Ducks don't Fly..Yeah Right.

HiddenHill Heretic

Songster
13 Years
Apr 14, 2010
211
4
199
Santa Cruz, Caliphas
So, I have a bunch of ducks, including 1 Mallard. Having read this forum, Dave Holderreads book, and gleaning info from other sources, I was pretty sure my ducks would not fly. I have been proven incorrect. In the last 10 days or so, after watching the Mallard fly the 200 yards from pen to pond for the last 6 weeks, my ducks have begun to believe they can fly. I realy think they watched the Mallard, and because she could fly, they figured the must be able to also.. "we've got wings, Too" At first, it was funny little mini flights off the side of my reservoir pond, ending in crashes on the lawn below. They were jumping off the 12 foot or so bank, making it 15 or so feet out. I had some concerns about the ducks hurting themselves, but they seem fine, and I could not imagine a way to stop them. In the last week, though, they have begun to truly fly. The Khaki Campbells seem to be the best, rising to about 12 feet in the air from the flat ground. The Golden 300 hybrids are next best, with the whites and runner/rouen mixes next, topping out around 8 feet or so. Even the goose and big Rouen Drake have taken flight, trailing the others. Interestingly, the WH, and swedes do not seem to fly. The ducks fly about 150 yards, from flat ground. They are barely in control, and I have to watch for incoming ducks, having nearly been hit in the head as they try to slow and land near the food/night pen. A friend shot video with his iphone, which I will try to figure out how to post. Anyone else have experience? I don't think they will leave, and in my case, flight may help them escape predators. Living on the pond all day, then flying down, feels like they are doing what is natural. BTW, the ducks are 17 and 18 weeks old. I am hoping they continue to fly higher and further.
 
I love it and I would not change a thing on them. No clipping needed in my point of view. They will never be able to migrate so I would not worry. Perhaps the mallard, but most likely it stays with the flock. They enjoy their little power flights and it get the blood circulation going. My Saxony drake started the fly business too. He managed 30 feet distance with a height of about one foot above ground. Not enough to make any fence. Most of the time he tip toes while flying. The girls are doing it now too and it really get them fast to their swimming pools. The other day they were on the deck, which is only 3 feet above ground. They usually use the stairs, but last time they decided to go over the edge. They all flew a little bit and 2 crash landed on their faces.
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My ducks are penned at the top of a big hill and at the bottom is their pond. In the mornings when I let them out, the three runners, the mallard, and the two Chinese geese make it to the pond. The two Black Swedish hens, the Blue Swedish hen, the blind White Crested hen and the WH drake all waddle down the hill, but the other Crested duck is a different story. She takes off from the top of the hill, them smacks her chest on the fence, then she flips over into the weeds on the other side. At first I thought she would be hurt, but she does it every day with no problems. It is pretty hilarious if you ask me!
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