Ducks!!!!!!

[4hducklover]

this might be a REALLY stupid question but i am going to ask it anyway! i am new to the duck world so PLEASE be nice!!!!

so i am going to get some pekin ducks and maybe muscovies and i am going to keep them in a large sized dog kennel with one of those kiddy pools and a shelter to get out of the elements. i was told that you have to let them out to run around the yard and stuff to get them excersised. i was wondering if that is true and also how do you get them back in there "home"? thanks i really appreciate it!

 

[Birdcrazy]

Congrats on your ducks up-coming

its good letting your ducks out to forage and have a walk around, they'll enjoy it. Also they'll probably go back in the shelter themselves before dark (if they know its their base, i usually dont let my new ducks out after a couple of days so they get used to their surroundings)
If your having trouble getting them back, use scraps to lure them back

(ducks LOVE peas)
this always works with my chooks, they basically race to be the first in their pen, but my ducks always go back to the pen by themselves, or we carry them so not overly sure if they'll follow the scraps/food in your hand to go back, but they do love the food scraps we feed them

 

[crj]

If they are very young I wouldn't let them out. Don't want hawks to get them. Keep them in there enclosure for a week or 2 so they get use to the pen being home. They will most likely come in on their own. Mine always do. They won't give up their pool!

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Yayy! you will love your Pekins! Make sure that the dog kennel gives them enough room (Pekins are HUGE) Also once they are about 4 weeks old i would put them in the kennel for a couple days. Then i would let them free range during the day they should go in there by themselves when it starts to get dark. Also I would keep the pool outside of the dog kennel, it would get way too messy. Ducks don't require too much fuss when it comes to housing, just make sure they have lots of room, with ventilation and dry bedding.

 

[Ms~Silkie~Girl]

Also they grow really fast i had my ducks outside all day alone when they were like 3 weeks old because they make such a mess, and are very smelly too. They didn't have a duck coop then either, they just had the deck to go under, and they stayed in their brooder at night, but they love the rain so they rarely ever went under there for shelter.

 

[4hducklover]

Thanks!!! Well the only thing is I have two dogs so I wouldn't be able to keep them out ALL day!!

but I think I will try the scraps!!