Keeping muscovies in yard - how hard?

[fatcatx]

Chicken keeper here. I was debating getting a few ducks, but since we are in the city with a smaller yard, I think the only one my neighbors would tolerate is muscovies. (I'm pretty sure they're tired of hearing the chickens.) I've read they are flyers. Would it be an uphill battle to keep their their wings clipped to keep them in your backyard? Also, there are dogs in every yard around us so I don't want them bumbling into a death trap. Thoughts?

 

[Miss Lydia]

You only have to clip one time a year in the fall when they have their big molt lose their flight feathers and grow them back in. How tall is your fence? My Muscovy are very quiet.

 

[fatcatx]

My fence is 6 ft. I was worried that they might be agile enough to get over it. I have several chubby DP chicken that have figured out how to scale a 3 ft fence with clipped wings. Where there's a will...

 

[Ratchnick]

The hardest part about clipping wings is knowing how well they can fly after.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Mine can’t fly after I clip but I did have one climb over a four ft fence.

 

[Ratchnick]

Mine can’t fly after I clip but I did have one climb over a four ft fence.

Yes but you have clipped before.

 

[fatcatx]

Mine can’t fly after I clip but I did have one climb over a four ft fence.

That's what I'm worried about, especially if they figure out how to get on a table or yard cart and launch themselves from there. If there is a decent chance that will hapoen, then probably best that I pass on the ducks.

 

[Going Quackers]

My scovies have always been wanderers they climb too, they are after all ducks with claws and know how to use them... of coarse variables, kind of fence, wing clipping and so forth but i have watched my BIG drakes do a fluff up and then climb the rest of the way to clear the 4ft chain link ...

Females fly and extremely well, ours used to get on the house roof and peer into the skylights lol. They also often roosted on the roofs of the buildings around the place.

Pekin are louder but very personable and cannot get about as easily, there are also many other breeds that aren't super loud but don't fly/climb. We just got some Welsh harlequins and they are supposed to be pretty calm, i know the breeders farm had a lovely flock just quietly wandering about when we picked up our babies.

 

[fatcatx]

Sounds like for the sake of neighborly relations I should put my duck plans on hold. I really wish I could get Cayuga - so pretty!

 

[Miss Lydia]

They can fly to from what I’ve heard, heck my Runner flew over our 4th fence with a strand of barb wire over top that. Mind you she was up on a hill behind the house but she got over the fence.