccoons, foxes, etc.

I would not use a non-closeable duck house so close to a pond - at least during the coldest months : indeed, I would really not take the risk to find my ducks dead from hypothermia because I would not have prevented them from swimming in the pond during the coldest nights...

And given predators such as foxes or racoons CAN swim... I would really not let such a duck house constantly open on the pond.

They prefer to sleep out in the open. It is fine so far since we have not gotten extended cold weather, but it is coming and I am looking for something to shelter them through the winter.

...Do you have the means to make another duck house? With a shelter and a run...?

If so : I recommend you to make one as soon as possible, and then, educate your ducks to get in the run on command - every evening.

I am looking for advise on how to get them to like the house and use it.

Hmmmm...

You can NOT force them to go to sleep in their shelter if you do NOT close it entirely : contrary to chickens, ducks have pretty good night vision, and so, don't have to sleep during the nights...

And a duck that does not sleep will - of course - prefer swimming/playings/hunting earthworms and slugs to uselessly losing time and be bored...

• • • • • WHAT I DO WITH MY DUCKS • • • • •

...For the time being, I own 3 different groups of ducks :

• 1 group composed of :
several (A LOT OF) sexually mature ducks - 8 of them being drakes...

• 1 group composed of :
several juvenile ducks - 4 of them being girls...

• 1 group composed of :
several new (young) ducks I have bought and received mid-OCTOBER - most of them still being juvenile ducks...

...These 3 groups of ducks freerange together, and without any issue, during the days.

BUT, for the time being : each group are kept in a different run from the others during the nights...!

...For the sexually mature ducks :

...For the juvenile ducks :

...For the new ducks :

...Given I have educated my ducks to go in their run on command, I don't need to catch them one by one for them to go in their respective run : now, they actually even wait for my order by themselves, just next to their (respective) run, everyday before the sun sets.

And so, to make them go in their run then - if they have not already gone in, I mean -, I just have to give the order.

...MY personal order being me (just) telling them "Allez!" with a big enough voice.
(And they obey then, and go in their run to stay enclosed for the night...)

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Ducks are smart, so you can educate yours to go to sleep in their house if you want to.

Just find a way to keep them enclosed, because otherwise, they will never (want to) stay in the - ANY - shelter until morning...!

...Good luck!

 

[Callender Girl]

This may not make a difference with your ducks (and I would definitely close them in at night) but I learned after constructing a very nice ramp up into their raised shelter that NONE of my ducks want to use a ramp.

I thought the issue was that I had raised their shelter which had previously been on the ground. I read a couple of BYC posts that said ducks don't like ramps. Well, mine sure didn't.

I removed it and replaced it with a set of concrete block steps that they all happily use to get in at night. Mine know that when I yell, "duck, duck, house, house" food is about to be delivered inside the shelter. They gallop up the steps, and I lock the door.

Best wishes with your Pekins!