We have 4 dogs ranging in age from 5 yrs to 13 yrs of age...all hunters (squirrel and coon) and they not only don't hurt our chickens or ducks, they let them sleep next to them, hop up on them, even peck flies off of their backs LOL In the summer my dogs and ducks all swim in the pond together. We spent a few weeks in the chicken yard with the grown dogs and week old chickens and ducks, just through the normal voice commands we use with our dogs they quickly picked up the fact that this was not food running around. Two years ago we rescued 3 kittens and did the same thing with them and the dogs and chickens and ducks. Our cats were terrified of the chickens because when we first got them we had a few Hens with chicks...picture a curious kitten walking up to a Hen with her babies...instant flogging from the hen and they all live in harmony now. I just wish I could teach the cats not to kill the wild birds. Last year they killed one of our bluebird Daddies just after his third batch of babies had flown from the nest.
As for free range ducks...mine all do but I must say that a week ago today my one and only Muscovy (7 month old Hen) flew away. We've had super warm weather (78) today and I think she's got spring fever and since my Mallard Drake won't top her she may have gone off looking for a mate. We are on a farm, 250 feet away from the country road we live on, we've got 34 acres with a pond. I trained my ducks to come up to their pen at 4 every afternoon for supper, then I close the pen door and give them until dark to eat, drink , play then I go out and say bedtime and they all waddle into their house. I lock the house door and say goodnight. My Mallards are my only other flyers and they've never flown off (they are almost 11 months old). My ducks spend their day going from their pen, to the yard and pasture and on the pond, all night in their house.
Michelle
