free ranging ducks

[Going Quackers]

Mine all free range to.. they usually come back to the barn/pen area by dusk.. and are herded into the barn... Mine usually don't go to far even during the day.. i pretty much know where they 'hang out' they don't even cover half of the acreage we have here, none are clipped either...

 

[watchdogps]

Since mine aren't fond of me, I worry that they will just take off. So, I think my plan is to take some chicken wire and make a larger pen around their current pen. When they get used to that, I will take it down and trust them to go back. Does that sound reasonable?

 

[michelle89]

When I used to let my girls free range they would put themselves to bed at night, but now I won't let them out during the day. I've lost two chickens to what predator I don't know. So now I just have one duck and two chickens.

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

In direct answer to you question: Good heavens YES. Ducks are equally or even more loyal than chickens. And they take less time to get them to kno where home is. 3 days in a fenced yard is enough and then there is no need for a fence ever again. Marvelous on range, they are.

 

[iajewel]

I have no problem free ranging and I think they are happier and healthier when allowed to run. However... and this is a huge however, I have guardian dogs that I have spent a fortion for and spent the first year of their live training on poultry.

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I free range my Muscovy's, alot of my chickens, peacocks, guineas and I live in the heart of predator country. What I've found is that 99.999% of our predators come out at dawn, dusk, or during the night. So those are the times that our poultry aren't free ranged.

I would suggest that before you free range to know your area.
What are the dangers to your birds?
Are there fliers? (hawks, eagles? etc?)
Are there ground critters? (raccoons, possums, bobcats, coyotes, dogs)
What are their hunting patterns?
What is the area around you like?
Are there lots of predators around you at a specific time?
Will you be around while your poultry is free ranging?

There are a ton of other questions but these are basic ones. In 3 years we have only lost one free ranged rooster. But this past year we were hit by predators hard at night that went after our penned birds and we lost a bunch of birds. None of them were the free rangers. Weird.

Anyway, free ranging really does wonders with eggs. And I love watching my birds wander my property.

 

[Arielle]

Quote:
I know how you feel. Step by step and you'll find what works for you. Free ranging is thoughtful preparation for a larger area and deal with predators before its a problem.

My ducks go to bed in my house as I don't have outside housing yet. At dusk. all 3 sit on the porch waiting to go in. They don't like being touched; I open the door and in they go. In the morning it's the reverse, they wait in their box until I lift each out, and boy they hate being picked up, set on the floor and out the door and fly off the porch headed to their pool.

Coyote got chickens so I fenced off a large area to remind the coyote to keep to the deer trail. It worked.

GL

 

[TennesseeTruly]

I wanted to mention how my husband got our Muscovy's to follow him back to the pen. It reminded me of the Pied Piper! HAHA!

He would have a bucket of food or treats and he would drop a little on the ground. Muscovy's are ruled by their bellies! They all started to follow him. It became a nightly routine until he no longer needed the food, about 4 days. Now most go by themselves but there are a few stragglers once in a while and he just walks by them and clicks to them and they follow him right to the pen.

It worked!

The funny thing is now when he's carrying a bucket of food or treats, he has a line of Muscovy's following him all over the property! They haven't forgotten!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Thats sweet, and yep food is the key to a mucscovy heart and belly.