How long outside?

Mine are't properly outside yet but from what I've seen other people say, they have their ducks out when it's light but keep them safe inside when it's dark or getting dark. I guess that varies depending on the time of year and when you wake up/go to bed

 

once you are sure they will stay around and not wander off i would let them out first thing in the morning. anytime after daylight, and allow them to free range all day. even if they seek shelter under the shade tree, they will still forage when they can, plus there is a little something to be said about letting them have the extra freedom. i would plan my feeding schedule for late in the evening and feed in the coop or pen. that way they become trained to come in every night and after a few days they will likely be waiting on you in the pen.

 

I've had mine outside since they were alittle over three weeks old. With the heat we've had I did not have to worry about them getting too cold. We have a fenced in backyard that they can run around all day and then in the evening we have one of those puppy playpens with a dog igloo inside that we put them in. They hardly ever seek shelter in the dog igloo. However, we live in the suburbs and do not have many predators that roam around day/night.

 

Quote:Well, a predator can strike at any time so you may as well realize that your ducks will never be truly safe if they free range unsupervised.

Even with electric poultry netting and a livestock guardian dog, I still lose animals to predators. My worst predator is the bald eagle that likes to grab ducklings off the three acre wooded pond. Next in line is the hawk, followed by the owl.

I think I should receive a stipend from the US Government for feeding the national bird and helping to bring it off the endangered list.