[pandora]

I have 8 young ducks - they have been outside for the past week, with their sleeping quarters in a large coop. They have to walk up a little ramp to get into it, which doesn't seem a problem when they are exploring on a daytime, but seems beyond them at night. The run is not big, but the coop is in the middle of it and they run round and round it when I try and pick them up to put them to bed. (My experience of hens who will not go to bed is that they are easy to pick up after dark, but these ducks just sprint as fast as they can!) Given I am nearly 7 months pregnant I am not enjoying these nightly running sessions, and have tried catching them with a net, cornering them, herding them in (they seem oblivious to the big open door!) and rugby tackles. I am getting fed up. They are not daft creatures - they got the treadle feeder sussed almost straight away - but they just won't go in the house. I'd rather eat them myself than let the fox have them (although the house is in a run I would rather have them in the house on a night than sleeping in the open with a fox licking it's lips at them) so - any suggestions? Or recipes?  :blink:

[Nails]

Have you tried walking them in with a board, or a large piece of cardboard as you are pregnant, and push them in this way?

[Caralou]

I used a broom in one hand and carrier bag in the other to herd the boys to begin with. Shake the carrier (they don't like the rustling) and then with the broom guide them as they run to the house with gentle nudges. Now I just shout bedtime and start walking down to the run and the girls all go to bed and the boys wait at the doors to the duck house (they have to have night time cuddles  ). It will take a couple of weeks but they soon learn and find their way in doing it this way 

[Kate and her Ducks]

My ducks sometimes like a nightime party too.

I have found having the house in the corner of the run makes life a lot easier to herd them in. I got bored very quickly of chasing them round things without being pregnant!  Failing that bribery generally works much as with children. Ducks however like meal worms a lot more than most children and they have the advantage of being a lot cheaper than a nintendo! You are also not allowed to eat your child when ot annoys you which is just 2 reasons why ducks are better than children! 

[RichardA]

we feed our ducks at night in the house -- they always go in when told too. In fact once they hear us opening the back door of the house they start to run towards their own hut.
R

[nuttytart]

we used to use a broom handle and gently poke the 'lead duck' and he would go in, thn the others would follow. After a few weeks we didnt need to do this and as soon as we went into the back garden they would go in.

[pandora]

I got a large piece of plywood tonight and pinned them in the corner of the run, was easy then to pick them up one at a time and plonk them in the house.

[Wild Pony]

I found blocking one escape route with a board, and using a torch beam to herd them round, occasionally waggling it to shimmy the light very useful until they got the gist, now we don't use boards but can easily herd using the torch if need be. fencer stakes are pretty good at extending your arms, but you have to be calm about herding ducks, and keeping your arms outstretched makes them think its bigger prey animals. Good luck.

PS you don't say if your real name is Paula Radcliffe, lolololol

[pandora]

PS you don't say if your real name is Paula Radcliffe, lolololol

I feel like it atm! At least I know now why they are called Runner ducks!