Need Advice from A Seasoned Duck Owner

[tb0408]

So, I currently raise poultry. My coop is a very large room off my garage/barn and is on the same side as my 1 acre pond only about 25 feet from it. My chickens free range most of the time as I have 13 acres and I would like the same for my future possible ducks. I want them to be able to swim around in my pond when they want. It is not fenced in. Is this possible or just a pipe dream? Is this a dream set-up or a recipe for disaster? Stewing on this but I thought this might be a good place to get some advice. They will all end up in the same coop area at night to rest. I will let them out every am. My coop room is a cement floor and is always dry due to the deep litter method I use. I am hopeful they can hang together with the chickens at night without needing a separate shelter for the ducks.

Thanks in advance for taking the time to respond!

 

[BigWeenMachine]

You should be fine. We let our ducks, all 27 of em, free range our yard all day, year round. We have a small 8x5 ft pond for them and they swim and forage during the day but always put themselves up at night. If they already know that coop as their nightly home, they will put themselves up at night without you worrying. Just leave the gate open and you'll be pleasantly surprised to find them snuggled up in their coop every night at dusk when you go out to shut the coop for the night. Just continue to put their food inside the pen they are used to and they will roam back and forth from the pond to their food and coop at will. It's also extremely good for them to have access to foraging. They will gobble up bugs, worms, small fish, baby toads and just about anything else which moves that they can fit in their mouths, as well as fresh grass and weeds. The best part is they'll love ya for it and you'll get a kick outta watching them swim all day! Enjoy!