Pekin Duck Club!

[Loc20chick]

We have a vague (40 year old) perimeter fence around the property to keep out the predators - in a lot of places it is long gone. We had a problem with dogs this past fall, so I bought a couple of aggressive geese that alert us to anything that comes by. They also keep out the skunks, which have been a problem for us in the past as well.
The only problem I have found with free range is that new birds can and will wander off. I chased a pair of geese around a neighbor's pond for a month, and my Muscovy hens led my husband and I on a wild romp all over the neighborhood when I first released them. Most of my birds stick close to home, but every once in a while we get a runner. I think they are a lot happier when they can come and go as they please though, so if I have to chase one or two every once in a while I'm OK with it.

We don't have a fence right now (its beyond our budget at the moment) Mine like to wander around the neighbors but always come and go throughout the day as the pond is in my yard. I also keep some snack, bird mix or cracked corn in their pen that they come in to peck on throughout the day. My neighbors have a bird feeder and my Ducks go to scavenge over there, I'm grateful to God my neighbors don't mind, they don't go close to their houses though.

 

[Loc20chick]

Here is our setup:

Indoors - our Saxony hen on her clutch in a storage tote nest box


Outdoors - additional storage tote nest boxes. Our Khaki Campbells use them daily when they lay, and some of the other ducks use them as shelter when they don't feel like using the run in shed.


The totes are cheap and easy to clean. We picked ours up for around $7 a piece.

Neat!!!

 

[jannakaye]

Attempted to dye my drake Nibbles but I forgot about the saying "like water off a ducks back" lol:

P.s. What do you think he's mixed with? The man I got him from said full Pekin but he looks too small..

 

[PotatoWaffles]

Attempted to dye my drake Nibbles but I forgot about the saying "like water off a ducks back" lol:

P.s. What do you think he's mixed with? The man I got him from said full Pekin but he looks too small..

Did you use green? Lol, someone should tell him that it's not St. Patrick's day yet.

 

[jannakaye]

Did you use green? Lol, someone should tell him that it's not St. Patrick's day yet.

Lol yeah I was hoping it would be pastel

 

[farmgirl360]

has anyone had your ducks attacked by a bobcat I have lost 2 of and all of my welsh harlequin ducks and I am worried that the pekins could be next since the welshs and the 2pekin duck are the brightest but bigger than the weshs I also have 2 black Swedish duck

i am just concerned i don't really want to change the fence as i am more wanting to catch it and count my losses espeacially since the 4 that are left 1 is crested and 1 pekins wing was broke from birth ( it wasn't as noticeable when i first showed it in 4-h but now that it is me and my dad think its wing was broke from birth or shipping as we did not break it ) but since the predetor got my best pair i have sorta claimed war on it since i wont show the others but i do want the eggs and would maybe like to breed so i kinda wanna stop counting my losses

any info on bobcat attacks would be helpful my and my dad have 97% ruled out a coon (we have had lots of coon problems over the years) and fox is still a possibility although i found some fur with very little hid still attached on the fur that looks like bobcat but i found some prints i have never seen before

any info will help!!!!!

 

[Amiga]

has anyone had your ducks attacked by a bobcat I have lost 2 of and all of my welsh harlequin ducks and I am worried that the pekins could be next since the welshs and the 2pekin duck are the brightest but bigger than the weshs I also have 2 black Swedish duck

i am just concerned i don't really want to change the fence as i am more wanting to catch it and count my losses espeacially since the 4 that are left 1 is crested and 1 pekins wing was broke from birth ( it wasn't as noticeable when i first showed it in 4-h but now that it is me and my dad think its wing was broke from birth or shipping as we did not break it ) but since the predetor got my best pair i have sorta claimed war on it since i wont show the others but i do want the eggs and would maybe like to breed so i kinda wanna stop counting my losses

any info on bobcat attacks would be helpful my and my dad have 97% ruled out a coon (we have had lots of coon problems over the years) and fox is still a possibility although i found some fur with very little hid still attached on the fur that looks like bobcat but i found some prints i have never seen before

any info will help!!!!!

There is a Predators and Pests forum here on BYC. My first priority would be to get the remaining ducks to a safe place immediately, then think through how I am going to proceed. Predators return until they have killed the flock.

 

[farmgirl360]

There is a Predators and Pests forum here on BYC. My first priority would be to get the remaining ducks to a safe place immediately, then think through how I am going to proceed. Predators return until they have killed the flock.

thank you for that bcuase i thought if i modified the pen to like it was before i modified it i wouldn't be able to see what it was but now that you say they normally come back for the flock but the other thing is it was 2 days in between the ducks

 

[Amiga]

thank you for that bcuase i thought if i modified the pen to like it was before i modified it i wouldn't be able to see what it was but now that you say they normally come back for the flock but the other thing is it was 2 days in between the ducks

Predators have their own schedule. They watch us, and make their decisions based on their own criteria.

 

[KevinLynch]

Where can i by ducklings?