Free Ranging Ducks possible on this plot?

[DuckyDonna]

When are you thinking for both sets?
How old for creek?
How old for pond? (By pond I mean all day- not just a little 10 min swim).

Ponds usually have snapping turtles, at least around here they do and I imagine Texas is about the same. They will kill your little ones in a heartbeat as an appetizer before they get the big ones. Then the snakes. Where there is water there are snakes. I lost a 4-week old one to a king snake that had gotten in the pen because I stupidly left the door open. You've got bigger and badder snakes down there than we do.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm all for letting them live as naturally as possible. Possible is the word. There are limits especially when not fully feathered like your youngest ones, they can chill even on hot days if wet. Fun time in the small pond daily but placed where they can dry where its warm is a must. You have a beautiful place there looks like lots of wooded area. We live in the mountains of NC and in the woods no way my ducks even as adults could live without fencing around them. Predators lay n wait for the perfect opportunity to snatch their meal. I'd hate for something to happen to yours. I know a lot of people have the mind set well it's just part of life. But I didn't get my birds to feed them to the predators. And yes I have lost some to hawks so don't think that having lots of trees around will protect them. We are surrounded but I have figured out it's not the hawk flying around above screeching its warning it's the one sitting in the tree waiting for the opportune moment.

 

[Andysol]

I am amazed you haven’t lost all your ducklings leaving them to fend for themselves at such a young age. That’s WHy in real life they have a mama to protect them keep them warm etc. so it’s our responsibility to take on that role when we bring them home defenseless.

Lydia-
I have raised hundreds of chickens on my property. 40+ Meat birds 2-4x year. From ~7 days to 3 weeks on my side yard prior to going to the farm where they live the rest of their days prior to harvest.
While my backyard looks like a forest, I’m actually in typical suburbia. I’ve never lost one due to a predator. They’d stay around bushes (natural density) although explore plenty as well. The ducks, on the other hand; don’t go under a single bush and just hang in the water constantly.

The reason I’m in here asking questions (and not just making blanket statements) is because you have much more experience than me regarding ducks. Advice vs condemnation would be more appreciated.

Ponds usually have snapping turtles, at least around here they do and I imagine Texas is about the same. They will kill your little ones in a heartbeat as an appetizer before they get the big ones. Then the snakes. Where there is water there are snakes. I lost a 4-week old one to a king snake that had gotten in the pen because I stupidly left the door open. You've got bigger and badder snakes down there than we do.

The little ducks are in a plastic filtered 130 gallon pond by my house. Definitely no turtles there.
The 5 week old ducks are in the creek. Surprisingly, turtles aren’t really an issue there either. I’ll usually see 1-2 a year and have only seen one that was snapping. While snappers are extremely common in my area of Texas, I think the shallow and always moving creek + limestone bottom (hard water) keeps them away as there is no real aquatic life and rarely algae. That said, at what age are they no longer potential prey to turtles?

Snakes, on the other hand, can certainly be an issue. We really only have rat snakes (non venomous) and copperheads (venomous) in our area. Rats can get huge- 4+ feet while the bigger coppers are usually 18-24”. Definitely big enough to cause some damage.
Surprisingly, again, the Creek isn’t an issue. I’ve seen one snake there in 6-7 years. The dense undergrowth and forest floor, on the other hand, plenty of rats. And because or that, snakes.
While they are rarely visible; I might see one a year and go 2+ years not seeing any, this year (really this month) has been uncanny. I’ve killed 2 copperheads and saw the biggest rat snake ever in the area (4-5’ long)- I let him live (For the rats). We’ve had unprecedented rain and that’s brought out the snakes to the surface to dry out. One copper head was in my chicken run at the base of their ramp coiled up. Luckily my daughter saw it and I could kill it. All that said- that’s a serious consideration. And while I don’t fear that rat snake with my chickens- a coiled 2’ copperhead can definitely hurt/kill them if contact is made above the feet. Haven’t ever lost one, but that one in the coop was my first “oh shit” moment.

That all said, you’re right re: the littles- I definitely need to keep their pond time limited and then back inside even if the mess they make in the brooder is unreal. But for the 5 weekers; again, at one point can they handle a snake? I’ve always had chickens out free ranging at ~8-10 weeks and the ducks are already past that size.

I'm all for letting them live as naturally as possible. Possible is the word. There are limits especially when not fully feathered like your youngest ones, they can chill even on hot days if wet. Fun time in the small pond daily but placed where they can dry where its warm is a must. You have a beautiful place there looks like lots of wooded area. We live in the mountains of NC and in the woods no way my ducks even as adults could live without fencing around them. Predators lay n wait for the perfect opportunity to snatch their meal. I'd hate for something to happen to yours. I know a lot of people have the mind set well it's just part of life. But I didn't get my birds to feed them to the predators. And yes I have lost some to hawks so don't think that having lots of trees around will protect them. We are surrounded but I have figured out it's not the hawk flying around above screeching its warning it's the one sitting in the tree waiting for the opportune moment.

