cant decide to get ducks or not.....

[blondi61189]

Ok my neighbor has ducks and from everything I see and have read about them they seem like fun, and I would get some in a heartbeat but I am worried about how things would be with my neighbors and their ducks. Their ducks free range and I would ideally like to allow any ducks I have to free range most of the day as well. The problem I am worried about it since my neighbors and I both have a creek running through our properties and their ducks on constantly on "my "part of the creek (which I understand since its not like animals understand property lines lol) but when/ if I had my own flock would mine and my neighbors ducks fight? How would we know who s eggs are who s etc. Is their anyway I can let my ducks free range but stay on just my property,I know I could pen them in but can I pen part of the creek for them as well? Is it worth the aggravation or should I just hold off?

 

[jandavis]

If they have a male and you have a male there will be a few fights at first but then they will calm down eventually, for the most part. Although for the rest of their lives, your ducks will hang together and so will theirs even when they look like one big group. Keep your ducklings penned until they are at least 4 1/2 mos old While they are penned allow the other ducks to come up and visit with them so they become familiar with each other. When you let yours out, if it is spring/summer the older male ducks will try to mate with your female ducks and the males will fight each other at times and other times will assist each other in containing a female while breeding. Sometimes it gets pretty brutal but thats the way ducks are in mating season. In the winter they will all be one happy family, docile as can be...until next spring. Ducks are lots of fun and you will get hours of pleasure from watching them.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I love my ducks.. I don't have your problem but i would think they will hang out at either house in a group.

 

[Going Quackers]

Hard to say, they may just ignore one another too or you could have fighting and/or breeding amongst the flocks. In this unusual situation of mixed flock potential i would have a chat with the neighbour personally and get some input, find out the breeds, sexes and their thoughts not that you need their permission lol but if you work together it'll be a nicer experience for everyone.

 

[blondi61189]

Awesome I am going to talk to my neighbor sometime this week. I plan on keeping my ducks penned until they hopefully finish laying in the morning, but my neighbors ducks tend to lay everywhere so I'm a little nervous they're might be confusion about who's eggs are who's, and I know she sells some of hers so it might cause problems. Also is there any chance we might get confused about whose ducks are who's? Would it be worthwhile to put the bands around my ducks legs?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

What kind of ducks are you getting and what kind does she have?? I think that might settle a lot of back and forth confusion.

 

[jandavis]

I don't think the breed will matter. My ducks are all mixed and we enjoy being able to tell them apart and imprinting personalities onto them along with cute names that match their markings and color. They all get along well and present a tightly united front if any of them get separated from the rest, they will call each other until all are present and accounted for. They are so much fun to watch.

 

[blondi61189]

She has about four different breeds including kahki camoells which would be what I would be looking to get as well

 

[charlindabob]

She has about four different breeds including kahki camoells which would be what I would be looking to get as well

IMHO, if you get K/C's how are you going to tell yours apart from you neighbors? You would have to band them which isn't a bad thing, but your ducks and their ducks will make our ducks! Since many will nest dump, your eggs may go in their nest and their eggs in your ducks nest.

Everybody has a preference, but I had 20+ K/C's and although they laid an egg almost every day, they were extremely loud, nervous and very messy around their water.