Free Ranging questions

[jlbpooh]

Yes, they get fed free-choice in their coop. I have one of those self serving dog/cat feeders with the hopper attached to the dish that works very well. I noticed that they go to bed considerable earlier than the chickens, so that will give me plenty of time to round them up. Since it is supposed to rain through Tuesday here, I may have to wait until next weekend. They would help prevent the mosquitos this year, but the tadpoles are not going to like it much having someone eating them for dinner. We end up with thousands of them in our pond.

 

[robot rooster]

Let me know how this works out. I have a pond and am thinking about a few ducks myself.

 

[eggchel]

I dont know about dealing with getting them off the pond, but otherwise, it is pretty easy to herd them and train them to go to their pen at night.

I started out herding mine into the pen every night, telling them to go to bed. Now, they are usually waiting in their pen when I go out. If not, I just call out "Go to bed, duckies" and they run right into their pen.

chel

 

[RoyalHillsLLC]

My main issue was predation. Even during the day ducks are pretty helpless against most predators. I lost too many and had to get a LGD, a Great Pyrenees. The ducks seemed the easiest for coyotes and raccoons to catch. Now I freerange again.
My birds will go anywhere I want with feed.

 

[feathersgalore]

My rouens were playing on the pond all evening but after I shut the goats up, I looked and and here they were walking back towards the barn! I was so proud. It helps to have a routine.