Pekin Duck Club!

[Miss Lydia]

It was right at dusk. Going to start locking them up sooner at night. It's hard to time it up here in Alaska because we are loosing daylight everyday this time of year. You have to keep adjusting your feeding schedule. A week ago 7:30 pm was still light out. Now it's almost dark at that time.

Same here. But if you train your ducks to go inside before dusk they will, I have 15 and they are ready to go inside now starting at 5:15 pm. They love the security of their house. We have most Preds you probably have except grisly bears and wolves so I know and I am thinking they do they have to be up at night early. I'm thinking when the time change comes mine will be lined up at the door ready to go in at 4:30. I was surprised how early they are ready to go in now. Haven't seen the blk bear yet this fall but have seen signs he's been around. Stay safe. From what I just heard to, food is scarce right now for the bears and this is the time of year they need to be fattening up for winter so they will go looking for what ever easy meal they can find.

 

[StacyAK]

Same here. But if you train your ducks to go inside before dusk they will, I have 15 and they are ready to go inside now starting at 5:15 pm. They love the security of their house. We have most Preds you probably have except grisly bears and wolves so I know and I am thinking they do they have to be up at night early. I'm thinking when the time change comes mine will be lined up at the door ready to go in at 4:30. I was surprised how early they are ready to go in now. Haven't seen the blk bear yet this fall but have seen signs he's been around. Stay safe. From what I just heard to, food is scarce right now for the bears and this is the time of year they need to be fattening up for winter so they will go looking for what ever easy meal they can find.

If I go inside the coop and call the chickens they will come in. Puddles the Pekin usually follows them in (especially if I have treats). Once they are all in Spash, the Chocolate Runner, will come in just because she can't be more then 2 feet away from Puddlea at any given time. I can get them inside pretty easily anytime I want but they never seem to want to go in on their own at night unless it's bad weather out. This is going to be my first winter with chickens and ducks so it's a learning experience for sure! We ALWAYS have black bears around during the summer and fall so I knew I was going to have an issue once the bears discovered the chickens. I had one last year try and get my mini horse twice. My dogs saved the day just in time both times. We have quite a few bear defenses around his corral now. Time to do the same for the chicken coop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

If I go inside the coop and call the chickens they will come in. Puddles the Pekin usually follows them in (especially if I have treats). Once they are all in Spash, the Chocolate Runner, will come in just because she can't be more then 2 feet away from Puddlea at any given time. I can get them inside pretty easily anytime I want but they never seem to want to go in on their own at night unless it's bad weather out. This is going to be my first winter with chickens and ducks so it's a learning experience for sure! We ALWAYS have black bears around during the summer and fall so I knew I was going to have an issue once the bears discovered the chickens. I had one last year try and get my mini horse twice. My dogs saved the day just in time both times. We have quite a few bear defenses around his corral now. Time to do the same for the chicken coop.

So at least you know what has to be done to protect them. Thank goodness the dogs saved your horse. So far the bears haven't messed with the flock houses just went after trash can and wild bird feeders when I would forget to bring them in, but boy did they make a mess of the welded wire fence. My dh built a bear proof trash can holder and I Don't forget to bring in the bird feeders any more. Lesson learned. Sounds like your 2 ducks are very attached to each other. and Locking them up maybe against what they want but they don't know there are things out there that love duck dinner.

Now we need pics of these 2 Puddles and Splash

 

[StacyAK]

So at least you know what has to be done to protect them. Thank goodness the dogs saved your horse. So far the bears haven't messed with the flock houses just went after trash can and wild bird feeders when I would forget to bring them in, but boy did they make a mess of the welded wire fence. My dh built a bear proof trash can holder and I Don't forget to bring in the bird feeders any more. Lesson learned. Sounds like your 2 ducks are very attached to each other. and Locking them up maybe against what they want but they don't know there are things out there that love duck dinner.    Now we need pics of these 2 Puddles and Splash

Yeah they seemed oblivious to the fact that the bear was dangerous and wanted to eat them. I always thought that if a bear showed up they would all run inside, not go right up to the fence to check it out.

Here's the most recent picture of Puddles and Splash. I take Coda the German Shepherd with me now when I go out to the coop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yeah they seemed oblivious to the fact that the bear was dangerous and wanted to eat them. I always thought that if a bear showed up they would all run inside, not go right up to the fence to check it out.



Here's the most recent picture of Puddles and Splash. I take Coda the German Shepherd with me now when I go out to the coop.

Yeah they seemed oblivious to the fact that the bear was dangerous and wanted to eat them. I always thought that if a bear showed up they would all run inside, not go right up to the fence to check it out.



Here's the most recent picture of Puddles and Splash. I take Coda the German Shepherd with me now when I go out to the coop.

They very pretty and so are your chickens, good idea about taking the dog along, I think my 4 dogs keep a lot of preds away. just with their barking, If a pred was to get a good look at them it would probably fall over laughing, 3 mini dachshunds and mixed bird dog.

Coda looks like there is some clout there.

 

[StacyAK]

They very pretty and so are your chickens, good idea about taking the dog along, I think my 4 dogs keep a lot of preds away. just with their barking, If a pred was to get a good look at them it would probably fall over laughing, 3 mini dachshunds and mixed bird dog.   Coda looks like there is some clout there.

Haha! At least their barking runs them off and makes them sounds bigger then they are! I have a German Shepherd, a Husky/Shepherd mix, a Rottweiller/Shepherd mix and a Shiba Inu. When they see a bear they make such a racket that the bears take right off.

Here's my yard from the deck. The dogs and mini are in the fenced area (you can see Snickers the mini in the pic) and the coop and run are off to the right. The dogs can't get to the coop to protect it but they can see it from the yard and bark at anything that comes around

 

[Miss Lydia]

Haha! At least their barking runs them off and makes them sounds bigger then they are! I have a German Shepherd, a Husky/Shepherd mix, a Rottweiller/Shepherd mix and a Shiba Inu. When they see a bear they make such a racket that the bears take right off.



Here's my yard from the deck. The dogs and mini are in the fenced area (you can see Snickers the mini in the pic) and the coop and run are off to the right. The dogs can't get to the coop to protect it but they can see it from the yard and bark at anything that comes around

Beautiful pic. don't think you could ask for a nicer place to live and raise animals. and your 4 dogs sound like a bunch I wouldn't want to run into if I was a pred. Do you ever see Grisly
bears around your area?

 

[StacyAK]

Beautiful pic. don't think you could ask for a nicer place to live and raise animals. and your 4 dogs sound like a bunch I wouldn't want to run into if I was a pred. Do you ever see Grisly
 bears around your area?

We've never seen a Grizzly, only Blacks, but the neighbors a few houses up the street said they saw a Grizz walking down the street last summer

 

[Miss Lydia]

We've never seen a Grizzly, only Blacks, but the neighbors a few houses up the street said they saw a Grizz walking down the street last summer

Well I bet that was a sight to behold. LOL and I see I am spelling Grizzly wrong.

 

[Younger]

What a beautiful place to live StacyAK. We have three beagles and from the noise at times you would think I own 12. However the other night I went outside after dark to let the dogs out for their last bathroom break before bed and there were two coyotes on the yard. Not one of the dogs barked. They all slunk back to the door, scrambling to get in the house. (They are in a large fenced in area) but they could have still barked. LOL Thank goodness the ducks and chickens were tucked away safe and sound. The chickens are good at putting themselves to bed and are always in when I go out to close up coops at 6:00-6:30pm. The two ducks are a little more stubborn and wait for me to waif them out of the pond. I think it's a game to them now.