How to Free Range Ducks

[latb611]

My Pekins are 6 weeks old and I just moved them outside yesterday. Right now they are in with my chicks of the same age but since I am pretty sure one of the ducks is a boy I was going to let them free range. So how do I do that?

 

[LaurelC]

People who free range their poultry usually still lock it up at night to protect it from predators. If you're planning to let the ducks free range, I'd do some trials to ensure you can get the ducks to come back when you need them to in order to lock them up somewhere secure for the night.

 

[latb611]

I do intend to lock them up at night. I was just wondering if there was a way to get them to know where there home is so that they come back at dusk.

 

[LaurelC]

Based on my understanding, many people are able to "call" their ducks and have them return to the pen for treats at night. Keeping them locked up in a pen of some sort for a few weeks should encourage them to regard it as "home" before letting them out to roam on their own.

 

[Sfraker]

My ducks are only 5 weeks old so I haven't done this yet. But what I have read and been told is that you keep them in a fenced in area with their coop for 6 weeks. Each night give them treats in the coop and say a word "bed time" "treats" "dinner". After 6 weeks they should understand that when they hear the word they should return to the coop for their treats. Then you can let them free range.

However if anyone has other suggestions I'm all ears.

 

[laughingdog]

With pekings you should be great and only need to pen and do all for week unless flighty, or have river ect they could just float away on, as supposedly neighbors who have say they are really lazy once get out of teen phase and rarely range as far as dual purpose chickens at most, but preds are much worse on them like magnets i here (most neighbors who had huge flocks free ranging now down to one or two at most, maybe cause how loud bright and cumbersome they supposedly get). I'm new to mallard breeds, and haven't had my KC ducklings out yet, and my scovy like puppy dogs.

I whistle a certain tune to call my ducks, pigeons , chickens, dogs, cats, rabbits, and used same for goats, guinea pigs, hookbills/ various parrot types, songbirds, ect that used to have. make any certain noise every time feed and treat ect, then when they come to you/cage and or dish for a week to month straight every day and settle in in evenings, then can let them out of area set up to see surroundings (so they know were to come back to, but don't feed day of or before letting out if flighty and or energetic or they could just bolt to go as far and fast as can. if they are or do, then watch them first couple days when let out to come home time, and call if they get wandering too far first week or so not looking around to surroundings enough to know were to come home to. after week to month they are coming and going all day and return at night on own mostly, and you should be able to leave feed out all day to supplement forage and grazing ect. never do with unfit critters as they may not get enough forage to compensate for lack of feed and vast increase in exercise.

 

[nayeli]

My husband suggested we get a duck call. For me I just went through this. We would try to herd them then had to catch them and put them in, I wanted to train them. How do you get animals to go anywhere? Food of course! I only feed them at night (make sure they have water), then I will give them a snack during the day... they also free range to their hearts content.

 

[clankeyes]

we have just moved out ducks outside. This is day 2. I feel like we are starting all over. They won't come up to us anymore for treats. They are acting scared again ! We have to heard them into their coop at night. They are NOT happy LOL

 

[Kleonaptra]

My little ducks were always good, as soon as I said 'bed time' they would head in.

My pekins were APPALLING! For about a week straight I would chase them up to the door only to have them turn and run away from it. I caught each duck by hand and tossed her in until she got the hang of it!

My call ducks were kept inside as ducklings and only needed one or two days to get the routine.

Now I go out and clap and call 'bed time!' and they all head in, all 9 ducks and 2 chickens. Only have the occasional rebel.

I never put food in the shed at night - it encourages rats and mice.

 

[Jeniferl29]

We have a free range flock of about 40 ducks and we lock up at night. We have taught our ducks to go up when we make a sound. The sound we chose was a strong SHHH sound because everyone in the family can make that same sound. They are pretty smart and once you get the lead ducks trained, you can walk the others in behind them pretty as you please. Ours are so well trained, I can make the sound anywhere in the yard at anytime and they go ahead and hightail it for the coop. It is good to have in case a predator such as a stray dog got into the flock, I could save the most ducks by getting them locked up quickly.