For Those Who Free Range Their Ducks

[Knucker Hatch Farms]

Hi there!

We've had a lovely flock of chickens who free range on our farm and put themselves to bed like nice little chickens. We are ready to take the next step and venture into the world of ducks. I've been doing a lot of reading and still have a couple of questions I'm trying to find answers to.

The ducks will free range on the farm and be penned up in a safe enclosure in the evenings. Do they tend to keep the same "leash" as chickens and forage the same distance as a flock of chickens might from the coop, or do they wander even farther off? Will they head back to the duck house and put themselves to bed, or will they drop anywhere they please in the evening?

Also, what type bedding works best inside the duck house, if the pool area is kept outside of the enclosure? I'm sure this has been mentioned, but I can't seem to settle on the easiest for cleanup. What do you all prefer? Has anyone tried sand, small river rock stones or even horse mats? I was wondering if hosing something down that tends to get muddy and wet anyway would be a better option than dealing with shavings.

Thank you!

Warm Regards,

Mama Knucker Hatch

 

[cowman910]

All my chickens go to bed on their own but my ducks just hang out near there "pond". Once they see me they just run into the coop so I can lock them up. They learn after a while.

As for bedding, I use shavings. I mostly use them for the chickens, but they do fine for the ducks. It drys them off at night so they don't get chilly and for me, Is easier to clean. They also lay their eggs in the shavings too.

Mike

 

[FenDruadin]

I have to withhold feed during the day in order to induce the ducks to go to bed at a reasonable hour (they like to stay out partying and then crash wherever they happen to be like a bunch of sorority girls on a Friday night). If I feed them *only* at bedtime, they go into their pen quite willingly.

Don't know about the "leash." Mine wander, I would estimate, approximately across 8-10 acres, with our one acre as the central area.

 

[MysticalMom]

Quote:
My farm is 260 acres but my ducks stay pretty close the the house. Even the muscovies, which can fly pretty good, don't stray too far. They know where their bread is buttered.

Mine won't put themselves to bed, but they know bedtime is when they get their treats and I've trained them with a high "deedle deedle" call and they know when they hear that it's time to come in for their treats and they come RUNNING. I don't have any problem getting them penned up for the night.

And I just use straw in the duck house and pen. With a pitchfork it's easy enough to clean up. I will tell ya that I have a beautiful duck house and they don't even go in it. They just sleep in the attached pen, on the straw, on the ground. The mommas set in igloo type dog houses I put in there BECAUSE they wouldn't use the house. Boy that nice duck house was a big waste.

 

[RAREROO]

Mine free range all the time, the don't have a pen or get locked up at night, but they are usually up and about at all hours of the night too, they don't really sleep like chickens do. Mine stay pretty close to home too.

And I have found that they are more likly to go broody if they are free ranging. I have 6 Duck hens and 4 of them are setting now.

 

[Knucker Hatch Farms]

Thank you, thank you! All of your replies and comments were so helpful. Based on your information, I'm going to be much more relaxed with their enclosure as far as "amenities".

I have one more question regarding free rangers, if I may:

Do your ducks stick together as one flock even if there are a mix of breeds, or do they separate out and free range by themselves or in groups of just a few? (I will have all females, if that makes a difference.)


Warm Regards,

Mama Knucker Hatch

 

[tnchickenut]

My ducks free range durring the day... and yes... they will go further - especially in rainy weather... we have a drainage ditch that goes into the neighbors spring... wow. Bad day.

As for putting them up for the night... I just say, "bedtime!" and they go right in. I swear it. I have witnesses.

As for bedding. Sand or river stone type pebbles. Nothing is perfect, IMO, except tractoring it. I have never had any preditors, probrably due to my dogs get to free range at night (in my own property before someone says something). Anywho.... I have no bottom to the ducks and move them once a week or so. That may not work for everyone, though.

Just get a routine and stick to it. Ducks learn very quick. In my experience it only takes twice before they "get it".

 

[10ducks]

Regarding staying in a group: my first 10 stayed together all the time. There were nine hens and 1 drake. Then I got another dozen or so, about 4 months later. I gradually introduced the new ducklings to the older group when the newbies were about 8 weeks old. I had them sleeping in the same duck house, but I had the younger ones fenced off at first. After about a week I took out the divider. The older ducks shunned the younger ones at first. They slept in separate corners of the coop, and during the day, they foraged in separate groups and swam on the pond in separate groups. Then I had a fox problem, and several of the older ducks, including the drake, were killed. A few of the younger ducks were killed as well. After that, they all started hanging out together in one big group most of the time, but they still sub-divide into 2 smaller groups some of the time. The younger group has 2 drakes, and they usually each go with one group of hens when they split up. The six hens from the original flock always stay together. There are several different breeds, but that doesn't seem to matter.

I've got another 25 in the brooder right now. It will be interesting to see what happens with the group dynamics when they are old enough to go outside.

Hey, I've got to update my sig to include my new breeds!

 

[Knucker Hatch Farms]

You guys have been awesome!

I just realized in reading some of the other posts here that there may be a big difference between the dietary needs of a free ranger verses a penned duck. And ducks seem to be more sensitive than chickens with deficiencies in diet. I'm thinking that a free ranger will take care of those extra needs a lot easier, but then again I could be wrong.

Do you find you need to supplement with anything other than pellet feed if they free range all day?

Thanks again, for sharing all of your experiences. That's my last question. For today.

Warm Regards,

Mama Knucker Hatch

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I found that when I had 30-35 ducks that they seemed to break up into packs of 8-10 who stuck together most of the time. I just fed them waterfowl pellets in the evening mostly to get them in the habit of returning to the coop at nightfall.