Duck Safety

[nayeli]

I have never really thought Duck Safety would be much of an issue. Ours are enclosed in a 6' wooden privacy fence, they hide in bushes already which should protect them from ariel predators, and we are building them a coop with hardwire bottom and otherwise secured, but we plan on letting them out in the backyard during the day.

How worried do you have to be about duck/chicken safety. I'm in a suburb so no fox/bear/cougar threat.

 

[Speceider]

I would not rule out those threats as well as raccoons.

Clint

 

[nayeli]

Rule out what predators? I'm just curious how BYC members keep their animals safe? I can't believe they can only be in the yard with supervision!

 

[TLWR]

Depending on where you live, you will have different things to worry about.

I free range my ducks and chickens. When I was in Kodiak, somebody down the street free ranged her chickens. Way too many loose dogs walking about, bears and eagles everywhere - not an option I'd have wanted to consider if I had them then.

Here I have to worry about hawks. Haven't had an issue until last month when I lost my polish hen to a hawk

Our yard is fenced and we've not had the neighbor's loose dogs in the yard, so hopefully we don't need to worry about them, but if she ever gets one that likes to hop fences for feathered snacks, we'll have an issue (well, I'll have an issue and she'll have a much bigger issue as a result).
Night we have raccoon - I've not seen one, but we did see evidence of one once on the duck house roof. Also have foxes, coyotes, owls and who knows what else.
Mnie are locked up tight at night, but not always locked up until later. Chickens are sitting in their house when I go out and I have to herd the ducks out of their pond to go to their house.

We have plenty of places for the ducks/chickens to hide during the day, but the area of the yard they hang out in is kind of open - not far from good shrubs to hide under, but still open.

 

[shannondee12]

Mine free range all day from morning till dark when they put themselves to bed. I have lost 2 young ones to mink and I hear the coyotes howling nightly but they are smart. I shoot just about everything that moves and I have the area covered in live traps. Yes, I occasionally have to release a chicken or 2 but for the most part it works for us. It is a huge help to have a great dog also. Mine isn't the typical LGD, she is a cane corso mastiff but I would put her up against a LGD any day.

 

[nayeli]

Awesome! We are planning a secure coop and they are spending the nights in the garage for now!

 

[Richb353]

Coyote have caused me the most problems. I have a 4' fence surrounding my duck pasture, but it only keeps the ducks in, but the predators hop it at will. The biggest precaution has been putting the ducks in their house at dusk. They roam their pasture unsupervised during the day. I've seen hawk, but its the coyote and on one occasion a raccoon that have caused the most damage to my flock. I have traps and snares set where I usually see the coyote and coon footprints, but after two months have yet to catch anything (a few near misses though). I have a larger, secure duck house for the 20 ducklings arriving this week. I'm sure the predator activity is going to pick up once they start to smell the little ones.

 

[nayeli]

Thanks =)

 

[nayeli]