- Nov 2, 2009
- 563
- 17
- 169
Alright, so, long story short (haha just kidding this is a long post)
I've got 3 ducks right now, and I'm in a situation I have not encountered before. Two of them, a call drake and a wild muscovy hen, have both been with me since they were young, are incredibly tame, and well trained (they come when called better than most dogs, lol). Additionally, the call can't fly really and the muscovy hasn't started flying yet.
However, I have recently acquired a third duck, another male call. I picked him up at an auction so I don't know anything about him, however I can say he is at least several months old (he was fully colored when I got him in September), and although he's not TAME like my other two, he is very calm around me and isn't afraid to approach me, especially if the other ducks are around. Does not like being picked up or touched however. He can also FLY, like a wild duck.
So basically, here is my conundrum. How long should I be worried about him just taking off and not coming back for? I've had flighted ducks in the past, however they were all raised here and would always come back after doing some laps in the air.
So I've had this newbie for about a month now. He's largely been in the bird shed, however it does have a small window looking outside (not that he can see much from it). I've let him out twice so far, only with the other ducks, and he's been picture perfect. He'll get a little air when he's excited, but that's about it so far.
Now I realize that the easiest answer would just be clip his wings, however 1.) He's really pretty full winged 2.) It gets COLD here in the winter and the shed isn't kept very warm (its pheasants, bobwhite, and the new call in there) so I want him full winged to help him stay warm 3.) Even if I do put aside cosmetic reasons, he still won't be able to fly until next summer, which is kind of crappy.
I've got 3 ducks right now, and I'm in a situation I have not encountered before. Two of them, a call drake and a wild muscovy hen, have both been with me since they were young, are incredibly tame, and well trained (they come when called better than most dogs, lol). Additionally, the call can't fly really and the muscovy hasn't started flying yet.
However, I have recently acquired a third duck, another male call. I picked him up at an auction so I don't know anything about him, however I can say he is at least several months old (he was fully colored when I got him in September), and although he's not TAME like my other two, he is very calm around me and isn't afraid to approach me, especially if the other ducks are around. Does not like being picked up or touched however. He can also FLY, like a wild duck.
So basically, here is my conundrum. How long should I be worried about him just taking off and not coming back for? I've had flighted ducks in the past, however they were all raised here and would always come back after doing some laps in the air.
So I've had this newbie for about a month now. He's largely been in the bird shed, however it does have a small window looking outside (not that he can see much from it). I've let him out twice so far, only with the other ducks, and he's been picture perfect. He'll get a little air when he's excited, but that's about it so far.
Now I realize that the easiest answer would just be clip his wings, however 1.) He's really pretty full winged 2.) It gets COLD here in the winter and the shed isn't kept very warm (its pheasants, bobwhite, and the new call in there) so I want him full winged to help him stay warm 3.) Even if I do put aside cosmetic reasons, he still won't be able to fly until next summer, which is kind of crappy.
So I think she'll be able to deal with the new guys for a couple hours a day, lol. He's a bit bigger, but still small, probably around a pound and a half??
