Excited to add ducks to this pond, but I'm worried. Help?

[starr00man]

My g/f and I just moved to a rental with a huge pond that is right next to a piece of ocean shoreline. The pond is 1/3 acre and since it naturally has ducks stopping by we'd like to raise some ducks in it if at all possible. We live on the Alaska coast and will be wanting good layers and then eat them at molt. We can't put up a fence around the pond. The porch will provide a perfect lean-to shelter for the ducks at night if they choose to use it. We have a few worries/concerns that everyone here might have a lot of wisdom about:

1. Will the breed we get interbreed (and have fertile young) with local ducks stopping by? We don't want to be responsible for introducing an invasive species, etc..

2. What breed will work best for not escaping and looking out for themselves? Predators: ermine, eagles, local dogs, bears, red fox.

3. Is the pond big enough where predators aren't an issue? The mallards that stop by frequently never have a problem with the predators and sleep on the water. Pond has lots of trees around it where they can hide from eagles...

4. If we keep one wing clipped will they stay on our pond and not just jump in the ocean and swim away if we raise them right?

Can your experience and knowledge help us out? We're going to try and would like to start out on the right foot! Thank you!!! *starr & Jen

 

[Amiga]

What a lovely place! My brother lived near the Mendenhall glacier.

My feeling is that what you are picturing might not work out very easily. Domestic ducks are so prone to predator attack that they need protection, night and day.

Muscovies do fly and sometimes avoid predators, but not always.

Muscovies can produce offspring with other ducks but those offspring are infertile. The rest of the domestic ducks can in fact mate with the wild ducks, introducing different genetics into the wild flocks.

Q2, I don't think there is a duck breed that can do that.

Ponds do not make ducks safe. There are swimming predators and flying predators.

People do clip wings and that can keep the flying breeds closer to home, but renders them without the one predator escape method they would have. They would be sitting ducks.

Please help yourself to some good reading here. The stickies have loads of good information. There are some wise forum members and some really good hearts here. Feel free to share your thoughts as we "chat" about your hopes.