Free range ducks sitting on nests - best protection if any?

[Alycea]

We have 5 free range ducks (and chickens) in a very large fenced garden. They can fly, and occassionaly swoop out only to turn immediately and head back in to the garden, so they obviously recogise the boundaries of 'their' enclosure.

Normally we put them in their own house at night for protection.

Last year our 2 female ducks nested in the duck house - on the same nest, but that is another story. All well and good and 2 ducklings resulted, whih have grown into 2 more females. This spring besides the duck house, and chickenhouse, they have been setting up nests in the garden. We have been taking the eggs from these nests to dissuade them sitting (as we don't want more ducks). However, our ducks are devious, and our oldest duck managed to set up a nest in a hedge without our knowing. Next thing we know she is sitting on her nest and won't be budged.

We've decided to let her stay, and will sell the ducklings once hatched.

She is well hidden and we are resigned to the hope that she wlil remain unharmed whilst out of the duck house at night. Our bigger worry is once the ducklings hatch. The previous year, because they were in the duck house we could keep the ducklings enclosed and protected. We don't know what do about this year. We have owls, a garden snake and currently a pestering hawk (whom we are trying to dissuage from the area). Any thoughts or suggestions welcome...

Maybe try to move Mum and ducklings once they are born in to the duck house?

PS: We have another sneaky duck who has nested in the duck house (starting with only 1 egg), so not sure if this would cause trouble between the females. Ah, life in the country

 

[Buck Oakes]

okay best thing to do actually is give the other female the eggs, it may not seem fair but they babies can still hatch and the other female would be safe. and the best thing to do with the babes is let them stay inside the duck house for a few weeks till they're about 3 weeks old then it would be best to put up a pen like 8 by 8 or even better 10 by 10 that u will need to make as safe as possible, so chicken wire around the sides and chicken wire across the top, make sure part of the pen is in the shade and part in the sunshine so they don't get to hot and so that they can get vitamin D and make sure u have grass in there at first, the babies are going eat the grass however, since it gives them a boost of natural vitamins and minerals and it gets them use to the outside, change the water about twice a day for them out there ands with that pen being so safe you can leave them in there at night. make sure you put solid, impossible to move bricks around the bottom and maybe even double chicken wire the bottom of the sides so that nothing can get in. this is the best thing if your letting the mother raise the ducklings since they will be outside, if your raising th ducklings however u can keep them inside or a while longer until u think they're big enough o go outside, but in order to do that its best to condition them so putting them in a pen for a while before u let them out assures that they will be comfortable.

 

[Alycea]

Sounds like a sensible plan. Thank you!

 

[Buck Oakes]