I truly appreciate the clarification and advice, Lydia.

So you’d recommend bringing back up the 5 week old ducks until they’re fully feathered (7-9 weeks)?
If it matters, its 90-100 degrees every day here currently. Though at night it does drop to 70-75.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Lydia-
I have raised hundreds of chickens on my property. 40+ Meat birds 2-4x year. From ~7 days to 3 weeks on my side yard prior to going to the farm where they live the rest of their days prior to harvest.
While my backyard looks like a forest, I’m actually in typical suburbia. I’ve never lost one due to a predator. They’d stay around bushes (natural density) although explore plenty as well. The ducks, on the other hand; don’t go under a single bush and just hang in the water constantly.

The reason I’m in here asking questions (and not just making blanket statements) is because you have much more experience than me regarding ducks. Advice vs condemnation would be more appreciated.



The little ducks are in a plastic filtered 130 gallon pond by my house. Definitely no turtles there.
The 5 week old ducks are in the creek. Surprisingly, turtles aren’t really an issue there either. I’ll usually see 1-2 a year and have only seen one that was snapping. While snappers are extremely common in my area of Texas, I think the shallow and always moving creek + limestone bottom (hard water) keeps them away as there is no real aquatic life and rarely algae. That said, at what age are they no longer potential prey to turtles?

Snakes, on the other hand, can certainly be an issue. We really only have rat snakes (non venomous) and copperheads (venomous) in our area. Rats can get huge- 4+ feet while the bigger coppers are usually 18-24”. Definitely big enough to cause some damage.
Surprisingly, again, the Creek isn’t an issue. I’ve seen one snake there in 6-7 years. The dense undergrowth and forest floor, on the other hand, plenty of rats. And because or that, snakes.
While they are rarely visible; I might see one a year and go 2+ years not seeing any, this year (really this month) has been uncanny. I’ve killed 2 copperheads and saw the biggest rat snake ever in the area (4-5’ long)- I let him live (For the rats). We’ve had unprecedented rain and that’s brought out the snakes to the surface to dry out. One copper head was in my chicken run at the base of their ramp coiled up. Luckily my daughter saw it and I could kill it. All that said- that’s a serious consideration. And while I don’t fear that rat snake with my chickens- a coiled 2’ copperhead can definitely hurt/kill them if contact is made above the feet. Haven’t ever lost one, but that one in the coop was my first “oh shit” moment.

That all said, you’re right re: the littles- I definitely need to keep their pond time limited and then back inside even if the mess they make in the brooder is unreal. But for the 5 weekers; again, at one point can they handle a snake? I’ve always had chickens out free ranging at ~8-10 weeks and the ducks are already past that size.



I truly appreciate the clarification and advice, Lydia.

So you’d recommend bringing back up the 5 week old ducks until they’re fully feathered (7-9 weeks)?
If it matters, its 90-100 degrees every day here currently. Though at night it does drop to 70-75.

I know king snakes are constrictors and I would think rat snakes would be too since they go after the same food as the kings. I found a 6' king snake wrapped around my 4-week old duck. It had already squeezed the life out of it and was trying to eat it although I don't think that would have been possible because I thought it was plenty big but it sure was trying! I wish I could unsee that in my head but I will never forget it.

The attached picture is one of the day my little duck was killed so you could see the size. Obviously it was too little to be out in the run.

 

[Andysol]

I know king snakes are constrictors and I would think rat snakes would be too since they go after the same food as the kings. I found a 6' king snake wrapped around my 4-week old duck. It had already squeezed the life out of it and was trying to eat it although I don't think that would have been possible because I thought it was plenty big but it sure was trying! I wish I could unsee that in my head but I will never forget it.

View attachment 2723712The attached picture is one of the day my little duck was killed so you could see the size. Obviously it was too little to be out in the run.

Ugh. So sorry.

At what age would you be comfortable with them being out? At 5 weeks, they already seem more able than a 8-10 week old pullet. Maybe it’s their size that’s throwing me off. “Oh, they’re fine at that size” but aren’t old enough.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Not trying to bring condemnation just concerned about you losing your ducklings. I guess many on here would think am over protecting.

To me 5 weeks is a might early to be letting them down on a creek without supervision just so many things could go wrong. But I like knowing where mine are and sitting out with them. Here they have little over half acre fencing to forage in but no creek. We do have a mountain river down below us but between here and there is very wooded so no way they go there. When it rains a lot here that river is raging they would get swept away or drowned in no time.

I had a bantam cochin pullet sitting up on the roost inside the coop she was 10 weeks old didn't know a rat snake had been living up in the storage area of the coop and overnight came down and got this pullet and tried to eat her, all he got in was her head and most of her neck, What a waste to kill her and then not be able to eat her. Broke my heart.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Ugh. So sorry.

