Quick Question

[ferretowner96]

Hello. In a couple weeks I am going to get 2-3 ducklings. I am going to raise them inside, until they are decent size, so they are safe, and also so they will kind of bond with me. Do you let your ducks run free, or do you pen them up? I have a pond on my farm, so I would like to let them run free near the pond, but since I am going to bond with them, I don't want them getting ate. Also, do you have any pictures of your enclosure if you keep them in one?
Thanks,
Rick

 

[azhenhouse]

There are too many predators around us so our ducks have a duck house with a fenced run, and the chickens have their chicken coop with a run. Both runs are uncovered. I only let them free range in our fenced yard when we are home. Just in case. There are a lot of BYC'ers who let their ducks free range. Hopefully, you will here from them, and learn their experiences. Good luck!

 

[70%cocoa]

I do the same - I pen them in a run when I am not at home and at night. I let them out into the yard only when I am home. Their pen is covered on all sides with strong metal mesh (roof, walls and floor). I have a thick layer of sand (almost a foot) on top of the mesh that is on the floor so that the pen drains well.

I'm sure that your ducks will enjoy time roaming your yard and going on your pond during the daytime. If you are not watching them then this adds a bit to the risk, but it is hard to supervise them all the time while still giving them time to roam about and catch bugs etc. It's a matter of deciding how much predator risk you are willing to live with and what kind of predators are around your area.

Around here the main predator I have to deal with is foxes that can be active at any time of day but especially at night.

 

[veronicasmom]

Ferretowner96-when the ducklings are babies, make sure the ferrets can't get to them. I am sure you knew that, but just wanted to stick my two cents in!

My adult ducks free range when we are home, but are securely penned when we are gone. We use the dog kennel fencing panels and they are in there during the day, overnight we lock them in a large shed for safety. We live "in the country" and have tons of predators lurking. Can't be too careful, imo.

 

[ferretowner96]

Thanks everybody. lol I got rid of my ferrets a couple weeks ago, but kept the name, just because this is my user name on every forum I am on lol I was just wondering, because I love when poultry are just running around, but our pond is near our woods, and I don't want something getting them. Do hawks usually bug ducks? We have a couple hawks around here, and one time he swooped up one of my banties, and I threw rocks at him, until he dropped my chicken lol Oh, the stories I have lol
Thanks everybody,
Rick

 

[TLWR]

Hawks will take a duck.

I put my girls in a duck house at night and they have run of the fenced yard during the day. We have 4-5 acres fenced, but they seem to stick to about a half acre close to the house.