How to bring ducks back in from fenced pasture?

[User635240]

Hi BYC, there is a fenced pasture on my property that I currently use as a dog run. It's about 150*150' (1/2 acre) and is made of 4*4*60" goat fencing on tposts. Its located 500 ft from the barn where the ducks sleep at night. I'd like to take some or all of my 40+ ducks down there to clear the area of slugs and snails, prior to pasturing the goats there. (The snails & slugs carry a worm that kills goats.) Two questions, how long in days would it take 40+ ducks to clear this area this size, and two, how would I go about bringing them back to the barn at the end of the day? I'd take them down there 5 at a time in a dog crate, but don't want to spend hours chasing them to get back into the crate in the evening.

 

[LydiaB]

I don’t know how long it would take to get rid of slugs etc. depends on population.
As far as relocating them, they are super easy to herd. When training them to go in and come back you may need two people, but once they know where they are going you should be able to herd them alone.

 

[CoriM]

Food and treats are good motivators to get them back inside.

 

[User635240]

Shoukd I try to herd them a few at a time into the dog crate then carry the dog crate to the barn? Or walk them back to the barn? They like to disperse and make it hard for me to herd them as one flock.

I don’t know how long it would take to get rid of slugs etc. depends on population.
As far as relocating them, they are super easy to herd. When training them to go in and come back you may need two people, but once they know where they are going you should be able to herd them alone.

 

[CoriM]

I think the dog crate sounds scary for ducks - they would be sliding around while you carried them. Get them acclimated to first coming to you for treats or food - I put meal worms in a tupperware cereal type container and when my ducks see me with that container they come running! Once they associate you and the treat you should be able to walk them back home. Also, if they're happy in the barn - has all their food and plenty of water, swimming - they will most likely be relieved to return to shelter. After my ducks have been in the yard and their tractor and I take them back to their run they seem so content and take a little bath then go right to sleep.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I put mealworms and dry dog food into a plastic coffee can put the lid on it and start shaking and I whistle when my birds who are on half an acre hear me they can't always see me but they know the sounds and come running. Food is a great motivator and they learn quick.

 

[CoriM]

One other thought, not sure where you live but I'm in the Pacific NW and we have tons of slugs. I notice that they are only out very early in the morning before the sun comes up for the most part, unless it's a very rainy day. When ducks eat slugs their mouths get all gummed up. They will need a lot of drinking water down there with them. If you were worried about herding a big group you could just try to work with a smaller group and walk them down. I've seen a video of Metzer farms where all their ducks run inside from the pasture - hundreds of them - because that's where they get their feed. I suppose you could just put them out there for a short window of time without their feed and if they knew you were taking them back to that they would probably run. I know my ducks act like they're starving if they're away from their food for half an hour so I usually take it out with them when I put them in their tractor.