Duck Run Fence

[theinwardcold]

I'm trying to figure out how tall I need my fence for ducks and my goose. There isn't many predators around, and less that can be harmful to the adult birds. Just trying to figure out how tall it needs to be to contain my girls.

 

[sylviethecochin]

What breeds?

 

[theinwardcold]

What breeds?

Rouen, Pekin, Magpie, and some crosses between the Rouens and Pekins. And I'm pretty sure my goose is an embden

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

I have fenced in a large area of my pasture with 2' tall chicken wire. My ducks (Runners, Buff Orpington, Magpie and White Layer) are able to flap over that, but they respect that boundary. If some really jump the fence by accident, they frantically try to get back inside to their flock mates.
I also use really cheap plastic fencing to open additional areas, outside of the fenced in area to the ducks for foraging - and to keep the grass short, so that i don't have to mow…
Ducks like to have cover above from trees, shrubs or your house. My ducks rarely walk onto an open surface without any cover, so fencing in a long small stretch of land without trees and/or shrubs is a waste of time, the ducks won't use it.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I have fenced in a large area of my pasture with 2' tall chicken wire. My ducks (Runners, Buff Orpington, Magpie and White Layer) are able to flap over that, but they respect that boundary. If some really jump the fence by accident, they frantically try to get back inside to their flock mates.
I also use really cheap plastic fencing to open additional areas, outside of the fenced in area to the ducks for foraging - and to keep the grass short, so that i don't have to mow…
Ducks like to have cover above from trees, shrubs or your house. My ducks rarely walk onto an open surface without any cover, so fencing in a long small stretch of land without trees and/or shrubs is a waste of time, the ducks won't use it.

Your ducks are smarter than mine then because mine are perfectly fine running into wide open spaces. I hardly let them out any more because they act like fools and take off all over the big yard where I won't be able to get to them in a hurry. We've got too many hawks, owls and coyotes than can come out of nowhere and get them.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Your ducks are smarter than mine then because mine are perfectly fine running into wide open spaces. I hardly let them out any more because they act like fools and take off all over the big yard where I won't be able to get to them in a hurry. We've got too many hawks, owls and coyotes than can come out of nowhere and get them.

Maybe that is because my ducks have witnessed two of their flock mates being taken away by predators? My drake Donald disappeared in broad daylight without a trace (Coyote?) and the remaining four Runners stayed inside of their house for days and refused to come out. And one of the Buffies was taken from a Racoon in the evening and all ducks witnessed it.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Maybe that is because my ducks have witnessed two of their flock mates being taken away by predators? My drake Donald disappeared in broad daylight without a trace (Coyote?) and the remaining four Runners stayed inside of their house for days and refused to come out. And one of the Buffies was taken from a Racoon in the evening and all ducks witnessed it.

ya, I remember that. It was awful, I'm pretty sure I cried!