Lots of questions!

[Fleabuskitty]

Hi, I am interested in getting some ducks but I don't know a whole lot about them. My questions are:
1. Can they eat chicken feed? I feed my chickens Dumor layer crumbles, would that work for ducks?
2. I have a pond in my backyard and I have been told that if I let them free-range all day, they will be miserable if they are locked up at night. Do ducks go back to the same place at night? I know they don't roost like chickens. I've been told that they will sleep under the dock (the pond has a small dock and part of the "bridge" part is over land) and if something tries to attack them they'll go into the water and be safe.
3. Will duck "byproducts" or the ducks themselves hurt my fish? I have some young Koi fish in the pond. I'm not too worried about this because my friend's family had ducks in their pond along with Koi (she doesn't remember how the ducks were kept because she was a small child at the time).

I am willing to make a small coop/house for them at night. I don't really think that leaving them outside all night is a good idea because if a coyote or a stray dog or something went after them they might get confused and go the other way away from the pond. I don't want to have to catch them every night in the dark to put them up.
Also, if this helps, I would be getting four to six ducks, most likely Blue Swedish.
Thanks in advance for any information!

 

[Ducks and Banny hens]

1 - Yes, as long as it's unmedicated.
2 - No ducks aaren't miserable. Yes they are more reliable, loyal rangers the chooks.
3 - Yes, there 'leavings' are extremely high in nitrogen, and may hurt your koi...
I hope this helps.

 

[Fleabuskitty]

Ok, thanks for the answers! If they could possibly hurt the koi I guess I might not be getting ducks, then

 

[animalsRawesome]

Quote:

but ducks are so much fun!!!
I don't know much (Ok, I know nothing

) about koi, but how big is your pond? It doesn't seem to me that the few ducks you are talking abuot would make that big of a difference if your pond was big enough... I'm sure someone will chime in and tell me how wrong I am though

 

[Kevin565]

1. Yes chicken feed is fine
2. I lock mine up at night. I'm sure they'd rather be free ranging at night but their are way to many predators here for that.
3. Do you have pond plants? They'd absorb some of the nutrients. However, in general ducks will eat fish that are under 6 inches. If you have a nice pond i would not add ducks.

 

[RAREROO]

I would not risk a koi pond with ducks, if they can catch your fish, they will kill them, even if they are too big to eat. And if you have nice plants in and around your pond, the ducks will eat and/or destroy them.

What part of south ga are you in by the way ? Just curious

 

[Fleabuskitty]

It's not like a decorative pond, it's a spring-fed sort of pond with wild plants in it. It used to be stocked with bass and perch before we moved here. It isn't small, but it's not like a lake.
Here is a photo:

When we put the koi in about 2 months ago they were 3-4 inches, so I guess they're small enough for ducks to eat

What about Call ducks? I know they're small, but would they be too small to free-range during the day?
RAREROO - We're in Coffee County

 

[RAREROO]

Quote:
Oh ok well they should be fine in a pond that big especially if its a few feet deep. I was picturing a small ornamental koi pond. Calls would work too but like I said, I think you would be ok with a few swedish sized ducks in a pond that big.

And we're not far from each other. I'm in Berrien, just barely outside of Atkinson County.

 

[DB_Tex]

I believe your fish need to be 5-6" to be too big for ducks to molest. By spring you'll probably be fine. The pond is lovely for ducks, but i would build a predator proof nighttime pen and shelter. Put food inside only the shelter at night and they'll go in at night without trouble when they get hungry. My birds put themselves to bed at sunset the second I step outside the back door with food they are running to the cage!

 

[Fleabuskitty]

The pond is over 6 feet deep in the middle at the moment, and it's actually really low right now; it should be a couple feet deeper. I don't think ducks swim far underwater (I know they will stick their heads in the water), so it seems like the fish would be able to escape to the bottom.