Mallards!!

[halfpint82]

Hi everyone!
I am interested in raising mallard ducks. But I have a few questions. I live on a farm with a decent size pond. I will start the ducklings in the house and when they are ready I will have them set up outside near the house. My goal is to have them use the pond and possibly have a coupe of some sort there for them. I chose mallards because we unfortunately do have a large amount of foxes in our woods. My hopes were that mallards would be fine to fly away if there is any trouble?
1. Do you have to lock mallards in a coupe at night if they are on a pond?
2. Will they come back to the house if they were raised there?
Any suggestions or insight would be greatly appreciated. I have plenty of chickens but they are different.

 

[FluffTheDuck]

To answer your questions...
1. Unless you want them to be eaten or fly away, yes you have to keep them in a coop.
2. Not likely. It depends on the duck. If you are their only friend there is a POSSIBLE chance they might come back. No guarantee.

Yes they would fly away if there was predators about to eat them. Better flying away then eaten!! Although if they are domesticated they might die anyway...

 

[MallardMomx2]

@FluffTheDuck answered these questions very well
I own mallards and only mallards who I keep enclosed 24/7. It is unlikely that they will return to the coop at night on their own. Also, domesticated mallards may not have the survival skills needed to survive in the wild on their own like this, this is a risk you take. They will also surely migrate for winter, if they survive, and may or may not find their way back. Any questions, feel free to message me. Mallards are kinda my thing

 

[FluffTheDuck]

@FluffTheDuck answered these questions very well

Thanks!

 

[halfpint82]

Thank you. I so badly want to raise some kind of ducks! More importantly I want them to have the ability to enjoy the pond! Due to its location I just can't figure out how to accomplish that without them being in danger of getting killed. Its just to far from the house and to close to the woods. It's not realistic to think I can just take them down there to play and bring them back to the house? Or is it? Its a lot to think about. I have lost to many chickens in the past, I would die if something like that to happen again.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Thank you. I so badly want to raise some kind of ducks! More importantly I want them to have the ability to enjoy the pond! Due to its location I just can't figure out how to accomplish that without them being in danger of getting killed. Its just to far from the house and to close to the woods. It's not realistic to think I can just take them down there to play and bring them back to the house? Or is it? Its a lot to think about. I have lost to many chickens in the past, I would die if something like that to happen again.

Well, why don't you build them a house with a fenced in run (covered too) nearer your house? Ducks don't have to have a pond. Get them a kiddie pool. When you are with them to supervise things take them on a field trip down to the pond once in a while!