Do Ducks Have To Be Free Range?

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do ducks have to be free range

 

[AustinM741]

Nope

 

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Thanks

 

[Amiga]

Mine do seem to enjoy some room to boogie. They (currently nine, but I sized for 12) have a 10'x16' day pen where I can lock them up when I am away (fence top sides and bottom). The pen has a swim pan, a loafing area with straw for napping, and compost for them to forage in. It's attached to their house and veranda, where they spend the night. That's another 64 sf.

When I'm nearby, they can roam around another 400 sf or so. We also go for walks in the back yard and I let them noodle around in the 1800 sf forest garden while I work down there.

So, they aren't free range as in, wander all over a few acres, but they aren't cooped up all day, either.

Just wanted to share an idea of what not free ranging can look like. There are thousands of possibilities.

 

[Oregon Blues]

No, they don't have to free range and they don't actually have to have swimming water, as long as they have enough water to dunk their heads.

Mine have a pen that is 140 feet long on each side, but they also have a smaller secure and covered pen where they will have to live if we end up with predator problems that the exterior fence can't deal with.

In my opinion, letting ducks free range is an excellent way to get them killed.

 

[Going Quackers]

I think it depends upon your set-up.. ducks are messy and do like to forage so if you can't give them a large enough pen to do this well enough.. then it may not be a good idea. Ours are just starting to free range, they started in a dog run and now need more room to roam but the ducks we have are muscovy so there large birds to begin with.