Ducks hanging out with wild ducks

[JNC]

We have two buff Orpington ducks that are barely 2months old. When they were younger we would take them for a swim to the lake that’s down the road by our house. They loved it. However now they have learned their way there and will go off on their own and it’s very hard to get them back. However they did come back on their own twice. But now they Really don’t want to come back. I went to go check on them and they were sleeping along with 4 other wild ducks. Is it bad that they spend most their time out on the lake?

 

[Insnesnakos]

They might be socializing with their own kind. Also, ducks love to swim. It doesn't seem bad.

 

[User105877]

If they have free access to get there, that is probably where they are going to spend 90% of their time. Just ducks being ducks.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

All true, but you probably won’t get them back. I gave four ducklings to a friend who let them swim in the river that bordered her property. She claims her son saw one of them or their descendants while canoeing last year. They lasted with her until they feathered out.
They also are more vulnerable to predators on their own and could catch diseases from the wild birds. I do not understand why you showed them the way to it?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a mountain river down below us and I’d never let my ducks go down there they’d be picked off in no time. Plus like @cheezenkwackers mentioned disease is also an issue. And do they have to walk on a road? Domestics don’t have the skills to live in the wild like their wild cousins.

 

[Jenbirdee]

well, yeah... sure they enjoying themselves but there are risks associated. predators. diseases. parasites.

 

[JNC]

So I took your advices and decided to put a fence up. The fence is only 2 feet on one side and about 5 feet on the other side. However somehow they are escaping. The first time they left I thought maybe they had found a hole/opening underneath and crawled out. So I went out and covered any hole I could find.

Then they escaped for a second time. I checked everywhere for another opening, I was only able to do find one but probably only 4-5 inches and there is now way they would fit. Although, today after they left they came back. Not only did they come back, they also got back inside their fenced place. So I’m thinking the only way is that they are flying over but they are buff Orpington ducks and I’m pretty sure they can’t fly, not even a foot off the ground.

I’m going to fix the problem by moving the 5 foot fence to the side where they leave from and I’m sure it will fix this problem. But I’m still curious on how they got in and out. Does anyone know if buff Orpingtons can fly?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is there anything they could jump onto to get over the fence. 2' isn't very high. I didn't think Indian Runners could fly either until I found one standing in the driveway outside of their fencing. And it's 4' high. Got to thinking and realized she was most likely up top on the back side of the fenced property and it's higher than the fence so she must have glided over. I don't know but she never did it again.