New owner of Muscovy Ducks!

[southernmademom]

We just adopted 36 Muscovy ducks, half drakes and half females. I built them a 16x10 pin to go into at night. We live in the middle of 100 acres with a nice size pond. My question is if I let the ducks out to free range which was my plan from the beginning will I be able to get them back into the pin at night?

 

[sourland]

Understand that muscovies tend to be free spirited wanderers. Train them with a 'feeding sound' - rattling stones in a can, a whistle, or a particular call that you utilize whenever you feed. Make sure that they have not been fed when you let them out, and then when ready entice them back into the pen and feed. There will be some renegades, but hopefully most can be trained.

 

[southernmademom]

I will definitely come up with some sort of call. My 4yo has a triangle bell that may work. So should I only feed them in the evening when trying to pin them? Also should I clip there wings?

 

[lbrykowski2011]

We just adopted 36 Muscovy ducks, half drakes and half females. I built them a 16x10 pin to go into at night. We live in the middle of 100 acres with a nice size pond. My question is if I let the ducks out to free range which was my plan from the beginning will I be able to get them back into the pin at night?

Good luck on that, I only have 2 Muscovy's and 2 khaki's. I put them in a dog house at nite and kept them in a 100sq ft pen for a month and then let them go to the pond. Don't see them out of the pond much anymore, lol. I put food in the pen around 4pm and if I happen to see them wander in, I will run out and shut the door. The Muscovy's always get out(my fence is only 4ft high though) but I know i will get at least 2 eggs in the morning from my khaki's and then I let them out again too. It's hard losing all the eggs in the pond, but they just seem so much happier. When I do get them in the run, I clip their 3rd row of wings and do a quick leg and body check. I do love them

 

[southernmademom]

Truthfully, I'm thinking if I let them out I may not get them back in. We have one adult drake which is around 13-15 pounds and 3 female adults the rest are 3 month old ducklings. I'm guessing I should leave them in their pin for a month or so to get them used to being fed in it.

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Truthfully, I'm thinking if I let them out I may not get them back in. We have one adult drake which is around 13-15 pounds and 3 female adults the rest are 3 month old ducklings. I'm guessing I should leave them in their pin for a month or so to get them used to being fed in it.

They did just love their pool when they were in the pen. I used a lil tupperware lid(1ftx2ftlong and only 2-3indeep) when they were lil and then gave them the dog's pool with a ladder leading up to it. They look so happy in the pond, I guess come winter they will have to come back to the pen and house.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Understand that muscovies tend to be free spirited wanderers. Train them with a 'feeding sound' - rattling stones in a can, a whistle, or a particular call that you utilize whenever you feed. Make sure that they have not been fed when you let them out, and then when ready entice them back into the pen and feed. There will be some renegades, but hopefully most can be trained.

Truthfully, I'm thinking if I let them out I may not get them back in. We have one adult drake which is around 13-15 pounds and 3 female adults the rest are 3 month old ducklings. I'm guessing I should leave them in their pin for a month or so to get them used to being fed in it.

Very good idea, mine have been trained to go inside of an evening, so decide what you are going to use when you call them home, I have a coffee can that I have used forever with lid I put corn in it and shake the day lights out of it along with whistling they come running, now they just go in by them selves, my old ones have taught the young ones. Muscovy's like routine so try to establish one right off.

 

[Going Quackers]

I definitely wouldn't release immediately, mine do come back to the fenced area that surrounds their barn by dusk, now do they always go in to the barn? no, i herd them in, i have an old broom that they have identified as the herding stick, no seriously if they see me with they start to move.

I also keep "favoured" spots ie; all feed, water and pools are in this fenced area, NOTHING is outside of it, draws them in. Also probably helps there is a huge cedar row that they adore to sit in too.

I have no ponds, but mine definitely wander a good distance, no one here is clipped since they free range i will give them what they can for protection and flight is definitely the main one. I have a flock of 17 Muscovy that run together and 2 buff ducks lol yes, they add flavour to the flock, so it's a decent size that i am dealing with ages ranging from This June hatch to years old, all mixed(drakes, ducks etc)

 

[southernmademom]

I definitely wouldn't release immediately, mine do come back to the fenced area that surrounds their barn by dusk, now do they always go in to the barn? no, i herd them in, i have an old broom that they have identified as the herding stick, no seriously if they see me with they start to move.

I also keep "favoured" spots ie; all feed, water and pools are in this fenced area, NOTHING is outside of it, draws them in. Also probably helps there is a huge cedar row that they adore to sit in too.

I have no ponds, but mine definitely wander a good distance, no one here is clipped since they free range i will give them what they can for protection and flight is definitely the main one. I have a flock of 17 Muscovy that run together and 2 buff ducks lol yes, they add flavour to the flock, so it's a decent size that i am dealing with ages ranging from This June hatch to years old, all mixed(drakes, ducks etc)

Thank you for the advice. I don't think I will clip their wing. I would hate if something got after them and they couldn't get away. We are in the middle of a lot of land so I'm not worried about someone messing with them. I will leave them in their pin for a while then let them out and just pray they will come back in. I put square hay bales in the back of the pin so they could sit on which a few have claimed already. I need to get a broom stick and start training them with it! lol I can only imagine how many more I will have this time next year.