At what age would you be comfortable with them being out? At 5 weeks, they already seem more able than a 8-10 week old pullet. Maybe it’s their size that’s throwing me off. “Oh, they’re fine at that size” but aren’t old enough.

I don't know what to say about the age. But I'd say probably fully feathered would be a good rule of thumb.

Since my 2 tragedies, I've kept mine under extreme protection. That little white duck in that picture was a beautiful white runner drake that got killed by a falcon that swooped in under a small part of the run that I didn't have netting over, got in under my barn roof, and killed Daisy, who naturally, was my favorite duck. He would sit in my lap and nuzzle my neck. After that horrid event, we went to over-the-top protection. Daisy was full-grown and pretty big for a runner.

I've got about a 40' x 40' run that has hardware cloth all around the sides and welded wire fencing on the roof. My husband built them a 4' x 8' pool so they've got it pretty good in there. Snakes can still get in I realize but I'm always on the lookout for them. I feel pretty confident about the security of the run though for everything else. We don't have bears here thankfully. I probably could leave them out all night long in that enclosure but I don't. They get locked up each night in secure snake-proof pens which I keep shut during the day.

 

[Andysol]

I don't know what to say about the age. But I'd say probably fully feathered would be a good rule of thumb.

Since my 2 tragedies, I've kept mine under extreme protection. That little white duck in that picture was a beautiful white runner drake that got killed by a falcon that swooped in under a small part of the run that I didn't have netting over, got in under my barn roof, and killed Daisy, who naturally, was my favorite duck. He would sit in my lap and nuzzle my neck. After that horrid event, we went to over-the-top protection. Daisy was full-grown and pretty big for a runner.

I've got about a 40' x 40' run that has hardware cloth all around the sides and welded wire fencing on the roof. My husband built them a 4' x 8' pool so they've got it pretty good in there. Snakes can still get in I realize but I'm always on the lookout for them. I feel pretty confident about the security of the run though for everything else. We don't have bears here thankfully. I probably could leave them out all night long in that enclosure but I don't. They get locked up each night in secure snake-proof pens which I keep shut during the day.

Makes me worried about my coop re: snake. Automatic door down there so it’s open all day long. But I’m gone for 1 week at a time on occasion and getting someone to let the ducks in and close door every night is a bit of an ask, so that’s a risk I have to deal with.

Ive never had a hawk dive once I have foliage on the trees. Possibly because of foliage and possibly because they aren’t desperate. But I’ve had two dives (that I know of) - both in early winter after leaves have fallen and there’s a dearth but before it gets too cold. Lost a Dominique in their tiny little run (6x6’? They free range so run area isn’t big) with a fence, deck, tree, coop all around it. But when a hawk is desperate… also my fav chicken, of course.

Had another hawk attack one and pin it but I saw it happen and charged the hawk so it let one of the hens go and all she had was some missing feathers, a fast heartbeat and some big eyes.

So hawks will be a concern in the creek as they’re completely exposed. But I knew all this going into this and know the risk of fall/winter and a creek. Not much I’ll be able to do outside of building an enclosure.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Makes me worried about my coop re: snake. Automatic door down there so it’s open all day long. But I’m gone for 1 week at a time on occasion and getting someone to let the ducks in and close door every night is a bit of an ask, so that’s a risk I have to deal with.

Ive never had a hawk dive once I have foliage on the trees. Possibly because of foliage and possibly because they aren’t desperate. But I’ve had two dives (that I know of) - both in early winter after leaves have fallen and there’s a dearth but before it gets too cold. Lost a Dominique in their tiny little run (6x6’? They free range so run area isn’t big) with a fence, deck, tree, coop all around it. But when a hawk is desperate… also my fav chicken, of course.

Had another hawk attack one and pin it but I saw it happen and charged the hawk so it let one of the hens go and all she had was some missing feathers, a fast heartbeat and some big eyes.

So hawks will be a concern in the creek as they’re completely exposed. But I knew all this going into this and know the risk of fall/winter and a creek. Not much I’ll be able to do outside of building an enclosure.

I have a friend who has a fenced-in yard and a huge canopy of trees where her ducks free-range during the day while she is out there. She wasn't 20' away from them and one of her ducks vanished. It's been a couple of weeks so she is quite sure she's not coming back. She thinks it has to be a hawk that got her and she never saw or heard a thing. Her other ducks didn't make a commotion either. It's such a risk and you just never know. It was a grown duck too.

I have hawks sitting up in the tall Georgia pines near my run just looking down on the delicious duck dinner that they'd love to have. It freaks the ducks out because they know they are there. I'm just waiting for the day when one tries to dive-bomb into that welded wire fencing on the top.