Free range concern

[Sixesandsevens]

I recently got 4 female pekin ducks and I am in LOVE. This weekend I plan to integrate them into our big coop with our chickens and then hopefully start letting them free range!

My concern is that I live in Florida and an acre or so away is a small pond that will sometimes attract a lone gator. We often relocate them shortly after they show up. But I’m worried the ducks will be instantly attracted to the pond and end up gator food.

Our chickens never travel that far when free ranging so it’s never been an issue.

I guess my plan is to just try to make the area near the coop so appealing that maybe they won’t wander over there. There is plenty of foraging close by and I can make them a bit of a mud pit to go along with their various pools.

I am wondering if anyone here has any experience with this. I’m not really sure how far ducks will wander, will their pools and mudpit satisfy them enough, will the pond just be to scary and they will avoid it? We once fostered a lone Drake and he wouldn’t go anywhere near the pond. But I imagine that’s because he was a sad lone drake.

I really want them to free range and it would be so much easier if we could just open and close them on our chickens routine.

Thanks for any input!

 

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

Your Pekins are just gorgeous!

I live on 2.5 acres in Florida (hi neighbor!). We've got trail cams set up in the back of the property and last month, there was a coyote on the cam, so I'm not free-ranging my ducks. My husband put up a 4-ft garden fence with t-posts and that keeps them in and safe-ish (nothing's 100% guaranteed unless they're in a secure, covered run). I don't think I'd free-range ducks on acreage unless I had a livestock guardian dog with them all day and wasn't concerned about losing a few to predators. Ducks are absolutely USELESS when it comes to defending themselves. They can't bite, scratch, or fly up into the trees like chickens can. Not sure if they will travel an acre away to the pond (do your chickens ever head that direction?), but if they do, the gators will come for them.

Good luck with your new lovely ducks! I had a jumbo Pekin named Mae and she was our darling. <3

 

[Sixesandsevens]

Your Pekins are just gorgeous!

I live on 2.5 acres in Florida (hi neighbor!). We've got trail cams set up in the back of the property and last month, there was a coyote on the cam, so I'm not free-ranging my ducks. My husband put up a 4-ft garden fence with t-posts and that keeps them in and safe-ish (nothing's 100% guaranteed unless they're in a secure, covered run). I don't think I'd free-range ducks on acreage unless I had a livestock guardian dog with them all day and wasn't concerned about losing a few to predators. Ducks are absolutely USELESS when it comes to defending themselves. They can't bite, scratch, or fly up into the trees like chickens can. Not sure if they will travel an acre away to the pond (do your chickens ever head that direction?), but if they do, the gators will come for them.

Good luck with your new lovely ducks! I had a jumbo Pekin named Mae and she was our darling. <3

Thanks! I really do love them so much and am really glad I spontaneously brought them home!

I have some trail cams set up as well and I occasionally see coyotes come through, which is why we don’t open our birds up for free range until 12pm and we have them locked up well before dark. We have lost chickens before but I think it’s mostly been to hawks or other large predator birds and neighbors dogs.

Our chickens tend to stick close to the coop, house, and barn. Probably around a one acre area and they don’t even go near the pond or the structure that is closest to the pond. They can definitely see it from their furthest reaches though.

 

[OneEggToRuleThemAll]

If you integrate your ducks with your chickens and they become one flock (this can take a while), they may stay with your chickens close to home. Good luck!