Can i let my ducks free range and not fly away?

[FARMER3112]

I have some ducks and a 5 acre land full of goats. I made a feeding room for the turkeys they go out in morning and come in at night. Can ducks do the same i worry if they will fly away.

 

[Pyxis]

!

What breed are they? Most domestic breeds can't fly.

 

[tbp239]

We have one Pekin and a Rouen and both of ours come in at night. The Rouen actually takes flight around our house and comes right back - he just enjoys his evening flights I guess lol

 

[FARMER3112]

mallards

 

[FARMER3112]

They ducks are mallards.

 

[Pyxis]

They ducks are mallards.

Mallards would fly unless you clipped their wings - one wing on each duck so that they're off balance and can't fly. Then they can't fly away. You'd have to do this every time they grew their feathers back.

 

[FARMER3112]

should i clip them once a month ?

 

[Pyxis]

No, just as the feathers regrow, which probably won't happen until they molt. Just watch for signs of molting and keep them penned when they molt, then clip the wing feathers when they have grown back in and then you can let them out again.

 

[Orca5094]

should i clip them once a month ?

Ducks typically only moult their flight feathers once a year, so that is how often you will need to clip them. Just be on the look out for lots of big feathers around about this time of year. Then just clip them again once their wing feathers are fully grown back in (and there is no longer blood in the feather shafts, you must be careful of that because they can bleed out if you clip them while they still have "blood feathers").

 

[gatrapper]

We have mallards and we do not clip wings. The birds do fly on occasion, but they have never flown away. They also come back to the coop every evening (thats when I feed them).