Need advice about my ducks!!!

[masonsmommy8813]

I am new to owning ducks. They are only 1 month old. I want to start turning them out during the day and penning them up at night because we have bad predators here on our farm and I don't want to lose any of them. I have white pekin's, mallards, and I think khaki campbell's(bought them from Tractor Supply, so idk). How can I free range them during the day and pen them up at night? They know what times they get fed already and go to talking when I come out with their feed. Any suggestions on how to get them to come in at night? Any advice would be helpful. Thank you in advance.

 

[Bsranch3]

Good morning! I have a walk in coop that my duckies go in at night, but when they were that young they wouldn't follow me quite yet. My husband built them a low to the ground box that opened from the top. It was 4ft x 4ft, maybe 2ft tall ( I would go out and measure it but it's raining pretty hard here) wrapped in chicken wire with an open floor. I put my young ones in it and would slide it around every other day to give them a fresh patch of grass to work with. As they grew, little by little, I would take them out and let them roam, always catching them and putting them back in their box at night. I used this until they got too big for it. Then I started using my walk in coop. They are out there now fussing because it's Saturday and I've gotten a slow start today! I let them out in the mornings and when it's time to go to bed, if I have left the door open usually they go in there and all I have to do is close the door. If they haven't gone to bed by themselves all i do is go to the coop and call them. They come running, go in their coop and I close the door! They are smart babies;-) just took some working with them.

 

[Mrs.H]

I probably wouldn't free range them this young. Hawks could get them. Can you make them an enclosed run area until they are full grown? As far as putting them up at night you'll have to train them, use treats to get them in their house. Ducks normally don't go in by themselves they rather sleep outside. Mine stay out till they see me coming then they go in bc they know the routine now.

 

[Bsranch3]

I probably wouldn't free range them this young. Hawks could get them. Can you make them an enclosed run area until they are full grown? As far as putting them up at night you'll have to train them, use treats to get them in their house. Ducks normally don't go in by themselves they rather sleep outside. Mine stay out till they see me coming then they go in bc they know the routine now.

Mine don't always go in by themselves, about 25% of the time if it's well after dark. I try to put them to bed before dark in which case i always have to call them. Some days my schedule is just too hectic. I guess usually was the wrong word. Usually if it's very late they are already in there

 

[masonsmommy8813]

Right now they are in a pen that we move around every other day also. They will be moved into another pen that is about a 6x10x6 1/2 just to go into at night(which will be moved around also) I love my ducks and so does my 20 month old son. I definately don't want to lose any. @ Bsranch3, how old were your ducks when you started letting them out on their own? @ Mrs.H, yeah we have bad predators around here(hawks, fox, owls, etc.). What kind of treats did you use?

I would be so upset if I let them out and I couldn't get them back in. :-( They are fed 2x a day(morning and night), do you think they would come with just that?

 

[Bsranch3]

Mine come with just me calling now. They used to come with just having a bit of feed in my blue scoop. Mine were probably a few months old when I started letting them out. Good size juveniles that were too big to stay in the box all day. Rounding them up was fun at that age but my kids and I did it. We have plenty of predators here too so I understand the concern.

 

[masonsmommy8813]

Thank you so much for your advice. It was very helpful and very much appreciated. Hope you and your family many blessings.

 

[Mrs.H]

You could use peas! Buy frozen ones and unthaw some each night

 

[Bsranch3]

No problem! I love my duckies! I have lost more than I care to think about due to trial and error... Thank goodness I found backyard chickens site recently. I have been getting tons of help with my first hatching! Good people here;-)

 

[masonsmommy8813]

That's awesome!! Again I can't thank you ladies enough. Yeah I think when they start laying, I will start incubating some but also let my hens set on them too.