Duck questions. Appreciate some advice ! ;o)

[I*Eat*Chickens*Yum]

Quote:
Now that is one cool looking duck ! Thanks for posting that !

 

[California Ducken]

Thanks! I*Eat*Chickens*Yum
I am sure you will have fun with your new duckies.
Yes, my "Puppy Duck" sleeps in a dog house(low to the ground) at night in a hay nest. She loves it! During the cold winter, I bring her in the garage, and she sleeps in a tall clearview container with hay inside it.

Oh, my "cold winters" aren't as cold as yours!! So I feel foolish making that comment! LOL
You have to train them at a young age that the doghouse is their nightly sleeping area.
Yes they will free range. They LOOOOVE to dig, and help you garden!
They are very curious once they get comfortable.

Oh and I forgot to add ducks are like poo filled super soakers, that can shoot quite a distance.(another ducker told me that) So, when you pick them up.......aim the.butt away from your body. Because my saying is "I have a duck and I'm not afraid to use it!"

 

[Laney]

Oh California you are so right about that. They really do shoot for distance don't they. And it seems they can do it deliberately when they are annoyed at you for messing with them. Definately always aim their rear away from yourself and any other.

I have 5 ducks on the pond, and 6 more we are trying to release. The ducks on the pond live there and sleep on the water or on the bank. There are 2 female Pekins and 3 drakes (poor Pekins but this is how they came to us from friends who no longer wanted them) A Khaki, a Mallard, and an Ancona I think?? No idea could be a mixed breed.

The 6 are a Pekin, a Chocolate and a Black Runner, a Cayuga, an Ancona and a Rouen. Hopefully mostly female. They are 8 weeks old. We've had then down to the pond but they are scared of the water so we have to bring them back up after a few hours. If they can't escape to the water then predators are a problem. The pond is 1acre so if they can escape to the water they are safe from anything that can get them here. Our hawks and owls aren't big enough to take off with grown ducks from the water.

One of our fully grown Pekins however is so hassled from Drake overload though she has become a Goose. She has left her flock and moved in with our two Ganders that protect her from the drakes that hassle her all day long. It is hysterical to watch.

I think the Pekins would be fine free range provided you don't have snapping turtles large enough to cause a problem. And if your Pond is large enough that land predators won't chase them in. We are lucky that ours is.

Laney