Free ranging ducks?

[AnimlCrakrAcres]

I have a 1 acre pasture that is overrun with tall grasses and woods, and I THOUGHT I had patched the fence everywhere a major predator could get in and THOUGHT the ducks would be fine during the day and THOUGHT my ducks could escape anything with their maze paths and hidey holes. I put my 6 ducks in there during the day and then put them in the barn at night and they had a great time for about three months. I underestimated a neighbors dog, who didn't go through the barbed wire on the top or bottom of the fence but found a corner where the fencing wasn't as secure and worked at it until he could squeeze through there. I now have only two ducks, one recovering from puncture wounds and one missing quite a few feathers, and I only found one body so I hope the others flew away and decided not to come back. Now during the day they are in a 20x10 pen with a pool that is fenced all around and over top with the fencing buried 6 inches under the ground at an angle, and they still go into the barn at night.
And every time I cry about losing one, my mother reminds me why ducks are only $4 each.....

 

[MarissaC]

Good thread. I was wondering about this as well. Our landlord share their acreage with us. They keep all their geese and ducks in a big pond. Our ducks are in a fenced area and they get feed. His ducks and geese are always at our pen begging for food, haha. Obviously, they all get a handful of food...I just can't tell those big eyes "no".