Help! Free-ranging ducks don't want to forage

[lilyduck]

Hi there -

I have a flock of 12 free-ranging ducks (about 11 weeks old now- I raised them from hatchlings). About 50 feet from their pen is a lush meadow with lots of tender greens, and 100 ft further is a nice little creek. But they don't want to forage in the meadow or the creek! They hang out about 10 feet from their pen all day and wait for me to let them back inside. They've totally picked clean all the grass that is close to their pen, and now they just sit there all day. I can herd them down to the creek and they start to forage, but they run back to the door of the pen as soon as I leave.

They get fed only in the evening, about 1/4 lb. of mazuri duck feed per bird. They are a mixed flock of khakis, harlequins, swedish, and cayugas.

Can I safely reduce their feed to encourage them to forage more? Any other suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Birdcrazy]

Are they new to being let out? When i first started letting mine out they stuck with me and didn't wander far, but nowdays they are all over the block.

-plus they are still young, maybe just a bit nervous being by themselves ?
good luck =]

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I'm not sure I can help you on this. They are young & afraid. They either have seen predators or are afraid there are predators.
I have Scovies that I was hoping would forage down the hill & take advantage of a swampy area down at the bottom of the hill. They will only go there if I take them and like your ducks, hustle back up the hill and back to our driveway, carport & front yard once I leave. We even mowed the grass so they could see & move around on it better. That didn't work either. They have watched hawks fly over the field, deer, which they are afraid of, walk through, & can see the neighbors going in and out of their house next door.
I'm sure that your ducks feel vulnerable for some reason or another. If you had a LGD that they felt safe with you could probably train them to go & forage there. I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable reducing their feed since you are only feeding them once a day already. Hopefully someone else will have some suggestions.

 

[Wifezilla]

Give them time. They may decide to explore more once they are older.

 

[lilyduck]

Thanks for the replies! It's good to know that others have had the same experience and that my little ones might get more adventurous later in life.

Another idea is to construct a temporary pen down in the area that I want them to forage, and pen them down there during the day. Has anyone done anything similar? I'm not sure if this would just make them more scared of the foraging grounds or not....

Thanks!

 

[Wifezilla]

Yeah. It's kind of like the chicken tractor concept. I don't think it will make them more afraid.