Free Range Ducks - Mission Impossible?

[ReLearning2Live]

So, we are having our first venture into duck-land and started out with 5 ducks: 2 Anconas (mf) and 3 Cayugas (mff). We raised them indoors until they were big enough for the dog run (we use for juvenile poultry) and then raised them there until they were about 4 months old (plenty big).

We just moved them out into their coop about 3 weeks ago. It is on the very edge of a pond - very beautiful setting for a duck (or a human for that matter). We left them in the coop for the first 4 days (like chickens), but that didn't work of course, but that's another matter. So, every evening we chased them into the coop and every morning let them out.

But about a week ago we lost one - during the day. Just *poof* gone! No signs, no feathers, no quacking (was a female) - nothing! Then the other day, another female gone during the day in the same way! gggrrrrrr

So, we put the three left back up in the dog pen and are trying to figure out what to do about this. We paid good money for these ducks and care for them...but are completely baffled as to what may be picking them off. We have chickens too and nothing is bothering them. I've read up some in books and they all suggest that free range is a bad bad idea for ducks - that too many predators exist for them. Is this true?

We were really looking forward to our ducks being free range just like our chickens, but maybe it's not meant to be?
So, how many people have free range ducks and how many found that is couldn't work for them?
Any other suggestions/ideas on what to do?

Thanks!

 

[aoxa]

I free range my ducks with my chickens. I can't imagine how they would be easier to get then chickens? Maybe it's just for Arial predators.. Since ponds are usually out in the open.. I really don't know.. I did lose 1 call duck yesterday and I have no idea how. I searched everywhere.

My Khaki Campbells have free ranged since they were 8 weeks old. They are now 8 months old and have never had an issue. They are much slower then the call ducks in terms of running for safety.

What kind of predators do you have where you live? Maybe it is best that you not free range them if it is becoming an issue

Sorry for your loss!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

our ducks all free range all day every day, even in tropical storms (isaac just past by) this includes french white muscovy, khaki campbells and Silver Appleyards. We also have geese and chickens and goats and live stock guard dogs (great Pyreneese to be exact).


if you are free ranging and have a large pond you could also have snapping turtles. they can and will take a duck. You can have bobcats, fox, weasels (mink) stray dogs to name a few other predators. When you allow poultry to free range you also have to accept that no matter how well protected your property is eventually some predator is going to strike, or attempt to.

 

[aoxa]

our ducks all free range all day every day, even in tropical storms (isaac just past by) this includes french white muscovy, khaki campbells and Silver Appleyards. We also have geese and chickens and goats and live stock guard dogs (great Pyreneese to be exact).


if you are free ranging and have a large pond you could also have snapping turtles. they can and will take a duck. You can have bobcats, fox, weasels (mink) stray dogs to name a few other predators. When you allow poultry to free range you also have to accept that no matter how well protected your property is eventually some predator is going to strike, or attempt to. 

My LGD is still at the age where I can't trust her alone with the poultry. I do believe she helps keep them at bay with her bark though!

 

[ReLearning2Live]

Thanks for the fast reply!

It made me realize you guys need more details in order to possibly help. So here you go:

Our property is 7 acres, here is a satellite shot of the property -



The red dot is the chicken coop, they are free-range and closed up for the night in an ark.
The purple dot is the duck coop.

The distance from the house to the pond is about 250ft.

We have no dogs. The neighbors' dogs do not wander (that we've ever seen).
We had one hawk attack last month but we caught the hawk - my husband actually grabbed it while it was attacking one of our hens! - and we re-homed it and haven't seen it since. The hawks around here aren't big enough to carry a duck anyway, so we'd see a pile of feathers if it was a hawk.

Other common predators in this area: fox, raccoon, skunk, and coyote.
That's it.

Hope this helps in figuring out the mystery and coming closer to a decision about whether free-range will work for our situation

 

[ReLearning2Live]

if you are free ranging and have a large pond you could also have snapping turtles.

True! Didn't think of that! Do you think our pond is big enough?! It's about 200ft long by 150ft wide and about 6-7ft at the deepest point. Has large mouth bass, lots.

 

[aoxa]

Hawks are the same way here - far too small to take a full grown hen.

What about bald eagles?

 

[zooweemama]

Maybe snapping turtles? We have a man made pond but still found turtles in it (not snapping thank goodness!) so it's possible unless you dug it recently yourself and know what is in it exactly. Our pond is quite small.

 

[Wynette]

Perhaps you can call The Turtle Man to check it out. Just kidding (my DH LOVES that show...he's a hillbilly at heart!).

To me, if you are seeing NO feathers or other signals...it's most likely a snapper. Yes, your pond is plenty big for one...or more.

 

[Going Quackers]

Can it be done? sure... however that said i went well over a year and then magically lost 2 in a week.. likely based on the size of the one(a massive Muscovy drake) and us following the trail it was a dog. We have since fenced an area off for the ducks. I hope to return to free ranging but i will have to fence my entire side field to do so, that we will have to be re-addressed next year.

It's frustrating as our ducks were partly purchased for pest clean up around the farm itself but if they are all killed off doesn't do us much good anyways. I do still have two that are flying out and then return but i just hope for the best, i refuse to clip the wings it's likely what saved the majority of the other birds when the attacks went down.

I should mention we have no ponds and do know here we have snappers so that is a real possibly as a source of loss.