Adding my ducks to pond with wild ducks

[Angela2014]

We just bought property that has a 3-4 acre pond/lake. Year-round wild Canada geese and several breeds of duck (Mallard, I think, and maybe Wood). We are building a chicken coop for our chickens and I'd really like to get my own ducks too.... anyone have experience adding "pet" ducks to a pond that has wild ducks? I don't want my ducks to adopt themselves into the wild flock, so plan to feed at night to bring back into coop, but also don't want the wild birds eating up all the food I'm putting out for my ducks... or putting my ducks in danger if I've clipped their wings and they can't protect themselves from the wild ones.

Ideas or experience would be much appreciated!

 

[lilearthquake]

We just bought property that has a 3-4 acre pond/lake. Year-round wild Canada geese and several breeds of duck (Mallard, I think, and maybe Wood). We are building a chicken coop for our chickens and I'd really like to get my own ducks too.... anyone have experience adding "pet" ducks to a pond that has wild ducks? I don't want my ducks to adopt themselves into the wild flock, so plan to feed at night to bring back into coop, but also don't want the wild birds eating up all the food I'm putting out for my ducks... or putting my ducks in danger if I've clipped their wings and they can't protect themselves from the wild ones.

Ideas or experience would be much appreciated!

Hi Angela2014, my ducks are on mini lake with other waterfowl: Canadian Geese, Mallards, Ring Necks, Buffleheads, Blue Heron, Green Heron, etc. I put them up every night because we have fox, etc. My ducks try to greet other ducks, but they swim/fly away if they try to get too close. A lone goose or lone diving duck will hang near them sometimes.

One warning: keep eye out for your females in mating season! Before I kept ducks of my own, I saw a Pekin someone let loose here get killed by Mallard drakes mating with it. I was helpless at the time and didn't know anything about ducks. I think that was a rare event due to no one keeping the helpless Pekin. Fortunately, I have not seen Mallards try to get mine, but I still keep an eye out.

 

[Carcajou]

Hi Angela2014, my ducks are on mini lake with other waterfowl: Canadian Geese, Mallards, Ring Necks, Buffleheads, Blue Heron, Green Heron, etc. I put them up every night because we have fox, etc. My ducks try to greet other ducks, but they swim/fly away if they try to get too close. A lone goose or lone diving duck will hang near them sometimes.

One warning: keep eye out for your females in mating season! Before I kept ducks of my own, I saw a Pekin someone let loose here get killed by Mallard drakes mating with it. I was helpless at the time and didn't know anything about ducks. I think that was a rare event due to no one keeping the helpless Pekin. Fortunately, I have not seen Mallards try to get mine, but I still keep an eye out.

Angela2014! I have a small pond for my six Khakis and wild mallards have been visiting since early February - sometimes 2 pair and sometimes one pair. They don't get near my feeder but I do through some corn in the pond for them. I actually fed my ducks in the water for the morning feeding when the snow was deep and it was real cold because the crows and blue jays ate most of the food in the feeder. My ducks politely escorted them away from the feeding area in the pond until they got their fill. Other than that they were generally accepted. Was interesting yesterday to watch my Khaki drake chase after the female mallard - the first time he did that. However, she would not let him catch up with her insisting he mate with his own kind!