If I may suggest, keep it really calm and take your time. I found that very walking slowly forward , making sweeping motions with my hands, with arms held at my side is effective. The ducks know what you want without panicking. So you dont seem a threat, push them just a little ( as described) then as soon as they start to do what you ask, even the smallest bit, take two exaggerated steps backwards.That takes the pressure off the ducks, they understand this. Then repeat really slowly and patiently.. Th ducks will learn in a calm manner and wont lose their minds in a mass panic, and they will trust you. Make your plastic fence into a funnel to the ramp on both sides.
I have my first ducks, they are now 5-6 week old, they are call ducks. They are still in a brooder in our house, so I take them out to swim and forage a couple of times a day but when it's time to go in, it's an almost impossible task to pick them up. Especially the biggest two, unfortunately sometimes I have to resort to dropping a bath towel on top of them, that's the only way I can catch them after chasing them around the yard for 1/2 hour or more while they are stressed and I'm a, dripping sweat in the 100F heat and 100% humidity.
We have Indian Runner, muscovy, Pekin, a goose, and call ducks. The call ducks in my opinion are the smartest and bull headed of all of them. The first couple weeks they were as you described, running all around, and not listening, wanting to party in the yard. But it took my wife, daughter, the three of us to position ourselves and block their path, herding them towards the run and their house. I would say it took about two months, but we were firm. Now they march right in at dusk. Yeah, we forgot how hard it was to get them trained.
If I may suggest, keep it really calm and take your time. I found that very walking slowly forward , making sweeping motions with my hands, with arms held at my side is effective. The ducks know what you want without panicking. So you dont seem a threat, push them just a little ( as described) then as soon as they start to do what you ask, even the smallest bit, take two exaggerated steps backwards.That takes the pressure off the ducks, they understand this. Then repeat really slowly and patiently.. Th ducks will learn in a calm manner and wont lose their minds in a mass panic, and they will trust you. Make your plastic fence into a funnel to the ramp on both sides.
Amazing ❤
I have my first ducks, they are now 5-6 week old, they are call ducks. They are still in a brooder in our house, so I take them out to swim and forage a couple of times a day but when it's time to go in, it's an almost impossible task to pick them up. Especially the biggest two, unfortunately sometimes I have to resort to dropping a bath towel on top of them, that's the only way I can catch them after chasing them around the yard for 1/2 hour or more while they are stressed and I'm a, dripping sweat in the 100F heat and 100% humidity.
We have Indian Runner, muscovy, Pekin, a goose, and call ducks. The call ducks in my opinion are the smartest and bull headed of all of them. The first couple weeks they were as you described, running all around, and not listening, wanting to party in the yard. But it took my wife, daughter, the three of us to position ourselves and block their path, herding them towards the run and their house. I would say it took about two months, but we were firm. Now they march right in at dusk. Yeah, we forgot how hard it was to get them trained.