Moving my ducks...

[coop-er]

Hello friends, I am a new duck owner. I bought 4 ducklings one year ago and they are living happily with my chickens in their coop. However we have sold our house and will be moving this summer. I will sadly be leaving my chickens and their coop, but we have purchased property with a pond and will be building a house there. Can I take my ducks to the pond and have them live safely there before the house is built? They have lived their whole lives in our yard and spent every night in the coop with the chickens. With this plan they will be "outside" all the time. Is this safe? Is this a dumb question?? I mean ducks live in ponds and on lakes everywhere. Are they smart enough to evade predators at night etc...?? Thanks in advance for the input!

 

[PirateGirl]

Maybe you can give them a temporary "safe" home for nights until their house is built. A dog kennel or dog house, a shed/garage on property. Even an area of electrified poultry netting could work. It's a new home, so they won't know where home is yet either. I'd be nervous if they didn't have anything, especially in the early days when they are still learning the lay of the land. Sounds like they are going to fall in love with their new home pretty quickly since they will have a pond!

 

[56 Forest Ridge]

It would be smart to build some sort of "coop" or shelter for them at night.
If a pretator wants them it will get them, they are not above being hurt. Especially in a new area that you don't know what's out there yet.
It doesn't take much to build a shelter at all, a couple of hours and some scrap wood!
Good luck with the move!

 

[blayt90]

I have my ducks in a pen but have had to leave them out of their house due to my work schedule. They have a small swim pond in their pen. I have noticed that when I get home at night they are in their pond if a predator is close to the pen so I think it is a natural instinct to head for water for protection. But I am no expert and have only had mine 1 year.

 

[coop-er]

Maybe you can give them a temporary "safe" home for nights until their house is built. A dog kennel or dog house, a shed/garage on property. Even an area of electrified poultry netting could work. It's a new home, so they won't know where home is yet either. I'd be nervous if they didn't have anything, especially in the early days when they are still learning the lay of the land. Sounds like they are going to fall in love with their new home pretty quickly since they will have a pond!

There is a large barn on the property, my husband and I could build something inside of it for them to live in. Can they learn to go into a house at night like chickens?

 

[PirateGirl]

There is a large barn on the property, my husband and I could build something inside of it for them to live in. Can they learn to go into a house at night like chickens?

I have ducks and chickens both. When I go out after dark the chickens have already gone into their coop and up to roost on their own. They ducks are usually out and awake. The ducks have learned that they get locked in their house every night. When they see/hear me coming, they all start going into their house. Sometimes there is a straggler and I just kinda herd them with a light into their house and lock the door behind them. I'm not chasing and catching them. They may not put themselves to bed, but they can learn the routine. You could probably even partition off a corner in the barn with some cardboard or something and put some straw down and teach them the routine of walking up to the barn at night. I don't have a pond, so I'm not sure how big a temptation that is going to be and if they will be out in the middle of it when you want them to be inside. Hopefully others with ponds will have more feedback for you.

 

[coop-er]

Pirate girl, I have the exact same routine with my ducks and chickens too. I just am not sure if the ducks are as likely to be herded into an enclosure without the chickens "teaching" them. My neighbors have a pond and there are ducks (not pets) that frequent it and I have noticed when a fox or coyotes comes around they just swim to the middle to stay safe.

 

[PirateGirl]

My chickens and ducks are in separate coops/runs, so the ducks definitely are not following the lead of the chickens. I think they can learn where their house is. Mine are not free range either though. Again, I wonder how tempting all the other fun things out there are when you are trying to herd them back.