what kind of ducks to get???

[effie]

My son (age 30) is interested in getting some ducks for here at our farm. we have a nice creek that flows by the house and we have wild mallards go by frequently. My question is --will they come to the house and get into my flower beds and wreak havoc--I just put my chickens in a run this yearbecause of this and they no longer free range--we would like the ducks to be free to go to the creek and back to land without caging them up during the day. but, if they are gonna be a nuisance at the house I need to know. Thanks

 

[SJUDD]

I cannot keep my ducks out of my koi pond nor can I keep them out of my flower gardens. But they also eat all the bugs in the yard and "help" me pull weeds. My chickens did a lot more damage to the yard then the ducks do... so far anyways.. they are only 6 weeks old though lol

 

[Going Quackers]

My only concern would be getting them in at night however with training ie; food lol you should be able too. I have no issues with my ducks in my gardens.. the veggie garden is not far off from where they are housed.. they don't get in my flower gardens and i have a small wire fence around the koi pond nobody touches it.

The most nuisance they cause is swimming in the horses water trough! They have their own pools just the horses looks like more fun

I have 17 ducks, all free ranging ages.. 6wks(by the end of the week) and up.

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Yes they could get into the flower beds, simple fencing off will prevent this though. Access to a creek could lead to predators killing them though.

 

[SJUDD]

I am working up a plan for building a run for my ducklings. They so love to get out in the yard but they are eating my black eyed susans, my daisies and my water plants. I will put their own pond in the run so that they have the nicer pond but then I can keep them out of my Koi pond as I heard rumor that duck poo was not good for the Koi. Here is a picture of them this morning. I went in the house to rotate the laundry and when I came back out, all 4 of them were in the Koi pond.

 

[effie]

Well, I guess this pretty much answers my question--they can be a nuisance!! thanks for the info--that is why I love this forum!!!

 

[Mum]

Well, I guess this pretty much answers my question--they can be a nuisance!! thanks for the info--that is why I love this forum!!!

Any animal (farm/domestic/wild/human) can be a nuisance

Just as you have learned that you need to pen your chooks, what you have really learned is: management!

Understanding the animal you are dealing with, their natural habits and managing those to be in tune with *your* habits is the key.

I have 14 hens; given too long in the garden, they will churn up the lawn = give them their own area to play/live in and restrict garden play time.

I have 7 ducks and 2 ducklings. They have not shown any interest in my vegetable beds. They have shown an interest in nuzzling in my potted planters but my flower beds have a barrier to keep the ducks out until the flowers are at a stage where the ducks won't be interested anymore.

I keep ducks for eggs; losing the odd flower isn't too much of a payoff because the ducks eat the slugs and snails which would attack the plants anyway.
I have a garden pond which my ducks adore - I don't adore the mess! So, when we have organised an alternative for them, the pond will be out of bounds: win-win.

 

[WaterFowl209]

It's possible, ducks are very curious creatures.

 

[Scott Barr]

Well, I guess this pretty much answers my question--they can be a nuisance!! thanks for the info--that is why I love this forum!!!

While they can be a nuisance, I can tell you the joy that they bring to adults and kids alike. We have had two female Pekins for since they were babies in March and they are wonderful. Great little personalities have developed and we wouldn't trade em for the world. We are in a residential neighborhood and have taken measures to insure their safety at night and they have free run of the back yard during the day, including the pond we had built for them. Yes, we know they are spoiled rotten, and that many can't or won't or shouldn't put in a pond like this but sitting there and watching them is wonderfully peaceful. Also, if you get some, be aware that they can live in excess of 10 years (depends on the breed). Cheers!

 

[Missy60]

We put up one of those really cheap wire fences around our garden and they never go around it. When we were out there planting things they were curious but the wire fence was to much trouble to bother with.

Our front porch is off limits to them also. They come right up to it but don't get on it. We just shooed them off for a while.