Mare's Illegal Cute-ness (Call Duck) Chat Thread!!

[Deja_view]

I moved my adults out of their pen/coop area, clipped their wings and turned them loose with our goose and tortoise a little while back. It's a huge uncovered area with plenty of sheltered spaces for nesting or sleeping. It's taken them a bit to completely settle in, but I found my girl Peeky nesting today so they must be feeling comfortable. They certainly act happy. .
Can anyone tell me if I should keep clipping their wings? I keep seeing a lot of pictures of Calls that look like they're living without roofing to keep them in...does anyone ever lose a duck to flying away? Mine were used to free time in the garden and I've always clipped their wings, but now I'm wondering how necessary it is.

I'm happy to hear your ducks are feeling more comfortable
My Calls are not kept in an enclosure with a roof. They're out with my geese and Welsh Harlequins in a large area that is surrounded by electric fencing, which I move around to fresh pasture periodically. Then everyone gets locked up at night.
I do keep one of their wings clipped because I have had a few fly over the electric fence and get stuck outside of it. I'm too worried about a predator coming along and eating them in those instances, so I clipped their wings again. They can still glide a bit with only one wing clipped, but can't get airborne enough to go over the fence.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I moved my adults out of their pen/coop area, clipped their wings and turned them loose with our goose and tortoise a little while back. It's a huge uncovered area with plenty of sheltered spaces for nesting or sleeping. It's taken them a bit to completely settle in, but I found my girl Peeky nesting today so they must be feeling comfortable. They certainly act happy. .
Can anyone tell me if I should keep clipping their wings? I keep seeing a lot of pictures of Calls that look like they're living without roofing to keep them in...does anyone ever lose a duck to flying away? Mine were used to free time in the garden and I've always clipped their wings, but now I'm wondering how necessary it is.

Some of the ducks i have raised in open top pens got their wings clipped immediately as soon as they grew in and i swear they don't even act like they know they can fly.

Any time I've had birds get out and fly away from me they never go far and always come waddling right back to the flock.
That said, it doesn't mean they wouldn't eventually get brave and go farther and farther if they were left out to do as they pleased.
I'd say wing clipping being "necessary" is just gonna depend on your personal situation/set up.

If there is a water source nearby that would entice them to fly to it and not come back in a timely fashion.

It's kind of nice to think their ability to fly would help them escape predators, but then again if they are flying to escape who knows how far they could get chased away and never be found too.

There is just no way to 100 percent ensure their safety either way you go. I keep mine penned up in a secure as can be hardware cloth pen and have still lost ducks to freak accidents

 

[ChicksnMore]

Some of the ducks i have raised in open top pens got their wings clipped immediately as soon as they grew in and i swear they don't even act like they know they can fly.

Any time I've had birds get out and fly away from me they never go far and always come waddling right back to the flock.
That said, it doesn't mean they wouldn't eventually get brave and go farther and farther if they were left out to do as they pleased.
I'd say wing clipping being "necessary" is just gonna depend on your personal situation/set up.

If there is a water source nearby that would entice them to fly to it and not come back in a timely fashion.

It's kind of nice to think their ability to fly would help them escape predators, but then again if they are flying to escape who knows how far they could get chased away and never be found too.

There is just no way to 100 percent ensure their safety either way you go. I keep mine penned up in a secure as can be hardware cloth pen and have still lost ducks to freak accidents

Mine also don't seem to have a clue they can fly Our nearest body of water is our little pond. Right now we walk them out to it and limit their time there or we'd quickly have an oversized dirty water bowl instead of a pond. Think I'll either keep clipping or go back to keeping them in their run. They might discover they can fly and either fly one fence to get more pond time or fly the other fence to poop up our back door. Or worse, be lost completely.
Thanks for sharing.

 

[muddy75]

Some of the ducks i have raised in open top pens got their wings clipped immediately as soon as they grew in and i swear they don't even act like they know they can fly.

Any time I've had birds get out and fly away from me they never go far and always come waddling right back to the flock.
That said, it doesn't mean they wouldn't eventually get brave and go farther and farther if they were left out to do as they pleased.
I'd say wing clipping being "necessary" is just gonna depend on your personal situation/set up.

If there is a water source nearby that would entice them to fly to it and not come back in a timely fashion.

It's kind of nice to think their ability to fly would help them escape predators, but then again if they are flying to escape who knows how far they could get chased away and never be found too.

There is just no way to 100 percent ensure their safety either way you go. I keep mine penned up in a secure as can be hardware cloth pen and have still lost ducks to freak accidents

I read this post this morning and when I went out to feed, none of my ducks were anywhere in sight I started looking around and they were all down in the pond content that it finally filled in enough for them to swim

 

[Canadian Wind]

I read this post this morning and when I went out to feed, none of my ducks were anywhere in sight I started looking around and they were all down in the pond content that it finally filled in enough for them to swim

View attachment 3562780View attachment 3562781

Now I see why your user name is Muddy!

 

[muddy75]

Now I see why your user name is Muddy!

it actually started back in my 4x4 days but stuck and this area stays flooded so much that it fits my little farm too

 

[Hayden Goseek]

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Baby Ugas hatched for Independence day!
So stinkin cute.

 

[muddy75]

Lovey is going broody again…..she had 1 egg in the nest and I added the ones I had been collecting for the incubator they’re all fertile

 

[muddy75]

the drake that was bigger and had black on his head and wings is now getting a green head