Leaving Ducks Outside to Roam.... Predators?

[Duck Lady1]

Thank you - not yet. I've just given them basic duck food and when I give them extra veggies I add chick grit.

 

[Beaglegal]

Cool- what is an eagle shelter?

Example of what I use. The birds can easily dive for cover. I keep these in the open areas and the double as shade. They have wheels so I can move them and not kill grass

 

[Daphne_loves_mealworms]

So does no one leave their ducks out during the day to roam? Seems like they should be able to enjoy the backyard.

I have 3 different areas for my ducks. At night, they live in a horse stall in my barn. The only thing that worries me a bit is that chipmunks keep popping up in the barn, and I figure a weasel could take out the chipmunk family and use their burrow hole to get into the barn. So far, so good (and I keep filling in the chipmunk holes).

The second area is a fully fenced in “duckio” for daytime use when no one is home. Halfway up the sides, I’ve double-fenced it with hardwire cloth, and all fencing is buried. It is secure, but not weasel secure (and probably not bear secure either). It’s, I think, 18’ by 18’, and includes a couple of shelters and their pools.

Whenever someone is home and able to supervise (and I use that term loosely), they free-range, although the sun must be fully up (no dawn or dusk outings). They seem to be hawk savvy, although I lock them back in the duckio if the hawks are around. I worry most about the hawks right now, as my neighborhood primarily has nighttime predators (and I monitor with quite a few wildlife cameras). However, a fox could always move to the area, or a bobcat.

They are certainly vulnerable to anything and everything when free-ranging. I read on here once that the only thing a predator enjoys more than a chicken is a duck. And ducks are just plain defenseless. My Muscovies can fly, but that’s it. And that’s no good if is a surprise attack or a hawk or eagle attack.

I agree that ducks enjoy free-ranging the most, which is why I allow mine to do so to a certain limited degree. But they have been changed by man from their wild ancestors (who were and are still vulnerable) to “meals with wings”. So, a balance between safety and enjoyment must be found.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I have 3 different areas for my ducks. At night, they live in a horse stall in my barn. The only thing that worries me a bit is that chipmunks keep popping up in the barn, and I figure a weasel could take out the chipmunk family and use their burrow hole to get into the barn. So far, so good (and I keep filling in the chipmunk holes).

The second area is a fully fenced in “duckio” for daytime use when no one is home. Halfway up the sides, I’ve double-fenced it with hardwire cloth, and all fencing is buried. It is secure, but not weasel secure (and probably not bear secure either). It’s, I think, 18’ by 18’, and includes a couple of shelters and their pools.

Whenever someone is home and able to supervise (and I use that term loosely), they free-range, although the sun must be fully up (no dawn or dusk outings). They seem to be hawk savvy, although I lock them back in the duckio if the hawks are around. I worry most about the hawks right now, as my neighborhood primarily has nighttime predators (and I monitor with quite a few wildlife cameras). However, a fox could always move to the area, or a bobcat.

They are certainly vulnerable to anything and everything when free-ranging. I read on here once that the only thing a predator enjoys more than a chicken is a duck. And ducks are just plain defenseless. My Muscovies can fly, but that’s it. And that’s no good if is a surprise attack or a hawk or eagle attack.

I agree that ducks enjoy free-ranging the most, which is why I allow mine to do so to a certain limited degree. But they have been changed by man from their wild ancestors (who were and are still vulnerable) to “meals with wings”. So, a balance between safety and enjoyment must be found.

 

[Duck Lady1]

I love it! That's great!