Best Free Range/Flying Duck Breed

[cheezenkwackers]

Ha. As fun as that visual is, I'd rather avoid it in reality!

The duck coop is at ground level below the chicken coop so that part shouldn't be an issue. It's just getting in and out of the run that they might have a tough time with. I think I'll go ahead and see how they do brooding in there and reassess whether they can manage the elevated run door as they grow. Worst comes to worst I can let them through the full height human door as needed until I get a chance to add a ground level duck door.

We brood in the coop with a Mama Heat Pad and the chicks are allowed out of the run (supervised at first) once they start flying well enough to get through the elevated door themselves. If the ducks can't get out I'll probably let them hang out in the run for a few more weeks to see if they catch up and then give them their own door .

Unlike chickens, ducks get their wing feathers almost last, not first. They get the feathers that will touch the water, like their chests, first. So, they are really big by the time they can fly.

 

[impr3]

Unlike chickens, ducks get their wing feathers almost last, not first. They get the feathers that will touch the water, like their chests, first. So, they are really big by the time they can fly.

Interesting. Letting them out through the human door it is then, at least until they feather in.

 

[Luv Ducks]

I have Mallards that can fly really well. They got their wing clipped and that put a halt to it. My Rouen Ducks are too fat to fly very high. My Khaki Campbell can fly and get a wing clip also. The Muscovy ducks I have are great fliers but also have gotten a wing clip. My Mullard duck is big but can still fly so she also gets a wing clip. I have a 6 foot fence area that they get to free range in while I am doing pen chores. Their pen has netting over all of the top to stop the hawks or anything else from getting in. I use Nite Guard solar lights on all three sides of the exposed pen to stop the racoons and it has worked for two years now. Neighbors have lost their flock to the coons so I know they must be working or else with the tracks in my yard from them I would have lost mine too. My Calls all have their wings clipped also. My one Mallard has laid eggs all summer and was still laying in December. They are two years old. Either a Khaki Campbell or Muscovy is also still laying late into December when the temperatures have been below 0 F. Good luck with your decisions. My Muscovy Drake mated everything in sight including my Mallard/Rouen Drake so he had to be rehomed along with a Khaki Campbell Drake and two Mullard Drakes.