Free Ranging duck question & breeds

[keeperofthehearth]

DH will soon start building a duck house. We'd like to Free Range if it works out. If we lose too many ducks to predators or they wander over into the neighbors yard then we plan on fencing the ducks in. We've been going round'n round about what breed to get.
I think the bigger the safer as far as free ranging, like Muscovy. DH is a little hesitant since they are so large and may be difficult to handle/control when they get fiesty.

Any advise on free ranging ducks would be appreciated. Thanks!!

 

[Wifezilla]

Muscovies can fly.

I have a small back yard and I have 4 ducks. 1 runner, 1 buff, and 2 khaki campbells (one khaki is a drake...all the rest are girls). My privacy fence covers everything but one walkway, and they have shown no interest in leaving over that 3' gate.

I got them all as adults, so I kept them in a pen with a hutch for 2 weeks. Once they got the idea that that was "their" place, I started opening the gate to let them free range in the back yard. Now they go to "bed" at night when it gets dark, and quack their faces off around 7:00 to be let out.

All 3 of the breeds I have are medium sized ducks...not too hard to handle...and the females are egg laying machines

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Hi Wifezilla, Thanks for the feedback. By the by, where in Colorado are you? We lived in Aurora, CO about 9yrs back for about 11 yrs. We still miss CO and the Southwest. We had a privacy fence also w/a deco. pond and gold fish. Had a night heron and racoons visiting us regularly snaging those fish.

You're critters aren't even safe in the burbs! But it was fun watching there antics. We hope to get back to Colorado someday.

Muscovies can fly.

Another reason we were seriously considering them. We have a lot of pine and spruce that they could fly into away from ground predators. On the down side - if they decide to go up in the trees and roost for the night we will have a * of a time getting them down then they may become RACOON dinner. We had two drake mallards last year and they flew really well but never left the chicken yard for the most part. They flew out only twice but didn't like it "out in the world" and flew back in.

 

[Wifezilla]

I am in the Security area....or "The Tropics" as my friend who lives off Briargate Parkway calls it...LOL