Thats a thought! Do you put feed in with them overnight? I used to when they were young but they started leaving it, just paddling it into the floor.
They are happy duckies though, they love their pond, on cleanout day they all stand around waiting for it to be refilled, some jump in a bit early they struggle to get back out but once I have taken the hosepipe out its Jeronimo! and off they go! I love to listen to them when I muck out their house too, they get so excited, sometimes go in when I have taken the muck and old bedding out and I can almost hear them shouting to each other that its new bed day. Once I've finished it and put down new shavings with nice dry straw on top, in they go, one by one and have a very loud party. THey make me smile they really do.
I love my chucks and they get the best treatment I can give em but they dont seem quite so appreciative, maybe the odd squawk when they discover their coop is nice and clean and as for the nest boxes, am sure I can hear the equivalent of a 'Humph' that I might have dared to put fresh straw in and they have to remake their nest!! Wouldnt be without em though, especially now they are (still) laying. We have 2 older cockerels, Steptoe and Harold, Harold is only still here as we thought Steptoe (he had bent toes when he hatched) might not make it (All hail the power of Poultry Spice), Harold may have to go at some point, so if anyone wants a nice black (looks like a Bantam RIR) let me know. Only one hen has a name, of the last hatched this year, she too had bent toes, both birds feet have straightened since starting to scratch about. But she is still only half the size of her hatchmates even though strong and healthy, she is called Matilda!