Raising meat ducks under a deck?

[irf1983]

Anyone have experience free ranging pekings for meat? I'm considering fencing in a raised deck for a safe house at night, and free ranging during the day. Are they easy enough to herd into a run at night? do they range far? any help would be great. thanks!

 

[sourland]

That deck is going to smell real bad real fast.

 

[TLWR]

How many ducks are you talking about?

I have 3 runners, so small/medium ducks. They are pooping machines. I booted them to the edge of the deck so I don't have poop by my back door. It gets hosed down at least once a day in the winter, more when it is warm out if they are up on the deck during the day. Mine head to their house on the deck on their own at dark. I close them into their house and let them out again in the morning. They have a pool in the dog/duck yard (fenced in pea gravel area) and then free range in the rest of the back yard for the day.
I hose down the pea gravel of food and poop daily as well.
I'm trying to figure out how to move them away from the house soon since the summer is just going to make it stink and the flies stick around. I may build them a small deck next to ours to put their house on and keep them off our deck entirely - not sure yet.

But water - often - to keep the smell down.