Breed that will free range and stay around?

[TheOtherHorse]

Without knowing much about ducks, we had the opportunity to get a few and ended up with a pair of Pekin and a female Muscovy. There is a creek near the barn, and the Pekins took to it and haven't left once. They seem very happy to just hang out in the barnyard/creek area. However, the Muscovy flew off within the first day that we let them out free range (kept in coop for 1 week first), and we've only seen her twice since, when she stops by the creek area for a short visit, then flies off again. We were told that the Pekin would not likely sit on her eggs, but the Muscovy would sit on both her own and the Pekin's eggs? It would be nice to find a breed that will sit eggs, and also not leave.

I love the Pekins. They are quite entertaining and seem easy to please, no interest in leaving. However, I would like some variety.
What other breeds will stay around and are easy keepers like the Pekin? Preferably one that may sit on a nest...

 

[Going Quackers]

LOL... Muscovy? seriously, they are beyond broody.. i am forever halting a lady here. Mine stay? there all full flight too, they forage the farm daily and return at dusk to the penned area that surrounds their barn.

I keep key spots behind this pen, meaning all food, water, pools are there definitely encourages their return to this spot. All ducks are taught to herd and locked up at night.

Do my ladies fly sometimes? yep but it's a swoop around the property, honestly, they have no desire to leave. If anything, i often have a bunch literately out my back door, on my deck furniture which i don't recommend, sure there cute but not housebroke.

 

[chickenlver2013]

To train a scovy to stay around, you will need to capture her and clip her wings.

 

[TheOtherHorse]

Thanks, I do like our Muscovy girl, but she doesn't seem to want to live here, just visit once in a while.... Not sure how I would catch her. I wish I would have thought to clip her wings before we let them out. Both times I've seen her I have thrown some scratch to her and she eats it for a minute and then takes off... hoping she starts coming around more often knowing food is available... maybe in the winter she will be more hungry and come home?

 

[shelbydog]

Too bad your muscovy flew off. I got mine a few weeks before flight school. So far one did fly and chosen a lethal landing spot. Another flew behind the house and easily herded her back to the fenced yard. Mine sleep in bottom of an A frame chicken tractor and put themselves to bed about 9:30 every night. Sometimes I do need to herd them to it if I want to lock them up before they do it on their own but it's super easy with them. And mine love my deck as well and this weekend I'm going to try to stop them from getting on the deck and do some wing clipping. Since I'm not home during the day I'm not sure how often they fly out of the yard and return if they are doing it all. I've only witnessed 2 out of yard flights.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks, I do like our Muscovy girl, but she doesn't seem to want to live here, just visit once in a while.... Not sure how I would catch her. I wish I would have thought to clip her wings before we let them out. Both times I've seen her I have thrown some scratch to her and she eats it for a minute and then takes off... hoping she starts coming around more often knowing food is available... maybe in the winter she will be more hungry and come home?

Not many breeds can fly so you have a big choice of breeds, and most love to forage. train them when young where food is and keep it inside an area you can put them into in the evening and they will most likely continue to come to it to eat then you can put them away for the night, that is unless you have a body of water in your property then you may have a challenge. I clipped my 14 week old Scovys wings a few weeks ago, and saw my duck fly on top of the roof of the duck house yesterday evening so I had to re clip since must not have clipped enough first time. If you had more than 1 Scovy and clipped a wing they would probably stay home better.

 

[TheOtherHorse]

Our Muscovy is a really good flier... I saw her fly from the barn yard up high and across a 4 acre field to land on a 2 story house quite far away.

So maybe we will try Muscovies again, but get them younger, get a couple, and clip wings... ?

Do drakes of different breeds live together okay? Since we already have a Pekin drake, I'm unsure about also getting a Muscovy drake?

Are there any other duck breeds that are broody but don't fly away?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Our Muscovy is a really good flier... I saw her fly from the barn yard up high and across a 4 acre field to land on a 2 story house quite far away.

So maybe we will try Muscovies again, but get them younger, get a couple, and clip wings... ?

Do drakes of different breeds live together okay? Since we already have a Pekin drake, I'm unsure about also getting a Muscovy drake?

Are there any other duck breeds that are broody but don't fly away?

Seems there are quite a few breeds that will brood but you just never know till you see them do it, so much has been bred out of them. There have been some on here that have Pekins brooding right now so that maybe something to consider since you already have a Pekin drake. and If there is plenty of room to range and plenty of girls for the drakes they can live in relatively peaceful existence.I have 4 Scovy drakes and they have their moments but no one has been seriously injured in many years so it can be done, but having enough ducks is the key. Training is another thing, My ducks are waiting each evening for me to put them to bed it's part of routine for them. I started over 9 yrs ago training them to go in each even where I could lock them up and each one has taught the other. They like Routine.