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!
